Withholding food/water before ops

[Bazsmum]

Thanks Dee x

[claws n purrs]

My vets policy is withhold food from 8pm onwards and water from approx. 8am the following morning. I think the time of the operation comes into play regarding these guidelines, as others have pointed out.
Years ago though, i do remember having to take up water as well the evening before, resulting in hungry AND thirsty cats to transport to the vets. 

Best wishes for your cats, Bazsmum. My two kittens were spayed last thursday and are fine, as I'm sure yours will be. 

Dee

[Bazsmum]

8pm food, 7am water! My two are booked in for their chop this Thursday! 

[lucy]

My vets say last food at 9 or 10, water left till morning. They operate at lunchtime, closing from 11ish till 2:30 ish to do so.

[Mark]

That's true, I think this vet and my old one (both the CP vets) do ops in the afternoon with "dirty" ones done last (dental etc)

[Desley (booktigger)]

My vets say 8pm, although I often do it a bit later, but only cos I know my vets schedule - that is one thing to bear in mind Mark, your vet might not operate till the afternoon, but not all vets do. Mine consults till 10.30, unless she overruns, then does the ops, cos she has to cover lunch at the other surgery some days. I have never noticed the bit about not taking up water until recently, I think it was Rolo's dental (I never ask for instructions, and they know I know them) that I finally re-read the instructions, so have never done it. I have had blood tests cancelled due to me forgetting and feeding them though.

[Ellie]

My vets say withdraw food at 7pm and take the water away at 6am.

[Ela]

the sight of the basket is enough to take their mind off breakfast

Not in our house it isn't.

[Mark]

The vet nurse said 10pm is more sensible as you don't have cats begging for food in the evening and in the morning, the sight of the basket is enough to take their mind off breakfast 

[Ela]

includes something to make the cat     so that their stomachs are empty!

Our vet definitely does not do that.

[Ela]

Our vets tell people to withhold food from 6p.m. but to leave water down. They always start the ops at 9 a.m. I suppose they suggest 6 pm in the hope that people will not feed too late.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I'm always told to withhold food from 9-10pm but to leave water down.

[Den]

My vets say withhold food 6pm and water from the morning. All the operations and whatnot are done from 10am-midday.

[Dawn (DiddyDawn)]

Being honest, I don't take the food up the time the vets states as I always do a late top up feed on all mine before bed so it causes bedlam.  I do tell the vet though that they managed to sneak food at such and such a time just in case and it's never been a problem.  One of my vets state no food after 6, the other vets food no after 7, I usually leave it until about 10pm, do the last feed and I've had no problems with them.  The reason I'm not convinced on the whole taking up food lark any earlier is, I remember a few years ago when I was after catching Boris to get his bits done.  He was a stray, had eaten and my vet told me at 5pm if I managed to get him within the next half hour, they would do him while I waited.  I mentioned the fact he'd had food, he said not to worry as they would reverse the anaesthetic as soon as he was done so wasn't a problem.

[Dark Moon]

never heard of inducing vomiting. But, yes, here they did used to say to withhold everything from 8 pm onward. Now it's just food. Indeed, they pretty much stress NOT to remove water.

[tpepaul]

No, ridiculous.
When I took Lilly to get snipped n chipped a week or two ago, we forgot to take the food up the night before. I spoke to the vet and they just said not to worry - they'd do the op a couple of hours later. He also said that they give every cat they operate on a pre-op check to make sure that they're OK before they start, and that the pre-op includes something to make the cat    so that their stomachs are empty! Anyone else heard of that? I trust this vet implicitely, by the way!!

As for with-holding water...that's not good, surely?!

[Mark]

I booked Felice in for a dental next Tuesday when she has her check up. I was told she mustn't be fed after 10pm the night before. I told her a lot of people are still told 6pm and she said that is a load of nonsense. She said it is very dated info and bearing in mind that the cats won't be seen to until the afternoon, by the time they come round it is close to 24 hours between meals if they last ate at 10pm and they think that any longer isn't good for cats. They also tell people to leave water down overnight as dehdration is bad for them as well. Just take the water away in the morning as it goes through them so quickly it won't cause any problems. Lumpy food could choke them but water is fine.

I can't believe that so many vets still tell people to withhold food & water from 5 or 6pm the previous day