Welcome to the Hamilton County Low Cost Spay Neuter Clinic Web Site

Pre-Operative Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats

Surgery at the Hamilton County Low Cost Spay Neuter Clinic is by appointment only.

Check-in on the date of your pet's surgery begins at 7:00am. All cats brought to the Hamilton County Low Cost Spay Neuter Clinic must be in a carrier. If your cat is not in a carrier, we will immediately move the cat to a cage. Remember, we are checking in 50-55 other patients, including dogs, so your cat will feel and be safest in a secure carrier. We suggest covering cage-style carriers or traps with sheets or towels.

We will label and keep the carrier at the clinic, your cat will be presented to you at patient discharge in his/her carrier. If you are bringing multiple cats for surgery, you must bring one carrier per cat for discharge. Cats may be together in one carrier for check-in. However, you must still bring sufficient carriers for each cat to go home individually.

If you are bringing a feral cat for surgery, please bring a carrier for postoperative placement. When bringing the cat in, please cover the carrier/trap with a sheet or blanket. Clients bringing feral cats for surgery do not have to wait for check-in. Bring the cat immediately to the front for check-in.

Dogs brought to the Hamilton County Low Cost Spay Neuter Clinic must be on a leash or in a carrier. Dogs not secured with you will be removed to a cage or kennel.

Please plan on spending 45 minutes to one hour at the clinic for patient check-in. Again, you must remain with your cat/dog. Your input is important as our vet examines your cat or dog.

Payment is required at AM Check-in, after exam. We accept cash, Visa, Mastercard and personal checks with appropriate identification.

Patient discharge is 5:00pm to 5:45pm on the day of surgery.

The night before surgery, please remove food and water no later than midnight. Do not feed your cat or dog on the morning of his/her surgery. It is for his/her safety and prevention of aspiration. Puppies, kittens and small dogs should have a good evening meal on the night before surgery.

We will spay female dogs and cats in heat, but there is an additional $10 charge. If your female dog or cat is in heat, please call the clinic and let the attendant know.

Please check that both testicles on your male dog or male cat have descended. There is an increased fee for neutering 'Cryptorchid' dogs or cats on whom one or both testicles have not descended. Please contact the clinic if your dog or cat is under 6 months old and is cryptorchid. We may reschedule to allow time for the testicle(s) to descend.

Post-Operative Care Guidelines for Dogs

All postoperative patients must be kept indoors for 7 days. Discourage any running or jumping and limit stair climbing as much as possible. Outdoor dogs may stay in a clean, warm garage if you are able to watch him/her closely there. Keep your postoperative dog quiet and give him/her comfort.

Please leash-walk your dog for 7 days. Do not allow any free roaming.

Male dogs, especially medium to large male dogs, should wear the Elizabethan Collar for at least 7 days. You may take the E Collar off when you are able to watch your dog and prevent him from licking/chewing the incision. However, he must wear the E Collar when you are away or are sleeping. Male dogs can do great damage to their incision in a short amount of time.

Check your dog's mucous membrane (gum) color when you arrive home. The mucous membrane color should be a pale pink to red. More importantly, the color must quickly return to normal after applied pressure to the gums (above the canine tooth). Check your dog's color throughout the evening to verify the mucous membrane color returns to normal.

Offer water immediately after returning home. Provide the water in small amounts throughout the evening, watching for vomiting. If your dog takes a large amount of water, he/she will likely vomit. If after 2-3 hours of offering ice chips or small bowls of water there is no vomiting, you may move to free-choice water. Small dogs and puppies 6 months and younger may eat dry food after 10pm, if they are not vomiting water. Resume normal feeding the day after surgery. Generally, a lack of appetite is normal for the first 24 hours post-op. However, your dog must be drinking water. If he/she shows no interest in food or water after 24 hours, contact the clinic. Also contact the clinic if your dog continues to vomit water after 12 hours.

Check your dog's incision daily for redness, swelling, discharge or wound gaping. Some redness and swelling is normal. Contact the clinic if it looks excessive to you. Contact the clinic about any discharge or opening of the incision.

