Preparing for anaesthesia

Ennen anestesiaa kissan on oltava ruokapaastolla. Paaston pituus riippuu kissan iästä ja yleissairauksista (kuten diabetes). Ajanvarauksen yhteydessä sinulle neuvotaan kissallesi sopiva paastoaika, mutta voit tarkistaa paaston ohjeet myös

Before anaesthesia, you must withhold food from your cat for several hours. The length of fasting depends on the cat’s age and possible illnesses (such as diabetes). When making an appointment, you will be advised on the appropriate fasting period for your cat. You can also check the general fasting instructions here.

If your cat is on a prescription medication, please mention this when booking the appointment and you will get specific instructions from the clinic.

Many cats benefit from anti-anxiety premedications that can be given at home to relieve travel stress and fear. You can always ask us about these when making an appointment!

Please bring your cat to any anaesthesia procedure in a carrier. This is for the safety of your cat as it is safer for the cat to fall asleep in a confined space so that it does not hurt itself.

Cats also usually relax easier when there are familiar smells around them. It’s also a good idea to have a familiar, relatively clean blanket or other bedding for the carrier, and an extra blanket to give your cat in our recovery room. We have our own soft blankets at the clinic, but a familiar smell is always more comfortable for the cat!

If your cat has a special diet (such as food allergies), please let us know when booking an appointment, or when you bring your cat in. We have a variety of treats in our recovery room, but some cats can be picky about their food, especially in unfamiliar surroundings. You can also bring in your own familiar cat treats with you to the clinic.

A hot water bottle (or oat-filled warming pillows etc.) will help maintain body temperature on the way home. We can warm these up for you at the clinic. However, remember not to place hot heating devices directly against the cat, but put a blanket or towel in between.

At home after the anaesthesia be prepared for the cat to be a little groggy for at least a few hours, and up to a day. The length of this time is very individual. During the first hours at home pee or poop accident may happen. However, your cat should be interested in food and be able to use the litter box normally in a few hours.
Fasting should not be continued after the anesthesia and food can generally be offered immediately at home. Start by offering small amounts at a time, preferably wet food if the cat likes it.

If your cat has not eaten within a 24-hour period (including the pre-operation fasting), please contact us!

The cat’s balance may be a little off at first, and not all cats realise this. For example climbing trees should be turned down to their side during the recovery period. If there are other high places in the house that the cat tries to climb, it may be necessary to confine the cat to a separate room without high furniture. In this case, remember to offer the cat a litter box, water, and food in separate places within the room.

The healing of stitches in surgical patients is impaired by all stretching and jumping, and therefore exercise restriction is necessary for a period of time. Always follow your veterinarians advise on the needed time period of excercise restriction.