Pre-Operative Information Checklist

Please read the following information carefully so that you are fully prepared for your pet’s visit to us prior to their appointment.

**Requirements prior to your appointment:**

Please make sure that you download PetsApp in advance of your appointment, which will allow our hospital team to communicate with you directly and send regular updates direct to your phone during your pet’s stay.
Any health issues, such as coughing, sneezing, vomiting or diarrhoea should be reported to us as soon as possible, as we may need to postpone and rearrange the operation.
On the morning of the procedure your pet will need to come in starved, so no food from midnight the night before and no breakfast on the morning of the procedure (please note this does not apply to small pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs who should also have hay and their normal food brought in with them on the day)
Water should be always available and should not be withheld.
Please ensure that all dogs have had the chance to empty their bowels and bladder on a short lead only toilet walk (unless requested otherwise by the vet arranging the procedure).
For cats that have access to the outside we recommend keeping them indoors overnight/following morning with a litter tray to prevent any difficulty in locating them on the morning of the procedure.

Please report to reception at your scheduled admission time, our nursing team will then look after you and go through the admission process.
Your pet should be up to date with their vaccinations and flea treatments, if this is not the case, please would you inform the admissions nurse.
The admissions nurse will confirm your pet’s current medication regime as well as discuss any concerns that you may wish to highlight to your veterinary team prior to the procedure. They will also discuss our recommended anaesthetic care protocols for your consent.
Before any anaesthetic or surgical procedure can begin, we need by law to have a consent form completed, this will take a few minutes to complete and will need to be signed by the owner or an agent acting on the owner’s behalf who needs to be over 18 years of age.
We will require a contact number for you during the day. Although we will use PetsApp messaging service wherever possible, it is extremely important that you are contactable on the phone at all times.
Please ensure that you have transport arranged to get your pet home after collection, as they may still be drowsy.

Pre-anaesthetic blood tests – Some animals that appear healthy can have underlying medical conditions that we are not aware of. Pre anaesthetic blood tests will be offered in all cases on admission to the hospital. These blood tests are helpful in allowing us to assess your pet more thoroughly and to minimise the risk of anaesthesia. We strongly recommend a pre-anaesthetic blood test for all pets that are unwell and for all pets that are over 7 years of age. The cost of pre-anaesthetic bloods is £77.00.
Class IV laser therapy– This is a simple and painless method used to promote quicker wound healing and reduce pain immediately after surgery and 2 days later at the post operative check. The total cost for the TWO treatments is £18.91
We routinely use intravenous fluids during surgical procedures that require general anaesthesia (excluding cat castrates due to the short nature of the procedure). This will help maintain blood pressure and help flush anaesthetic agent from the liver and kidneys, assisting in a smoother and more rapid recovery. For cases undergoing sedation or depending on the result of pre anaesthetic blood tests, the vet may recommend fluids and will call you to discuss and get your permission, if they feel it would be of benefit to your pet.

You should receive an estimate in advance for any treatment that is required in our hospital, if you have not received one then please let one of our staff know and they will get this prepared for you.
We respectfully remind you that our policy is for payment in full at the time of collection of your pet.
If you intend to make an insurance claim, please read our insurance policy set out below to know the steps that are required for you to be able to submit a claim. All claims will be processed in a timely manner once we have collated and processed all the necessary information from all parties involved.
Insurance claims being paid to the practice (direct claims): We can offer a direct insurance claim for estimates over £250 providing the following steps are taken:

You must e-mail a copy of your policy schedule/certificate prior to admission to emma@estcourtvets.co.uk for authorisation.
You must check that your policy documents are current, correct, that you have not exceeded your veterinary fees limit and there are no exclusions on your policy.
You are to pay a deposit of £100 towards your excess which is payable on arrival.
There will be a one-off administration charge of £20 per condition which will be payable on arrival and will not be payable on insurance.
You understand that you are responsible for any costs or shortfall not covered by your insurance company, together with the policy excess.
In the event that your insurance policy declines you claim, or any part for any reason, you will be liable for the costs.
We will require payment in full for any claim not settled within 12 weeks.
You call your insurance company and give them permission to speak to us about your policy if necessary.
You bring in a fully completed claim form or start an online claim on the day of the procedure.

You must email a copy of your policy schedule/certificate prior to admission to emma@estcourtvets.co.uk for authorisation.
There will be a one off administration charge of £20 per condition, which will be payable on arrival and will not be claimable on insurance.
You must bring in a fully completed claim form or start an online claim on the day of the procedure.