ALL our patients are cared for by our ward staff from the moment they leave our consulting rooms, whether they are to be admitted for the day or are hospitalised until they are reunited with you. We have a separate Cat Ward for all our feline patients, this allows us to help keep them calm and make a more comfortable, quiet environment. We all have pets of our own and appreciate you may be worried and have further questions about your pet's procedure, if this is the case we are more than happy to talk to you so please ring. The following information summarises our care and what to expect. Our registered veterinary nursing staff work with our vets to prepare your pet for their procedure.
If an anaesthetic is required, you can be certain we use the safest and most modern veterinary anaesthetics as standard. This and the fact that ALL our patients' anaesthetics are monitored only by our registered veterinary nurses under the direction of the vet so reduces the risk to a minimum. That same nursing care continues right through to recovery in our wards.
To ensure your cat is ready for admission, and procedures run smoothly on the day our instructions are summarised as followed:
YOUR CHECKLIST
- Book an appointment for your cat to be admitted
- Bring your cat to the practice on the morning of the procedure at your appointment time. Our consulting nurses admit patients from 8 am. We need to see your pet at your scheduled appointment time. All our day cases are admitted early to give us time to settle your pet into our Cat Ward and prepare them
- Your cat should be as clean and dry as possible. This is particularly important if they are going into an operating theatre. If your pet is dirty, we may have to delay their procedure
- Your cat can be fed at bedtime in the evening before they are admitted. We advise you do this as late as possible but before midnight. Our feline patients need an empty stomach if they are having an anaesthetic or a procedure that requires fasting. If you have a more pets in your household, ensure they can't access other family members food
- KEEP YOUR CAT INDOORS ON THE EVENING BEFORE THEY ARE TO BE ADMITTED. This way you can ensure you know when they last ate and they will be there in the morning!
- There is no limit to their water intake and this should continue as normal until they arrive for their appointment
- Ensure your cat has access to a litter tray so they have a chance to go to the toilet
IF YOUR CAT IS BEING NEUTERED THEY CAN STAY WITH US THE NIGHT BEFORE THEIR OPERATIONIf your cat is scheduled to be castrated or spayed, they can stay with us overnight free of charge. This does not apply to cats being admitted for any other procedure other than neutering.
TRANSPORTING YOUR CAT
Cats need to be carried in a secure cat carrier. For further information on transporting your cat,
click here.
THE CONSENT FORM
Before any procedure, whether your pet is having an anaesthetic or not, we must by law, have a consent form completed. This will need to be signed by the cat's owner or someone on behalf of the owner. The person signing the consent form MUST BE OVER THE AGE OF 18.
- You will be asked to check you and your pet's details are correct. We will discuss your cat's planned procedures listed on the form and ask you for contact details
- IT IS VITAL THAT WE ARE ABLE TO CONTACT YOU OR SOMEONE ON YOUR BEHALF, AT ANY GIVEN POINT DURING YOUR PET'S STAY - ESPECIALLY WHEN YOUR PET IS ANAETHETISED AND HAVING AN OPERATION OR PROCEDURE. This is in case of an emergency, we need to speak to you about your cat's treatment or we find something unexpected and need your permission for further treatment. If your pet is under anaesthetic at the time of the call, contacting you quickly is vital
- If you are sending someone else to collect your pet on your behalf, please inform us.
- We will need to know when your cat last ate, this includes any treats they might have had. If you suspect they could have eaten after midnight, you must tell us
- Please label any items you bring for you cat, including their cat carrier
- You can of course bring a towel, blanket and a toy to take in with them. The item/s may need to be washed so we ask that you name it with your cat's name and surname using a permanent marker or similar. If you are doing this we advise bringing an older item, rather than for example their favourite toy, as we can't accept responsibility for their items - but we always try to return these to you.
THE COST OF YOUR PET'S PROCEDURE
We aim to advise you about the cost of your pet's procedure before your appointment. If your pet is having a routine procedure then an estimate will have been given to you.
If your cat is on our
MVP Care Plan you will receive 20% off the cost of neutering. If having a dental, you will receive 10% off the cost of the dental procedure.
