The PAWS Clinic FAQ's
Why do I have to withhold food from my pet, but not water?
Food must be withheld because the anesthesia tends to make the animal nauseous and the animal also loses his/her ability to swallow. If the animal vomited food while they were under anesthesia they could breathe it in and possibly die. Water is okay to give because the body absorbs the water so quickly that there is usually no water left in the stomach by the time the animal is put under anesthesia. Animals under 4 months should not be fed after 6am the day of surgery. Animals over 4 months of age should have their food removed by 12:00am the night before surgery.
Will I get pain medication for my pet to take home after surgery?
Every patient receives quality pain medication that should keep them comfortable for 24 hours. We strongly suggest and offer extra pain medication to take home afterwards to help keep your pet comfortable while he or she heals from the procedure. The cost is $10 for cats and $15 for dogs. Our staff will discuss extra pain medication with you when you make your appointment.
DO NOT give your pet anything over the counter (aspirin, Tylenol, Motrin, etc.) for pain control. Many over the counter medications can make your pet very sick. If your pet seems uncomfortable after surgery, please contact us and we will prescribe appropriate medication.
Will my pet get food and water after surgery?
It will take a little while for the anesthetic to wear off after surgery and the anesthetic can make the animals feel nauseous so we only give cats staying overnight a small amount of food. We do not give water to the animals after surgery since they’re still under the influence of the anesthesia.
Why do you keep the cats overnight? Does someone stay with them?
We keep the cats overnight so that they have a quiet, secluded place where they can sleep off their anesthesia and recover without any physical activity. No staff stays overnight, but our medical staff monitors the animals for several hours after surgery and is here until every animal is awake. The last thing we do before we leave is a final check on every animal and their incision. Your pet’s incision will be checked again the first thing the next morning before (s)he is released to you.
My dog/cat is on the older side; can I still get him fixed?
We require that pets eight years old and older visit their regular veterinarian to get blood work done, which will check the kidney and liver function of your pet and ensure it’s safe for him/her to be placed under anesthesia. The kidneys and the liver process and eliminate medications from the body, so if these organs are not functioning properly, there could be complications during surgery. The PAWS Clinic does not perform the blood test – you must visit your regular vet to have this done. (We are not a full service veterinary clinic. We focus solely on spay/neuter because our mission is to eliminate pet overpopulation.) Blood work must be run within 30 days of the appointment.
My dog/cat has a heart murmur; can I still get him fixed?
It depends on the severity of the heart murmur. We strongly recommend that you take your pet to your regular veterinarian to be evaluated before scheduling his/her spay/neuter. If you are aware that your pet has a heart murmur and you want to have him/her fixed, we require that you sign a high risk form which states that you understand the risks that go along with the surgery. When your pet comes in for his spay/neuter surgery, (s)he will be given a brief physical exam by our vet and our vet will make the final decision on whether or not your pet can be spayed/neutered based on the results of the exam. If our vet discovers a heart murmur that you were not aware of, our vet will determine if it’s a mild murmur and safe to proceed with the spay/neuter surgery, whether or not a high risk form needs to be signed by the owner before proceeding, or if the murmur is too severe to proceed with surgery.
What does my pet go through while he is there and what type of care will he receive?
The PAWS Clinic believes that all animals should receive the highest quality veterinary care possible, even if the services rendered are at a reduced cost. We do not cut corners on quality. Our clinic uses state-of-the-art instruments and equipment. All spay/neuter surgeries are performed by qualified, licensed vets (DVMs) and all animals entrusted to The PAWS Clinic are attended to before and after surgery by trained veterinary assistants and technicians. Every patient receives a brief physical exam and quality pain medication.
Our veterinarian will give your pet a brief physical exam before any medications/drugs are given. If your pet is determined to be in good overall health then a pre-surgery medication will be given to calm him/her down and make him a little sleepy. Once this takes effect, (s)he will be given an additional injection to put him/her temporarily under anesthesia. Then (s)he will be intubated – just like humans are for surgery – to keep him/her under anesthesia. The animals are never left alone while under anesthesia; we have at least four veterinary assistants or technicians here every day that stay with the animals. While under anesthesia, every animal has a monitor on them so that any change in blood oxygen level or heart rhythm and/or speed can be detected immediately. After surgery, your pet will receive constant monitoring until he is moving his/her head and/or ready to walk. Once ready, your pet will go back into his/her kennel to rest and recover.
