- a dramatic decrease in the possibility of breast cancer occurring later in life, especially if done before the first heat cycle

- preventing the risk for your young pet of a pregnancy

- preventing the burden on you of caring for and finding homes for unwanted puppies or kittens

- removing the likelihood of life-threatening uterine infections (pyometra) which can occur in unspayed pets in later years.

The spay is an operation in which both the ovaries and the uterus are removed. Removal of the ovaries means that the hormonal influence known as "being in heat" is gone. Your pet will no longer come into heat or be able to produce puppies or kittens.

Prior to surgery, all patients receive a thorough preanesthetic physical exam. All potential problems result in a phone call to you and are thoroughly discussed at that time. We also offer a preanesthetic blood screen and recommend this for all surgical candidates. Pre surgical EKGs can also be performed prior to administering anesthesia.

Since the spay is a major abdominal surgical procedure, it is performed with the pet placed under  general anesthesia. The pet sleeps through the entire operation. Your pet’s safety is our primary concern therefore we use the safest anesthesia for your individual pet. The surgery is performed in an operating room by one of our licensed veterinarians, scrubbed and gloved, using a freshly sterilized surgical instrument pack for each individual patient to help prevent post surgical infections. During surgery your pet’s vital signs are constantly monitored and recorded by one of our technicians. Your pet will also receive a complimentary nail trim.

After surgery, each patient is carefully monitored by our veterinarians and technicians until she is fully awake and stable. No pet is released from our hospital until we are satisfied that she is fully recovered from the anesthetic and stable from surgery. Your pet will spend one night in the hospital after her spay operation.

Very little care is required at home after hospital discharge.  We do ask that your pet be restricted in activity for the first week after surgery and that her incision be kept clean and dry as possible. No bathing or swimming should be allowed until the incision has healed.

We strive to perform the spay, and all our surgical procedures, with the highest medical standards set forth by our profession. If you have any questions about this procedure or your pet, please do not hesitate to ask our trained staff personnel or one of our veterinarians. When you are ready to schedule your pet’s spay operation, just call. Our receptionists will be happy to set up the appointment and give you further instructions