Fasting Your Pet

Fasting your pet means that there will be no food in your pet’s stomach during their anaesthetic, reducing the risk of serious complication. Having food in your pet’s stomach may cause them to vomit whilst under anaesthetic and as their swallowing reflex is diminished this can cause them to aspirate (inhale) vomit into their lungs.

Fasting instructions to remember for Dogs and Cats:

• No food after 10pm the night before the surgery
• Water is ok overnight but must be removed by 6am the morning of the surgery
• If you have other animals in the household please ensure their food and water is out of reach

A note to all Rabbit and Guinea pig owners:

• No fasting is required
• Rabbits and guinea pigs are herbivores and require a regular source of food and water to maintain a healthy gut
• They have a high metabolic rate
• It’s a good idea to bring a selection of their favourite food to entice your pet as soon as they are awake from surgery
• We recommend Oxbow critical care as an ideal recovery diet which helps stimulate appetite by providing essential nutrients which aid the digestion process

A note to all Ferret owners:

• Ferrets have a gastrointestinal transit time of 3-4 hours, therefore only requiring fasting 3 hours prior to surgery
• Allow your ferret access to food and water up until the time of admission to hospital
• It’s a good idea to bring along some favourite foods to offer your ferret as soon as they are awake