Pet Care

What do "spay" and "neuter" really mean? Female dogs and cats are spayed by removing their reproductive organs, and male dogs and cats are neutered by removing their testicles. In both cases the operation is performed while the pet is under anesthesia.

What happens during the procedure? Your pets will undergo an exam before surgery for safety, receive quality anesthesia and pain relief medications* , a clean clinic and a freshly-sterilized surgical instrument pack, highly-skilled, animal-loving staff, and a quality surgery by a highly experienced veterinarian.

What kind of pain medication do you use? *Anesthesia only provides pain relief while your pet is asleep for surgery. At the Clinic, a pain relief medication is given that lasts 6-8 hours. Oral pain medications are also available for the next 3 days at an extra fee. These are recommended for all pets. Pets exhibit pain in the form of abnormal body position (such as a hunched back), whimpering, shivering, lethargy, and/or aggression. This type of behavior is common in clinics that do not utilize pain relief medications. A pet spay is similar to a human hysterectomy. Most women request pain relief for a couple of days after a hysterectomy. If pets could talk, they would likely be asking too. We use safe and effective products. NEVER use over-the-counter pain relief products without consulting a veterinarian. All increase bleeding times and several are toxic to pets.

At what age should my pet be spayed/neutered? For many years, veterinarians were taught that cats and dogs had to be a year old to be spayed or neutered. Later, they were taught that six months was appropriate. Today we know that kittens and pups can be spayed or neutered at the age of two months (or two pounds). The American Veterinary Medical Association has endorsed this practice called Early Age Neutering; the animals recover more quickly from surgery when they are young. Today some vets will spay/neuter at eight weeks of age, while other adhere to the old practice of six months of age. The average age at which pets are spayed or neutered is four months. We recommend sterilization at four to six months but we will go earlier if necessary. We would prefer not to operate on patients over 8 years of age at this facility.

How long will my pet need to stay at the clinic after spaying/neutering? Depending on your pet's age, size, and health, he or she will stay at the clinic for the remainder of the day after surgery and will be discharged late that afternoon. Depending upon the procedure, your pet may need stitches removed after a few days but this is uncommon with our routine procedures.

How long after spaying/neutering can my pet return to normal activity? We recommend strict inactivity for two days and leash walks only for the rest of the week. Information (including specific written instructions) is provided before surgery covering all pre and post op phases of the procedure.

What kinds of complications could arise from spay/neuter surgery? Please visit this link for a list of possible complications.

* Our thanks to Ace of Spays for use of this explanation on pain management.

About the Clinic

Why are your surgery prices lower than my regular vet’s prices? Affordable Spay/Neuter Clinic is located in the lower level of Diane's Discount Pets and Adoption Center. As a purpose-built spay/neuter FAQs, our Clinic doesn’t have to support other hospital services (radiology, pharmacy, exam rooms, medical wards, etc.) through high surgery fees, so we are better able to keep our costs down.

Why are you setting up this clinic instead of a full vet practice? Our mission is to sterilize all the cats and dogs that we can to curb pet overpopulation. By focusing on this goal, we can make our services more affordable and therefore available to more people. Diane has rescued thousands of animals through the adoption center since 1989 and this clinic is another opportunity for all of us continue fighting this problem.

Can you perform regular check-ups for my pet in addition to spaying/neutering? No, we are not staffed or equipped to perform routine or sick-pet examinations.

Useful Links

Spay USA

North Shore American League

The Humane Society of the United States

University of PA Poisonous Plant Info

The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine Emergency Room
(215) 898-4685