Do not clean the incision - you may introduce infection. The incision needs to remain dry. If it becomes dirty, flush the incision with Saline Solution (contact lens saline solution). Do not bathe your dog for at least 7 days.

Some discomfort 24-36 hours post-op is normal. Your dog should continually improve. He/she should feel better every day.

Your dog has buried sutures, so there is no need for suture removal.

Male dogs remain virile for 3-4 weeks after surgery. Keep them confined.

If you feel your dog is in need of pain-relieving medication, please contact the clinic or our on-call staff before administering any medicines. Some over-the-counter medications can be very dangerous to your dog.

Post-Operative Care Guidelines for Cats

All postoperative patients must be kept indoors for 7 days. Feral cats may stay in a small room (such as a laundry or utility room) for that period. Keep your postoperative cat quiet and give him/her comfort.

Female cats should stay separated from other cats in the household until you are sure they are able to urinate. Pregnant female cats have high precautions for post-op urination. If your cat was pregnant at the time of her spay, please verify that she continues to urinate for several days after surgery.

Check your cat's mucous membrane (gum) color when you arrive home. The mucous membrane color should be a pale pink to red. More importantly, the color must quickly return after applied pressure to the gums (above the canine tooth). Check your cat's color throughout the evening to verify mucous membrane color return.

Offer water immediately after returning home. If your cat is not vomiting, you may offer dry food after 8pm. Resume normal feeding the day after surgery. Generally, a lack of appetite is normal for the first 24 hours post-op. However, your cat must be drinking water. If he/she shows no interest in food or water after 24 hours, contact the clinic. Contact the clinic if your cat continues to vomit water after 12 hours.

Check your cat's incision daily for redness, swelling, discharge or wound gaping. Some redness and swelling is normal. Contact the clinic if it looks excessive to you. Contact the clinic about any discharge or opening of the incision.

Do not clean the incision - you may introduce infection. The incision needs to remain dry. If it becomes dirty, flush the incision with Saline Solution (contact lens saline solution). Do not bathe your cat for at least 7 days.

Some discomfort 24-36 hours post-op is normal. Your cat should continually improve. He/she should feel better every day.

Your female cat has buried sutures, so there is no need for suture removal. Male cats do not require sutures.

Male cats remain virile for 3-4 weeks after surgery. Keep them confined.

If you feel your cat is in need of pain-relieving medication, please contact the clinic or our on-call staff before administering any medicines. Some over-the-counter medications can be very dangerous to your cat.

Post-Operative Care Guidelines for Feral Cats

Feral cats must be kept indoors in a small room for 7 days post-operatively. Cats may be frantic for a short period of time, but most will look for a location in which they feel secure and settle there. Place the post-operative carrier in the room, open the door and leave the room.

Provide a small box or plastic container in a corner/out of the way area without a lid from which you can visually observe the cat

Line it with clean white towels for the cat

Remember that cats prefer to just fit in their bed

Kept in large crates, cats will often sleep in the litter box creating an opportunity for infection.

Do not leave the cat carrier in the room during the recovery period. When you are ready to release the cat, replace the bed/box in the room with the carrier with the carrier door open and a towel inside. Put the carrier out of the way and near where the cat has been sleeping. Move in and out of the room - do so even if the cat is in the carrier - several times, moving gradually closer to the carrier. When you can get very close to the carrier without the cat moving out of it, close the carrier door.

Feral cats will huddle in a small area. Signs of postoperative problems will not be obvious.

Keep cats on white or light-colored towels so you can see any external bleeding.

Watch food intake closely - lack of interest in food, especially after days with a good appetite can signal a problem.

Clean the litter box often - once daily at a minimum. The cat should urinate at least once daily. Lack of urine production, especially in female cats, can indicate a problem.

Become familiar with the cat's 'energy level'. In most cases, a feral cat will not move when you are nearby; however, he/she will be watching closely.

If the cat's attention to you when you are nearby seems less energetic or his/her eyes seem less bright/attentive, contact the clinic for support.

If you can touch the cat (formerly untouchable) and the cat feels cool to the touch, (especially female cats) he/she could be in trouble.

If the cat's third eyelid is visible (and does not move back after awaking, etc), this is also a sign of distress.