If your pet is insured and treatment will result in a claim, you will need to contact your insurance company in advance. Explain the planned procedure and check you are covered. If it is, they will issue you with a claims reference number and direct you to the relevant claims form. Please advise us about your intentions to claim through your insurance company, there is a £10 processing fee for new claims. Unless arranged before, payment in full is required before your pet goes home. Please note that pet insurance does not cover all procedures including routine treatments such as neutering and many dental procedures. It is therefore important to check first.
We will send you an invoice and 'WebPay' link as we encourage our clients to pay before arriving back at the practice. This way the focus can be on your pet and their home care needs.
IS YOUR CAT A LITTLE OLDER?
You may want to consider having a pre-operative blood profile performed before your cat is anaesthetised. This is advised for cats over the age of 7 and is a way of establishing any underlying conditions that may affect our choice of anaesthetic for example. In non-routine cases your vet may have advised you about this prior to admitting your pet. There is an extra charge for this, but the nurse admitting your pet can advise you further.
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOUR PET HAS HAD THEIR PROCEDURE?
We recognise you may be worried about your pet. You can ring our wards at any point in your cat's stay. We can assure you that your cat will be made as comfortable as possible and we always aim to reunite them with you at the earliest possible time.
We aim to ring you after your pet's procedure has finished and if they are having an anaesthetic then after they have woken up. We will book an appointment for you to collect them a few hours later, but we may wait until they are less drowsy before doing this. If this is the case we would ask you to ring back when requested so we can book this appointment for you. We ask that you schedule your day so you are free to collect your pet when they are ready to be discharged. (Please do not be concerned if we have not phoned you - it may be a particularly busy day or we are dealing with an emergency. This only happens occasionally, but if it does please feel free to call us.)
When we speak to you after your cat's procedure we will give you any specific information that you will need to know so you can care for them at home. At the time of discharge, a member of our nursing team will discuss your pet's home care and issue a post-op or procedure care sheet. We will advise you if your pet needs any medication, change to their exercise or diet regime and if/when a follow-up appointment is necessary. Once this has been completed we will reunite you with your cat. Your cat will be pleased to see you and glad to get home, but be aware that they may still be drowsy. We advise you to collect your pet by car.
If your cat's condition results in them being hospitalised for the night or longer, we will keep you informed on their progress and are happy to speak to you throughout their stay. Visiting hours are arranged by appointment.
If you have any queries or concerns please do not hesitate to contact us.
Some operations or procedure may require more specific preparation than above, but you will be advised by a member of staff.
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We are an accredited Silver status Cat Friendly Clinic, an initiative from the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM), the veterinary division of International Cat Care (icatcare). We understand that there are unique difficulties in bringing a cat to the vets. Cats often do not travel well and feel unsafe away from their home. They are highly sensitive to new sights, sounds and smells. Most cats prefer quiet and solitude and are highly susceptible to stress, e.g. are highly stressed by nearby dogs in the waiting room. Cats need to be handled gently and with respect.
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ALL our patients are cared for by our ward staff from the moment they leave our consulting rooms, whether they are to be admitted for the day or are hospitalised until they are reunited with you. We have a separate Cat Ward for all our feline patients, this allows us to help keep them calm and make a more comfortable, quiet environment. We all have pets of our own and appreciate you may be worried and have further questions about your pet's procedure, if this is the case we are more than happy to talk to you so please ring. The following information summarises our care and what to expect. Our registered veterinary nursing staff work with our vets to prepare your pet for their procedure.If an anaesthetic is required, you can be certain we use the safest and most modern veterinary anaesthetics as standard. This and the fact that ALL our patients' anaesthetics are monitored only by our registered veterinary nurses under the direction of the vet so reduces the risk to a minimum. That same nursing care continues right through to recovery in our wards.To ensure your cat is ready for admission, and procedures run smoothly on the day our instructions are summarised as followed:
You may be concerned about looking after your pet when they return home from their procedure... Find out more here.
Making the decision to have your cat put-to-sleep is the last thing you will do for your cat. Many cats' live well past their mid to late teens and give years of love and companionship. We want to support you in anyway you can, from helping you assess your cat's quality of life to guiding you through the end of life decisions that will need to be made.