Earlier this month we shared some tips and tricks to help keep your cat relaxed the vet. We included a look at what we do in the waiting area and consultation room to help your furry friend relax. However, there is also a lot that happens behind the scenes in hospital and surgery to help keep your cat (and dog) relaxed and comfortable.
In Surgery
Sage snuggled up in recovery.
We pride ourselves on the fact that all our opening hours are visiting hours. If your pet is in hospital or staying with us for surgery, you can visit as much as you like, or even stay all day! Some of our clients will stay with their pet until they have had their pre-med (sedation and pain relief) prior to surgery, others will wait until their pet is fully anaesthetised and some even stay to watch the surgery. We aim to give updates to owners of our hospitalised patients at least twice daily and call when any pet’s having surgery are in recovery. We will often send a photo of your pet all snuggled up in a blanket in recovery along with the phone call.
Surgery can be stressful, not only for our patients but also their owners. As part of the pre-med, we provide some medication to help them relax. The vet performing the procedure examines all the surgical patients at the start of the day, then tailors a plan for the anaesthetic and surgery for the individual patients. We aim to check our cat patients in the cat ward or treatment room where we can be away from the busyness and noise of the rest of the clinic. Before we recover our patients after surgery we empty their bladders. This helps them to have a smooth recovery and means they won’t be trying to get to a litter tray while still a bit wobbly from their anaesthetic.
Winston hangs out in one of our hospital cat igloos.
In Hospital
We have separate cat and dog wards, so our cats don’t get stressed seeing a dog near them. We spray Feliway® onto the bedding in the cat cages to provide appeasing pheromones. If our cat patients are a bit worried, we can provide a special box for them to hide in or place a barrier over the front of their cage so they can’t see what is going on. In our cat ward, we play gentle music that has been shown to calm cats. If your cat has been hospitalised we may give them some medication to allow it to relax and help any procedures we need to do as stress-free as possible
A very relaxed Milo enjoys a brush in the cat ward.
Our Staff
Many of our staff have completed the Fear Free™ veterinary certification program, meaning we have extra strategies and procedures in place to keep our patients happy while in the clinic. We have a dedicated hospital nurse to care for our in-patients and this nurse changes daily, so our patients get to know everyone. This nurse is an invaluable part of our team and part of her job is to make sure our in patients are comfortable and happy and alert the vet in charge of the case with any concerns.
As always, we are here to help you and your pet. We aim to accommodate all requests as much as possible and open all feedback.
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