• Healthy, young animals:
  • Our clinic is designed to serve young, healthy animals.
  • Pets receive a brief physical exam prior to surgery.
  • If your pet shows signs of illness (eye/nose discharge, coughing, sneezing, vomiting or diarrhea) or is lethargic/depressed/lack of appetite or shows signs of injury (bite wounds, deep cuts, hurt limbs) or has skin disease (mange, ringworm, mites, etc) he or she may be declined for surgery. We will advise that you visit a full-service veterinarian before rescheduling the spay/neuter appointment.
  • Dogs over the age of 6 are not candidates at our clinic.
  • If your cat is 8+ years old or dog is 4+ years old, we STRONGLY recommend comprehensive blood tests be run for your pet prior to surgery. Underlying health issues, including organ failure, may exist that could put your pet at increased risk of death under anesthesia. If you choose to forego advance blood testing for your pet, you will be required to sign an Against Medical Advice form prior to surgery. We offer pre-surgical blood work for a reduced fee which must be completed several weeks before your appointment; call to arrange.
  • If your pet has a history of seizures, surgery at a full-service veterinary clinic is recommended due to increased risk of death under anesthesia. Surgery at our clinic will require a signed Against Medical Advice form prior to surgery.
  • Doberman Pinschers and Doberman Pinscher mixed breed dogs should be tested for Von Willebrand disease prior to surgery. Von Willebrand disease is the most common inherited bleeding disorder in dogs and is most common in the Doberman Pinscher breed. If advance testing is not completed, surgery at our clinic will require a signed Against Medical Advice form prior to surgery.
• Vaccines & Intestinal Parasites:
  • It is best for your pet if he/she is vaccinated (DAPP and Rabies for dogs and FVRCP and Rabies for cats) and have been dewormed for intestinal parasites (roundworms & hookworms) at least two weeks before coming to our clinic. This is a recommendation, not a requirement.
  • Your pet will be around other animals at our clinic and may be exposed to a virus. Unvaccinated animals are at higher risk for infectious disease. Many of our clinics are held at animal shelters where there are many animals from a variety of backgrounds, some of which could be harboring disease. Our patients for the day are kept in relatively close contact with one another due to space constraints.
  • If you cannot vaccinate your pet before coming to our clinic, we can vaccinate your pet at the time of surgery for an affordable charge, though the vaccines will not offer any protection from illness or viruses s/he is exposed on the day of surgery.
  • Wisconsin state law requires all dogs be vaccinated against rabies by the age of 5 months.
  • If your dog is current on rabies vaccination, you MUST provide a copy of your rabies certificate for our records. A rabies tag IS NOT proof of vacination.
  • If your dog is not current or you fail to provide proof and your pet is at least 12 weeks old, we will administer a rabies vaccination at no charge for surgery patients.
  • DHAPP (distemper/parvo) vaccinations for dogs and FVRCP (feline distemper) vaccinations for cats are available for an additional fee.
• Age & weight requirements:
  • Kittens and puppies must be 8 weeks of age AND weigh at least 2 pounds. (Note: The rabies vaccine requires a minimum age of 12 weeks.)
  • Dogs must weigh no more than 45 pounds.
• Heartworm, Flea/Tick Prevention:
  • We strongly recommend your pet be current on its heartworm and flea/ tick prevention.
  • Animals with pre-existing heartworm disease are at much greater risk of potential complications both during and after surgery.
  • It is highly recommended that you have your pet heartworm tested BEFORE scheduling surgery and if your pet is positive having your pet treated at a full service veterinary facility prior to undergoing surgery.
  • We do not offer heartworm testing and a physical exam cannot detect the presence of heartworms, a blood test is required.
• Female cats & dogs in heat or pregnant:
  • We will spay female cats & dogs that are pregnant or in heat.
  • The risks of spaying these animals are higher and surgical aftercare may be more involved.
  • It is better to bring them earlier in the pregnancy rather than later, however, we will spay as long as the animal is not in labor.
  • If your female cat or dog is in heat, pregnant, or you suspect a possible pregnancy, please let us know at the time you schedule the appointment.
• Male dogs & cats:
  • Please check that both testicles on your male cat or dog have descended. There is an additional fee for neutering ‘Cryptorchid’ dogs or cats (one or both testicles have not descended). Testicles usually descend by 2 months of age; if not descended by 6 months of age, it is unlikely it will.
• Nursing cats or dogs:
  • If your cat or dog is nursing, we recommend waiting to do surgery until 4 weeks after weaning of the litter. Aftercare is easier if the pet no longer has milk. However, we are able to perform a flank spay on a nursing animal, usually in the case of feral cats.