Food must be withheld because the anesthesia tends to make the animal nauseous and the animal also loses his/her ability to swallow. If the animal vomited food while they were under anesthesia they could breathe it in and possibly die. Water is okay to give because the body absorbs the water so quickly that there is usually no water left in the stomach by the time the animal is put under anesthesia. Animals under 4 months should not be fed after 6am the day of surgery. Animals over 4 months of age should have their food removed by 12:00am the night before surgery.
Will I get pain medication for my pet to take home after surgery?
Every patient receives quality pain medication that should keep them comfortable for 24 hours. We strongly suggest and offer extra pain medication to take home afterwards to help keep your pet comfortable while he or she heals from the procedure. The cost is $10 for cats and $15 for dogs. Our staff will discuss extra pain medication with you when you make your appointment.
DO NOT give your pet anything over the counter (aspirin, Tylenol, Motrin, etc.) for pain control. Many over the counter medications can make your pet very sick. If your pet seems uncomfortable after surgery, please contact us and we will prescribe appropriate medication.
Will my pet get food and water after surgery?
It will take a little while for the anesthetic to wear off after surgery and the anesthetic can make the animals feel nauseous so we only give cats staying overnight a small amount of food. We do not give water to the animals after surgery since they’re still under the influence of the anesthesia.
Why do you keep the cats overnight? Does someone stay with them?
We keep the cats overnight so that they have a quiet, secluded place where they can sleep off their anesthesia and recover without any physical activity. No staff stays overnight, but our medical staff monitors the animals for several hours after surgery and is here until every animal is awake. The last thing we do before we leave is a final check on every animal and their incision. Your pet’s incision will be checked again the first thing the next morning before (s)he is released to you.
My dog/cat is on the older side; can I still get him fixed?
We require that pets eight years old and older visit their regular veterinarian to get blood work done, which will check the kidney and liver function of your pet and ensure it’s safe for him/her to be placed under anesthesia. The kidneys and the liver process and eliminate medications from the body, so if these organs are not functioning properly, there could be complications during surgery. The PAWS Clinic does not perform the blood test – you must visit your regular vet to have this done. (We are not a full service veterinary clinic. We focus solely on spay/neuter because our mission is to eliminate pet overpopulation.) Blood work must be run within 30 days of the appointment.
My dog/cat has a heart murmur; can I still get him fixed?
It depends on the severity of the heart murmur. We strongly recommend that you take your pet to your regular veterinarian to be evaluated before scheduling his/her spay/neuter. If you are aware that your pet has a heart murmur and you want to have him/her fixed, we require that you sign a high risk form which states that you understand the risks that go along with the surgery. When your pet comes in for his spay/neuter surgery, (s)he will be given a brief physical exam by our vet and our vet will make the final decision on whether or not your pet can be spayed/neutered based on the results of the exam. If our vet discovers a heart murmur that you were not aware of, our vet will determine if it’s a mild murmur and safe to proceed with the spay/neuter surgery, whether or not a high risk form needs to be signed by the owner before proceeding, or if the murmur is too severe to proceed with surgery.
What does my pet go through while he is there and what type of care will he receive?
The PAWS Clinic believes that all animals should receive the highest quality veterinary care possible, even if the services rendered are at a reduced cost. We do not cut corners on quality. Our clinic uses state-of-the-art instruments and equipment. All spay/neuter surgeries are performed by qualified, licensed vets (DVMs) and all animals entrusted to The PAWS Clinic are attended to before and after surgery by trained veterinary assistants and technicians. Every patient receives a brief physical exam and quality pain medication.
Our veterinarian will give your pet a brief physical exam before any medications/drugs are given. If your pet is determined to be in good overall health then a pre-surgery medication will be given to calm him/her down and make him a little sleepy. Once this takes effect, (s)he will be given an additional injection to put him/her temporarily under anesthesia. Then (s)he will be intubated – just like humans are for surgery – to keep him/her under anesthesia. The animals are never left alone while under anesthesia; we have at least four veterinary assistants or technicians here every day that stay with the animals. While under anesthesia, every animal has a monitor on them so that any change in blood oxygen level or heart rhythm and/or speed can be detected immediately. After surgery, your pet will receive constant monitoring until he is moving his/her head and/or ready to walk. Once ready, your pet will go back into his/her kennel to rest and recover.