Frequently Asked Questions

Spaying & Neutering FAQ's

Why should I spay or neuter my pet?
Spaying/Neutering your pets is good for you, good for your pets, and good for the community. Here's how...

Should my pet be vaccinated prior to surgery?
We highly recommend that you have your dog or cat vaccinated two weeks prior to surgery. The distemper series will help prevent your pet from getting sick from exposure to other animals. We will vaccinate the day of surgery, but exposing an unvaccinated animal to a lot of other animals could increase the chances of contracting an illness. It is like taking an unvaccinated child to school with a lot of other children.

Clinic Questions

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. Your pet will remain at the clinic for the day, but go home the same evening.

At what age will you fix my pet?
Kittens can be fixed at 2lbs (which is roughly 2 months of age) through our clinic. Puppies can be fixed at 4lbs. If you are not sure of their weight we can weigh them at the clinic. Some people think that you can't fix puppies and kittens so young but they actually bounce back from surgery very quickly! Pediatric spay/neuter is safe and is less stressful on the patient than waiting until the animal is older.

Do you give pain medication?
We give pain medication as part of our pre-anesthetic protocol We also give supplemental pain medication after surgery which will extend pain relief for 24 hours.

What do I have to do to qualify?
Our clinic is for people who cannot afford to go to a full service vet for spay/neuter surgeries because of their income or because they have numerous animals. We do accept VSNIP vouchers and welcome VSNIP clients. You can call the clinic to schedule an appointment. We want to help you fix your pet. Call to learn more!

Is spay/neuter safe?
As with any surgery, there are certain risks, but the benefits far outweigh the risks! The animals are asleep during surgery and sedated so that they don't feel pain. They receive pain medication to help when they wake up. The surgery itself only takes between 5-20 minutes. Because spaying eliminates the risk of ovarian cancer and neutering removes the risk of testicular cancer, we feel it's worth it!

Can animals come to your clinic just for shots or flea treatments?
No, the only time we will vaccinate or treat for fleas is when animals come in for spay/neuter surgeries. We highly recommend that you go to your local vet for regular check ups, vaccinations, and treatments for parasites .

Do animals spend the night at your clinic?
No, there is no one here overnight so we want animals to go home where they can be observed. The only exception is for feral cats in traps who have no warm place to stay overnight. Arrangements for feral cats must be made ahead of time.

How come your prices are lower than other vets?
We can offer lower fees for people in need for several reason. First, we are a nonprofit organization and get grants and donations. Also, we do do not have the overhead costs because we only do spay/neuter surgeries. We also do many surgeries a day and do not take individual appointments. We believe in spaying and neutering to help reduce pet overpopulation, but we also feel it is very important that all people with pets establish a relationship with a local vet. Animals, like people, need preventive and other health care and our clinic does not offer these services.

Top Ten Reasons to Spay or Neuter Your Pet (Used with permission of PetFix NorthEast Ohio)

10. Lower veterinary bills!
Altered pets are less prone to a variety of diseases. Spayed females have a lower risk of breast cancer (90% fatal in cats. 50% fatal in dogs) and life-threatening uterine infections. Neutered males have no risk of testicular disease and a lower risk of prostate diseases.

9. A sweeter smelling house!
Neutered males and spayed females have fewer tendencies to mark their territory or attract the opposite sex by spraying. That means no yellow stains on your white couch and a lot less air freshener.

8. Reduced stress for you and your pets!
Your spayed female cat won't writhe and yowl her way through ten months of heat cycles. Your neutered dog will be less likely to embarrass you by riding your boss's leg during that important dinner meeting. You won't have to worry about keeping all those annoyingly arduous males away from your equally arduous females. Your pets will stay contented at home instead of trying to outsmart you to get out and find a little action.

7. Fewer visits from the Dog Warden or angry neighbors - and less heartbreak too!
Altered pets have fewer tendencies to roam and are therefore less likely to annoy your neighbors, get hit by cars or fall prey to wild animals.

6. Fewer dog and cat fights - and maybe even better relationships with people!
Fights between unaltered pets can be serious, causing deep wounds and transmitting deadly diseases. Neutered males tend to be less aggressive to both animals and people, particularly if altered at an early age.

5. More lovin' for you!
Pets who aren't fretting about their sex lives become more focused on the humans in their lives.

4. No unwanted litters!
Female cats can breed three times a year and have an average of four kittens per litter. Dogs can breed twice a year with litters of 6 - 10 puppies. Do you really have that many friends?

3. No early surprises!
Female cats can breed as early as 4 months; dogs as early as 6 months! To avoid those "accidental" litters, talk with your veterinarian about pediatric spay/neuter (8 - 16 weeks of age).

2. More homes for the homeless!
6-8 million dogs and cats are waiting in shelters across the country. Every home found for one of your pet's offspring takes a home away from an animal waiting in a shelter.

1. You'll prevent the major cause for death and suffering in cats and dogs!
For every human born today in the United States, 45 cats and 15 dogs will be born. Six to eight million will end up in shelters. (30 % pure bred - 55% unaltered). About half will be euthanized because there simply aren't enough homes. In addition, countless homeless animals, who never make it into shelters, will scratch out a meager existence on the streets - often becoming threats to public health and safety. This makes pet overpopulation the major cause of death and suffering for companion animals.