• Keep your pet/s indoors the night before surgery.
• Walk your dog on leash the night before surgery.
• Food and water:
  • If your pet is OVER 6 months old: NO FOOD after midnight , water is okay.
  • If your petis LESS THAN 6 months old: s/he may have food and water overnight and a light meal (about 1/3 of his/her normal portion) at 6:00 am the morning of surgery.
• Last feeding time: Remember the time your pet ate food – you will need to know this at check-in.
• Bathe your pet: Please bathe your pet before surgery if your pet is dirty and there is noticeable dirt on his/her coat or belly. Your pet cannot be bathed or swim for 10 – 14 days after surgery.
• Clean and label cat carrier/s (see below).

• Walk your dog! : For your dog’s comfort, please give him/her a good walk before you arrive at the clinic and allow plenty of time for him/her to urinate and defecate. This will also make surgery easier.
• All cats MUST be in CLEAN carriers:
  • One cat per carrier.
  • Label each carrier with your first and last name & your pet’s name.
  • If you do not have a carrier and are unable to borrow one to use for the day, please let us know that when you make your appointment.
  • Line the carrier with a throw away towel or newspaper in the bottom in case of any accidents on the way to the clinic or while waiting for his/her exam.
  • If your cat is not in a carrier you will be required to purchase a cardboard carrier ($5) for the cat to go home in.
  • For safety, please do not take your cat out of his/her carrier. Remember we are checking in many other animals, including dogs.
• All dogs must be on a leash at all times.
• All feral/barn/outdoor/community cats and kittens must arrive in a humane trap:
  • One cat per trap.
  • Label each trap with your first and last name and pet name.
  • Label each trap with trap weight (when empty)
  • All traps MUST be covered with a sheet or towel from the time the cat is trapped until the time s/he is brought to our clinic.

Our veterinarian performs a general physical examination on patients prior to surgery and reserves the right to refuse service to any animal for whom surgery is deemed a health risk. Reasons for possible refusal include, but are not limited to:

• Animals with health issues, such as a heart murmur or respiratory illness, or pre-existing diseases (diabetes, cushings,etc) may be referred to a full service veterinary hospital for treatment and surgery.
• Kittens or puppies younger than 8 weeks OR smaller than 2 pounds.

We will not take risks with the health of your animal. If any of the issues above apply to your animal, please discuss this with our staff before your scheduled appointment.

Pick up your pet/s:

• Pick up time will be announced in the morning at check-in. Please be on time.
• You will be given instructions on how to care for your pet after surgery.
• It is important to adhere to these instructions to help your pet recover from surgery without incident.
• It is the owner’s responsibility to follow the instructions as provided. Failure to do so may result in additional veterinary costs to the owner.

Download Post-Operative Care Instructions (Adobe Reader required)

Spay/Neuter Post-Operative Care Instructions

Post-Op Care Line:   (715)550-7730    Call/Text/Send Photos

If you have non-emergency questions or concerns after you take your pet home, call, text or send photos.

IF AN EMERGENCY IS SUSPECTED (pale gums, depression, vomiting, diarrhea, bleeding from the incision, difficulty urinating, labored breathing, lethargy lasting more than 24 hours) CALL A FULL-SERVICE OR EMERGENCY VETERINARY CLINIC FOR ADVICE AND REPORT THIS TO OUR POST-OP CARE LINE.

TAKE CARE TO PREVENT THESE 3 MAJOR and COMMON COMPLICATIONS:  

1. Tearing/breaking the internal sutures, which can be caused by running, jumping, wrestling, using stairs, falling, etc. Suture breakage can result in excess bleeding, swelling, hernias, extreme weakness and pale tongue & gums, or a significant opening in the incision.
2. Infection at the surgical site due to licking of the incision and/or gross contamination, for example, getting sand on/in the incision. An infected surgical site will appear red, swollen, and/or moist due to drainage.
3. Scrotal swelling in males, which is most commonly due to being too active and/or licking of the scrotum.

 These complications may require additional veterinary care and perhaps surgery to correct the problem.

Be sure to read the take home after-care instructions and follow them closely.

