Frequently Asked QuestionsSPAYING AND NEUTERING
ABOUT THE MOBILE SPAY/NEUTER CLINIC
Does my pet need to be spayed or neutered?The female sterilization procedure is known as spaying. Males are neutered. Because spaying is more complicated, the cost is typically a little bit higher than neutering. Back to TopHow old does my pet need to be?Pets as young as three months old can have the surgery
with no ill effects. If females are spayed before their
first heat (which usually occurs when they are five to
six months old), breast cancer can be almost completely
prevented. So the sooner the better. Back to TopIs the surgery painful?Yes, the surgery is painful. For this reason we offer a post-operative pain medication that lasts for 24 hours. There is an extra $10 charge for this injection. Back to TopMy cat just had kittens. When Can I Spay her?If a mother had had kittens, they will need to nurse for 4-6 weeks. Kittens should be able to eat solid food by then. Only seperate a mother cat from her kittens if they are eating on their own. At this point, seperate them from her so her milk sacs dry up. We will not be able to spay the mother until her milk sacs have dried up and this usually takes about 2 weeks of separation from the kittens. It is important to get her in as soon as they dry up as the mother will most likely go into nursing heat and get pregnant again while nursing the first litter. Back to TopWhat is the cost ?
There is an extra $10 charge if a female is in heat or pregnant at the time of surgery. For a full breakdown of costs of services see the Services Page. Back to TopWhat are Free Tuesdays and Fridays ? Am I eligible?The Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinic offers Free spay/neuters and rabies shots for pets of Austin residents living east of Congress Avenue. This is sponsored by the City of Austin. No appointment necessary. Please check schedule for the location of the Mobile Clinic on that Tuesday or Friday. Spays/Neuters: Pets taken on a first-come, first-served basis. Please arrive at or before 8a.m. We will begin check in at 8am but remember first come/first served. Pets should be on a leash or in a carrier. Do not feed your pet breakfast that morning. Your pet will stay all day for the surgery and you will pick up at 5pm. Please tell the staff of any problems your pet may have. Shots: IF YOUR PET IS ALREADY SPAYED OR NEUTERED ONLY!!!!! We give shots to pets that are already altered between 10am and 2pm. Rabies is covered by the city of Austin but you will be responsible for low cost shots such as feline leukemia or distemper/parvo. We will NOT give shots to pets that are not fixed unless they are getting surgery that day. This is because our goal is to decrease pet overpopulation. Back to TopSince you provide low-cost services, do you use supplies of a lesser quality?We use the highest quality suture materials,
anesthesia, anesthesia monitoring and instruments. Every
animal's surgery is done with a freshly sterilized
surgery pack. There is no significant difference from a
standard veterinary clinic. Back to TopIs the surgery painful?Yes, the surgery is painful. For this reason we offer a post-operative pain medication that lasts for 24 hours. There is an extra $10 charge for this injection. Back to TopHow does the mobile clinic work?The Mobile Spay-Neuter Clinic is driven to a location in Austin or a nearby community for the day. Pets are dropped off between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. There is some paperwork that needs to be filled out, then pets are left for the day. They are ready for pick up from 5-5:30 p.m. Back to TopDo you provide vaccinations for pets who are not receiving surgery?Due to space and staff limitations we are only able to vaccinate animals who are having surgery. Back to TopDo we need an appointment?All clinic days require appointments except free Tuesdays and Fridays. Please call 587-SPAY to make an appointment. For Marble Falls location, please see number on our calendary Back to TopWhat do we do prior to the surgery?The night before the surgery, withdraw food and water by 10pm. If your pet has been vaccinated against rabies, find our original, signed rabies certificate or other proof of rabies vaccine to the clinic with you. Without this, your pet will have to be vaccinated by law. Back to TopWhat time is check-in and pick up?Bring animals to the clinic between 8:00-8:30am. Please brings cats in a carrier and dogs on a leash. Check-in may take 10-20 minutes. Animals can be picked up at 5-5:30pm. If you do not pick-up by 5:30pm, a late fee of $1/min will be assessed. After 6pm, your pet will be taken to an after hours clnic in Austin and you will be charged a $70 fee. Back to TopWhat do we do after surgery?Restrict food and water. You can offer your pet small amounts of food later in the evening and increase it gradually. Your pet may not be interested in eating at this time. This is perfectly normal. If vomitting occurs the first night, withdraw food. Try to keep the your pet confined and do not allow jumping or running for 7-10 days so that you can monitor the incision. No licking at the stiches! If this occurs, please get an E-Collar from us or Petsmart or your regular vet ASAP. A pet can pull out stitches easily which can lead to hundreds of dollars spent at the vet repairing the damage. Keep the incision clean with a little hydrogen peroxide once a day for 7 days. Do not bath the animal for 7-10 days. If you were given regular stitches, these come out in 7-10 days at your regular vets' or thru us. We do offer dissolvable stiches. If these were used, there is no need to come back to have it removed. DO NOT GIVE ASPIRIN, TYLENOL, OR IBURPROFIN to dogs and cats for pain relief unless prescribed by your vet. They can be deadly. Try to check the incision 1-2 times daily for swelling, discharge or redness. A little seepage is normal but if it's excessive or if there are any complications related to the surgery, please contact Emancipet at 587-7729 (after hours too). We will be able to help you with the bill at our own veterinary offices if the problem is directly related to surgery. Please call us before seeking outside medical help!
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