Pre-Surgery Instructions:
- Check-in time is 7:30am. Pick-up is 3:30pm for dogs and 4:30pm for cats the same afternoon. Everyone is given the same time so there will be a wait at check-in. Please plan for it.
- The Clinic closes at 5pm. If you pick up between 5pm and 6pm you will be charged a $20 late fee. If you pick up between 6pm and 7pm you will be charged a $40 late fee.
- Payment is due at check-in. Cash (exact change) is requested, please. We also accept credit/debit cards. NO CHECKS.
- At the time of surgery AWA requires proof that dogs and cats are current with their Distemper (DAPPv/FVRCP) and Rabies vaccinations. If you cannot provide this or your pet needs these vaccinations AWA will provide them at an additional expense. Bring your pets current vaccination records with you at the time of check-in. Rabies vaccination proof must be in certificate form, a rabies tag does not qualify.
- All cats must be in a secure carrier- one cat per carrier. All feral cats must be in traps and covered towel or blanket.
- All dogs must be on a leash- NO RETRACTABLE LEASHES. Please walk dogs before entering the building.
**PROTOCOL FOR MEDIUM, LARGE, AND/OR AGGRESSIVE DOGS:
-No retractable leashes.
-Must have training collar or loop lead.
-Schedule only one dog per day per family.
-If your dog is too much of a handful for you to safely handle alone, please bring help.
- No food for adult animals (older than 6 months) after 6:00pm the night before surgery.
- No food for puppies/kittens (younger than 6 months) after 12:00 midnight the night before surgery.
Post Surgery Instructions:
- Feed your pet a small meal and water when you get home. Do not be alarmed if s/he doesn’t eat the first day.
- Your pet may be drowsy from the anesthesia. This may last 24-48 hours depending on the individual animal. Some animals may shiver or vomit. Call us on the surgical line if vomiting is excessive or continues for more than 24 hours.
- Keep your pet in the house. Do not allow your pet to run around the yard for seven days. Debris, dirt, germs, or damage from flies could harm the surgical area. We suggest walking dogs on the leash for the first week.
- Confine cats to one small room for the first night. Separate them from other animals and small children. Your pet may not feel like playing the first night. Keep cats inside for one week.
- We suggest placing shredded newspaper on top of the kitty litter for three days. This prevents the litter from sticking to the incision.
- Female animals may have some swelling under the incision due to an internal layer of absorbable sutures.
- Male cats do not have any visible external suture.
- Male animals may experience a fluid buildup in the scrotum which contained the testicles.
- If there is excessive swelling, call the surgical line.
- Pets should be observed for licking or chewing at the stitches. If your pet licks or chews at the stitches an e-collar is recommended. It must extend three inches past the tip of the nose.
- Do not bathe your pet for one week, as this can damage the sutures. Pets should not have flea baths, powders or flea collars put on them for one week.
- Your pet will gradually return to his/her normal activity level over 2-4 days.