FIRST NIGHT AT HOME:  

• CAUTION! If you must handle your pet tonight, use caution until all effects of the medications have worn off. The medications your pet received today may make your pet uncomfortable, irritable, groggy/off-balance and even aggressive. Even the sweetest animal can be unpredictable & may react by biting and/or scratching. Keep children, strangers, and all other animals (including other surgery patients) away from your pet tonight.
• CONFINE your pet to a small space tonight. NO free roaming, access to stairs, furniture, cat posts, human beds, etc. Give cats time to relax after the car ride home before opening carrier door. Then open the carrier & allow your cat to come out on its own. DO NOT REACH INTO THE CARRIER!
• FOOD & WATER may be offered in small amounts tonight; ¼ of their normal daily portion and ¼ the usual amount in the water bowl – 2 servings (1-2 hours apart if they keep the first portion down). Your pet may be nauseous or not very hungry for 24-48 hours after surgery. Animals react differently to surgery & anesthesia; some recover more slowly. DO NOT force feed your pet!  Do not change your pet’s regular diet unless instructed to by our veterinary technician or your regular vet.

POST-OP CARE NEXT 14 DAYS:

1. REST!! – No running, jumping, playing, long walks or other strenuous activity.

DOGS:  Take outside on a short leash. High energy dogs should be kenneled or confined indoors. If necessary, take stairs slow & controlled on a leash.

CATS:  Restrict to a large dog kennel or other similar small space with NO objects for them to jump up on. Cat areas must allow ample space for an uncovered litter box, food & water, and a clean sleeping area.

2. CLEAN & DRY – No swimming or baths. Keep your pet in a clean, dry, comfortable indoor environment. Do not give or apply any medications, creams, ointments, essentials oils, hydrogen peroxide without consulting The Fix Is In veterinary technician or your regular veterinarian. Do NOT try to clean the incision area, unless expressly told to do so by The Fix Is In veterinary technician or your regular veterinarian.
3. NO LICKING!! – Your pet should wear an e-collar 24/7 for 14 days after surgery. The #1 cause of post-op incision infection is licking/chewing at surgical site. Male cats usually do not need to wear an e-collar, unless they start to lick or chew at the incision. Veterinary clinics and most pet supply stores will carry e-collars of various styles & sizes. Do not allow other household pets to lick at the incision either. 
4. CHECK INCISION – at least twice daily until healed (~ 14 days post-surgery). Take a photo of the incision daily to monitor the healing process, and for comparison, which will help our post-op technician or your veterinarian in case of complications.

Incision location: Females: on the belly just below their “belly button area”; Male dogs: on the scrotum or just in front of their scrotum over the penis;

Male cats: single incision over each testicle and left open to heal so you may see two small openings. All males will still have their “sac”(scrotum).

GLUE & LUMPS: The external incision and a separate green line tattoo (located near the incision) are closed with surgical glue for extra protection, which looks like a clear/blue or whitish crust and will dissolve over time.  Do NOT try to pick it or clean it off.  Internal sutures will dissolve on their own over several months; during this time you may be able to feel a series of small lumps or knots under the skin at the surgery site. This is normal.

5. FOOD – The morning after surgery, your pet may resume their normal feeding schedule and amounts. Your pet may be quiet and/or have a small appetite for 24-48 hours after their surgery. If your pet’s appetite does not return after 24-48 hours contact the post-op care line @ (715)550-7730.
6. CAT LITTER – Use 100% dust free litter (shredded newspaper, raw long grain white rice or Yesterday’s News brand litter) for 14 days and keep litter box clean.
7. BEHAVIOR – Keep neutered males away from unspayed females for 4-6 weeks as they can still impregnate an unspayed female. Keep intact males away from spayed females for 2 weeks – mating can cause serious or fatal injury to recently spayed females. Females spayed while in-heat may still display heat behaviors for 10 – 12 weeks after surgery. Although spaying & neutering may reduce certain undesirable behaviors, a learned behavior may not go away.
8. VACCINES: If your pet received vaccines today, short-term side effects (decreased appetite/activity, pain/small swelling at injection site, mild fever) may last for 2-3 days afterward. If symptoms persist or worsen contact us or your regular vet. Signs of an allergic reaction (hives, facial swelling, difficulty breathing, seizures, collapse, large injection site swelling) is an emergency! Seek immediate emergency care!  Vaccines are given subcutaneously in the right side extremities.
9. PAIN MEDICATIONS (if purchased) –

DOGS: Your dog has been prescribed Meloxicam, an anti-inflammatory drug. A 24-dose of this drug was given at the time of surgery. Wait until dinner time on the day after surgery to give your dog another dose by mouth and then every 24 hours until finished.  Refer to the pill vial label for dosing instructions appropriate for your dog’s weight. Refer to the provided client information sheet detailing information & side effects of your pet’s prescribed medication.

CATS: Your cat has been prescribed Buprenorphine, a pain medication. The pain medication is already pre-measured in individual doses appropriate for your cat’s weight. The medication is to be given by mouth (between the cheek & gums) every 12 hours until finished.  Please refer to the pill vial for instructions and refer to the provided medication information sheet detailing the pain medication and possible side effects.