PRE-SURGICAL INSTRUCTIONS

If your dog or cat is scheduled for sterilization, please follow these instructions before surgery:

Use of Flea Prevention: Do not apply any over-the-counter flea products to patients 2 weeks before the day of surgery. This includes dips, powders, flea collars, or topical ointments from grocery stores or feed stores. Use of these products can be resumed anytime after surgery.

Products like Advantage, Frontline, and Revolution are safe to apply before and after surgery.

Heartworm Prevention: Heartworm prevention should be administered as normal, regardless of the surgery date.

Nursing Animals: Be sure that lactating animals do not nurse for at least 2 weeks before the day of their surgery. Puppies and kittens should be between 6 and 8 weeks of age and eating and drinking on their own prior to spaying adult females.

DAY BEFORE SURGERY

Food and Water Intake: Withhold food and water from adult surgery patients after midnight the night before surgery, and do not give any food or water the morning of surgery.

Animals Under 4 Months of Age: Withhold food and water after 10 p.m. the night before surgery but give half the normal amount of food and water the morning of surgery.

DAY OF SURGERY

On the day of surgery, drop-off time is between 7am and 8am. Expect a 1-hour wait, as all the animals scheduled for surgery that day are checked in according to the order in which they arrive.

Upon arrival, all dogs must be restrained by a leash (nylon or leather only, no retractable leashes), or in a carrier. Cats must be in a carrier.

No appointment is necessary for feral cats. Please bring them in a humane trap, only one cat per trap is permitted. All feral cats will have the tip of their left ear notched while under anesthesia.

Pick-up time is between 3 pm and 4 pm for dogs, 4:00 pm and 4:30 pm for cats. Expect to spend one hour for pick-up. You will be given post-op instructions by one of our veterinary technicians

Please contact us 24 hours in advance if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment.

If your pet has a current rabies vaccination, please bring the paper certificate with you. Otherwise, we are required by law to give a rabies vaccination.

Payment must be made when services are rendered. We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, cash and personal checks. Free services are not available at the clinic.

POST OPERATIVE INSTRUCTIONS

Your dog or cat has undergone general anesthesia and surgical sterilization.  For the safety and well being of you and your animal, we recommend that the following post-operative instructions be carefully followed:

·Dogs and cats must be kept indoors after surgery. This will enable you to carefully monitor recovery and will prevent complications and possible death from exposure to outdoor temperature extremes.

·As when any anesthesia is used, stomach upset can occur. To avoid, limit the amount of food and water your dog or cat has access to during the first 3 hours at home after surgery. You can provide one or two ice cubes to lick or chew during this time. Do not offer food to patients immediately upon returning home (you may offer a very small amount of food 3 hours after you return home). You can gradually increase the amount of food and water over the next 24 hours.

·Limit your animal’s activity for the next 7 days. Do not allow running or jumping.

·You should check the incision at least twice daily until healed. A small amount of blood seepage is normal immediately after surgery. Should you notice any continued drainage or swelling, contact a veterinarian.

·You must not allow your dog or cat to get wet for at least 7 days after surgery. For this reason, do not bath your dog or cat for at least one week after surgery.

·E-Collar’s needs to remain on for 7 days after surgery to prevent the surgical site from being opened by your animal.

·If the surgery required the use of sutures, the sutures are dissolvable and should not require removal.  External sutures may be removed at 7 days to reduce inflammation.  Because male cat neuters do not require the use of sutures, we advise using shredded newspaper instead of litter in your cat’s litter box for 7 days after surgery to prevent dust particles from irritating the incisions.

·DO NOT GIVE ASPIRIN OR TYLENOL TO DOGS AND CATS FOR PAIN RELIEF UNLESS SPECIFICALLY PRESCRIBED BY YOUR VETERINARIAN. TYLENOL IS TOXIC TO ANIMALS AND ASPIRIN CAN BE DEADLY IF ADMINISTERED AFTER SURGERY.

·If you have any questions about your animal’s condition after surgery, please call the clinic at 409-933-1600. For emergencies requiring immediate attention, call your full service veterinarian or nearest emergency clinic, for surgical emergencies only please call 409-454-1025 24 hours a day.

·For other questions about your animal’s health, or for emergencies not related to surgery, contact your private veterinarian or the nearest Animal Emergency Clinic. Animal Emergency Clinics are listed in the Yellow Pages under “Veterinary & Animal Hospitals.”