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Surgeries & Pre-Anaesthetic

Our theatres are fully equipped to ensure your pet is provided with the highest standard of care

At Animates we endeavour to provide the highest standard of care for you and your pet, never more so than when they are under our care for an anaesthetic procedure. 

Our sterile operating theatres are fully equipped to ensure your pet is provided with the highest standard of care and they are separate from non-sterile procedure areas to minimise the risk of wound infection.

At Animates we pride ourselves on having fully trained staff available to be able to carry the job out correctly:

  • All surgical and dental procedures are performed by Veterinary Surgeons
  • All anaesthetics are monitored by qualified Registered Veterinary Nurses
  • All recovering patients are monitored very closely by the nursing team

On the day of your pet’s procedure you will have an admission appointment, where a vet or nurse will discuss the forthcoming procedure and any concerns you may have. You will also be asked to read and sign a consent form at this time. For this we request that you allow 15 minutes when bringing your pet in for admission.

BEFORE BRINGING YOUR PET IN:

To reduce the risk of vomiting or regurgitation under the anaesthetic your pet must be starved. Food must not be offered after midnight on the night before their procedure but they should have free access to water at all times (unless specifically instructed otherwise by your vet).

Dogs: Please ensure that your dog is taken for a short, lead-only walk in the morning so that its bowels and bladder may be emptied. Please ensure your dog remains clean.

Cats: to ensure that cats are starved, please lock all cat flaps and keep your cat indoors the night prior to the surgery.

  • Anaesthetic Monitoring
  • Anaesthetic Optional Extras

Anaesthetic Monitoring

Whilst all anaesthetics carry a risk, which can be potentially very serious, and even life threatening, Animates does everything possible to minimise these risks.

During the anaesthetic, your pet will be continuously monitored by one of the registered nurses, all of which have undergone extensive formal training and are overseen by the vet, to ensure your pet is in the safest possible hands.

We only use up-to-date anaesthetic drugs to ensure they receive the lowest dose necessary, and are anaesthetised for the shortest possible time to allow a speedy and smooth recovery.

Anaesthetic Optional Extras

You will be asked at admission if you would like your pet to have these!

Whilst we recommend the following, in order to keep the basic price of procedures to a minimum we do not include them in the price.

Routine Pre-anaesthetic blood test – £40.00

This test gives us information on your pet’s internal organs, in particular the liver and kidneys. In the early stages of reduced organ function, your pet may not be showing any signs of illness, which is why this blood test is so important to pick up these problems, particularly in older animals. Identifying these problems enables us to greatly reduce the anaesthetic risk by giving supportive therapy before, during and after the anaesthetic.

We strongly advise all animals coming in for anaesthesia be blood tested, but in particular those animals over the age of 7 years.

Intra-venous Fluids (a drip) – £30.00

We highly recommend IV fluids while your pet is anaesthetised as it helps to maintain the blood pressure and therefore, blood supply to the vital organs and aids in the elimination of the anaesthetic agents, helping your pet recover from the anaesthetic more rapidly, feeling less groggy afterwards. It will also provide intravenous access in the event of an emergency, such as bleeding or low blood pressure.

Fluids are included with the anaesthetic pricing for all non-routine surgery, however, in order to provide comparable costs for neuterings, fluids are offered as an optional extra.

Sevoflurane (Anaesthetic gas) – £5.25 / 10min

To maintain anaesthesia in animals we use an inhalation gas mixed with oxygen. This is taken in to the lungs where it is absorbed into the bloodstream, and then travels to the brain. This causes unconsciousness, relaxation of muscles and blocks pain.

While we do not see problems with Isoflurane, the standard anaesthetic gas used, Sevoflurane is now the gold standard. Sevoflurane enters and exits the body up to six times faster than isoflurane allowing a more controlled anaesthetic and smoother recovery for your pet. Sevoflurane has been used in human medicine since 1995 mainly on paediatric patients. We have sevoflurane and can offer it as an alternative anaesthetic gas for your pet, but being a newer drug it is more expensive.

Please feel free to ask us if you have any further questions regarding the safety of your pet’s anaesthetic when you arrive at the clinic, or alternatively you can call prior to your appointment and speak to one of the nurses.

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