We will clip a small area of fur from the front leg in order to inject the anaesthetic. If she was put on a drip, this area will be larger. We will cover this with a tape bandage which you can remove after an hour or two at home. You may see some bruising but this will fade quickly and the fur will grow back over 1-2 months.

We give your cat some sedative and painkiller before the operation. She may still be a bit sleepy from this, but should be able to walk. You can expect this to wear off over the next 24hrs.

During the anaesthetic we place a rubber tube in her windpipe to keep it open and help her breathing. Sometimes this means your cat will cough a little in the next few days but it should soon stop.

We will clip fur off on one side of the body or under the belly and clean the skin (different doctors have different methods). She will have a few stitches in this area, (usually 1-4). There may be a small bruise. This should settle in a few days.

On the first evening do not be worried if he is a little quiet or sleepy. Allow her to rest comfortably. She should be much brighter by the next morning.

Offer her some food and water in the evening. Do not worry if she does not want it or eats less than normal. The appetite should improve by the next day.

Try not to let her run and jump around too much for the first few days.

Check the wound daily. Look for signs of redness, swelling, bleeding or any discharge. It should not be painful.

Every animal and every procedure is different. Animals have an instinct in the wild to hide any signs of pain and injury. This means it is difficult to tell just by looking if an animal is in pain. If we would expect a procedure to cause pain then it is best to assume the animal will be at risk of feeling pain. We should then dispense a course of painkillers. It is best to complete this course even if the animal appears normal. More about pain relief here.

If she becomes weaker or drowsier during the first evening or her gums appear paler you must contact us immediately. Call 2330 7566 and follow the message.

Do not allow her to lick the wound excessively or continually as she may remove the sutures or damage the surrounding skin. If she keeps licking we can get a collar to prevent this. If she takes the sutures out after the first 24hrs the skin wound will often still heal, but if you see a hole in the skin you must bring her back.

If the wound is red or swollen, there is a hole in the skin or you see some discharge or bleeding (after the first day) then contact us for advice.

If she vomits repeatedly, becomes excessively dull or lethargic, or appears to be becoming ill contact us immediately.

Stitches are normally removed 10 days after the operation. Please contact the clinic in order to make an appointment for this to be done. We will also give her a post op check to make sure all has healed well. This is done free of charge, however please remember that if you raise other matters at this time our normal consultation fees will apply!