Spaying and Neutering

 

  

 

Why it's important to Spay or Neuter your pet

Having your dogs and cats spayed or neutered will help them live longer, healthier lives.  Eliminate or reduce the incidence of a number of health problems that can be very difficult or expensive to treat.  Spaying eliminates the possibility of uterine or ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the incidence of mammary cancer, particularly when your pet is spayed before her first heat cycle.  Neutering eliminates testiculcar cancer and decreases the incidence of prostate disease.  Neutering cats makes them less likely to spray and mark their territory.  Reduce the problems with territorial and sexual aggression, inappropriate urination and other undesirable behavior issues.  Help stop pet over-population. By making sure your pet can't have puppies or kittens, you can have peace of mind that fewer pets will need to be euthanized in shelters. More than 3 million dogs and cats are euthanized in shelters nationwide every year.

 

We do not take any short cuts!

We strive to provide the best care possible without any unecessary charges to you. We stress the importance of knowing what services you are receiving and why it is recommended for your pet.

Bloodwork and Pain Medications are not optional because they are so important!

 

All Spays and Neuters include:

Pre. Anesthetic Bloodwork (see below for more info)

Anti - Inflammatory Injection

Pain Injection

Gas Anesthesia

IV Fluids, during and after surgery (cat neuters get Sub-Cutaneous Fluids)

Pain Medication to go home

Sterile/Professional Operations

 

*No Antibiotics - We do not give antibiotics because they are NOT required, and should NOT be given during a routine, elective, STERILE surgery.

 

 Pre-Anesthetic Bloodwork:

Peace of mind for you and invaluable information for us.

While there is always a small risk with any anesthetic procedure, we take every precaution to minimize this risk. Every surgical patient will have pre-surgical bloodwork done on our own state-of-the-art testing equipment. These tests will assess liver and kidney function, which are the major organs involved in the processing of anesthetic drugs. This testing will also help rule-out diabetes, anemia, infection and check the hydration status prior to surgery. In addition, your pet will receive intravenous fluids to help maintain fluid volume and blood pressure during the entire procedure and recovery process.

                                                                                                               

Why your pet needs to be tested  Pets can't tell us when they don't feel well. A pet that appears healthy may be hiding symptoms of a disease or ailment.  Testing can reduce anesthetic risk. If the results are within the normal range, we will proceed with the surgery knowing the risk is minimal.  These tests provide a baseline for your pet and become a part of his medical record for future reference.

 

 

Preparation and Surgery Details

For any anesthetic procedure, your pet is fasted the night before surgery. Food is to be withheld after 8 pm the night before, but water is permitted up until the check-in time.

Surgery is done Monday through Friday. You will be checking in with your pet between 8 and 8:30 am. At that time you and your pet will see a Doctor for a brief 10 to 15 minute appointment (please schedule accordingly). After you leave your pet with us, we will draw blood and run pre-anesthetic blood work. After the Veterinarian has evaluated the results and gives the go-ahead, your pet will receive pre-anesthetic pain injections and a sedative injection. He/she will be placed on intravenous fluids and then anesthetized, intubated and hooked up to a pulsoximeter. Vital signs will be closely monitored by the Veterinary Technician. While your pet is under anesthesia we will clip the nails, clean the ears and express the anal sacs (all complimentary services). After your pet's surgery, he/she will be carefully observed during recovery from the anesthesia. When you come in to pick-up your pet, we will go over all your instructions for home and you will be sent with pain medication for your pet, and a hand-out for your pet's home care. The sutures are dissolvable and surgical glue is used on the outer layer of skin, so there is usually no need to come back with your pet.

 

Pain Management

Our pets feel post-surgical pain just like we do and we know that pain is a major deterrent to proper healing. At the Ballston Spa Veterinary Clinic, we take pain management seriously. All Spay and Neuter patients receive both Opioid and Anti-Inflammatory pain injections before surgery and an Anti-Inflammatory pain medication will be sent home with your pet. We want your pet to be pain-free after surgery as much as you do.

 

 

*Our Prices:

Feline Neuter	$150-200
Feline Spay	$200-250
Canine Neuter	$250-300
Canine Spay	$300-350

 * Examination by a Dr. required before surgery.

* Rabies vaccine required. Dr. will discuss and recommend other vaccines, but not required for surgery.

* Leukemia/FIV testing highly recommended for all cats.

 

If you have any questions, please give us a call at 518-885-5650.