A checklist to take with you
The questions you will not think of in the room — and the handful where practice genuinely differs from one clinic to the next, so the answer depends entirely on whether you asked.
Work through these before the appointment, not on the morning of it. Write the answers down; you will not remember them. Tick what you have covered and print the page to bring with you.
Asking questions is not doubting your veterinarian. Nobody in that room thinks less of an owner who arrives prepared. Several of the questions marked Varies below have no single right answer — they are genuine differences in practice, and the only way to know your clinic's approach is to ask.
You are allowed to change your mind about the details. Where the catheter is placed, whether you stay for the whole thing, who else is in the room, whether you have time alone afterwards — none of that is fixed by having agreed to it earlier. Say so on the day if you want something different.
Your ticks and answers are stored only in this browser on this device. Nothing is uploaded and nobody else can see them — including us. Clearing your browser data will erase them, so print or copy the list if it matters to you.