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Surgery

At Bilgola Vet Clinic, we're dedicated to providing the highest standard of care for your pets.
Our team is highly skilled and has undergone extensive training to ensure the best possible outcomes for our patients.
We are thrilled our Dr Chelia has completed her advanced training in surgery under Dr Ross' mentorship and she brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to our clinic. ​

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We offer a range of soft tissue procedures in-house, these include but are not limited to:

  • Lumpectomies

  • Exploratory laparotomy

  • Cystostomy (bladder stone removal)

  • Foreign body removal

  • Splenectomy 

  • Emergency surgery such as treatment for twisted stomach (GDV)

We understand surgery can seem daunting for your pet.
Our experienced team are also able to offer second opinions on any case if you which to explore surgical options, and together we can make the right decision for you and your pet.

 

What to expect when your pet is having surgery


Your pet will need to be fasted the night before a sedation or anaesthetic. Do not feed any food after midnight the night before surgery (i.e. no breakfast the morning of surgery). A small amount of water overnight is fine.
If your pet has accidently eaten the morning of surgery, we will postpone the surgery as it is not safe to undergo a general anaesthetic if they have eaten.

On the morning of surgery one of our nurses will go over some pre-operative administration and admit your pet.
Admission time is between 8am – 9am (unless pre-arranged otherwise). For the comfort of your pet please ensure they have been toileted before admission.

Once admitted to hospital your pet will be put into a comfortable bed in our dedicated cat or dog ward.
Our team will perform a pre-anaesthetic health check and run any blood work that is required. 
Before going under anaesthetic your pet will be given pain relief and sedation medication to keep them comfortable.

 

They will have a dedicated nurse monitoring and ensuring their safety during their anaesthetic and hospital stay.

You will receive a phone call from us after your pet is in recovery post-surgery with an update on their condition and to organise a discharge time. The discharge time can vary depending on the surgery and can range from 3-8 hours post-surgery. 
 

Pre-anaesthetic blood testing


Prior to a procedure involving sedation or anaesthetic, we recommend that a pre-anaesthetic blood test is performed on your animal.

But what does this mean and why is it important?

Blood work is an internal exam of your pet’s health and checks organ function, red blood cells, white blood cell count and platelet parameters to help us identify any unknown diseases or health risks before we administer any sedation or anaesthesia.
If the pre-anaesthetic testing results are normal, we can proceed with confidence. If not, we can alter the anaesthetic procedure or take other precautions to safeguard your pet’s health.
The more information we have, the better the care we can provide for your pet. It also gives us a baseline for any future health issues your pet may encounter. 

 

Post-surgery


The effects of a sedative or general anaesthetic can take some time to wear off, it is normal if they appear drowsy and tired that evening and the following day They typically start getting back to normal 24-48 hours post-surgery.

Unless otherwise instructed, your pet can be offered a small amount of bland food the evening post surgery.
It is not unusual that they do not wish to eat, and they may feel nauseas. Please ensure there is always fresh water available to drink.


On discharge, a team member will run through all aftercare instructions, medications which may have been dispensed to take home and if there are any recheck appointment(s) required. 
Once home please keep your pet somewhere quiet and warm to relax and keep an eye on them.

 

Any surgical sites must stay as clean and dry as possible for the recovery period. An e-collar may be provided to stop your pet from licking/pawing at the surgical wound. 
Dogs should not undergo any play off the lead, bathing or swimming.

Normal life can resume 10-14 days following the procedure.

 

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