Feline - Why Neuter?
Neutering at a young age prevents unplanned litters and colonies of cat as well as hormone driven behavior such as roaming, fighting, and urine marking.
We usually neuter cats between 4 to 6 month old. The procedure is done first thing in the morning and your cat is ready to be picked up around lunch time.
You will also have the opportunity to have a tattoo and/or microchip given to your pet at the time of sterilization.
Check out this article for more information on neuters:
Feline - Why Spay?
Spaying at a young age prevents mammary cancer and spaying at any age prevents unwanted kitten, bloody discharge, noisy heat cycle, and possible urine marking in the house. Cats can go into heat every 4 to 8 weeks. Spaying your cat prevents cat colonies (Reproductive Cycle of Cats May Surprise You).
We usually spay cat between 4 to 6 months old. The procedure is done first thing in the morning and your cat is ready to be picked up around lunch time.
Females cat will require either a cone or a suit for 10-14 days after surgery.
You will also have the opportunity to have a tattoo and/or microchip given at the time of spay.
Check out this article for more information on spays:
Optional services available at time of spay / neuter
– Blood chemistry (checks for liver and kidney function and level of electrolytes)
– Complete Blood Count (checks for infection, anemia and low platelet count)
– T4 (checks the cholesterol and thyroid hormone level)
– Clot (checks for level of blood clotting, which can be very low in some breeds)
– Snap (checks for feline leukemia and feline infectious virus)
Pre & Post surgery Instructions
Pre-surgery Instruction
1 week prior to surgery
For surgeries we provide a complimentary pre-visit dose of Gabapentin. We will call you 1 to 2 weeks prior to your appointment in order to get an updated weight on your pet so that the prescription can be picked up prior to the surgery date.
Gabapentin decreases pre-operative anxiety (also known as wind up), allowing sedation to take effect more quickly and reducing the amount of anesthetic gas needed during the procedure. Additionally, it helps with post-surgical pain management.
Gabapentin does not sedate the patient: rather, it helps to significantly alleviate their anxiety and reduces nerve pain.
Day before and morning of surgery
Gabapentin needs to be given 10 hours (or bedtime the night before) and 2 hours before the appointment.
Please do not feed any breakfast the morning of the surgery. We need them to have an empty stomach to reduce the chance of vomiting. You can give a small treat with the gabapentin if it will make it easier to give. We will always feed your animal after the surgery. They can have as much water as needed. You can bring your favorite treats.
You will need to drop your animal off at the clinic at 8:30 AM. It is very helpful if your animal uses the bathroom prior to coming into the clinic. Please allow 15-20 minutes for the intake interview.
Recovery Information
Recovery for all spays is 10-14 days of taking it easy (no high jumping or getting the scar wet) so the tissue may heal. The cone or gown must stay on for that 10-14 days. With mature animals who have lactated, there are an increased number of small blood vessels that increase the risk of bruising at the site. She may need some cool compresses post surgery to reduce this side effect.
These tips should be followed to ease your pet’s recovery:
- Do not allow your pet to run or jump for the next few days.
- Examine the incision daily to ensure proper healing.
- Keep your pet confined from others, and allow them to have a quiet resting place.
- Prevent your pet from licking the surgical site.
- Wait at least 10 days after surgery to bathe your pet. If your pet’s incision has opened or if you notice excessive swelling, redness, or discharge, contact our office immediately.
- When sterilizing 2 cats from the same home, consider this post surgery reintroduction information.
