Pre/Post Surgery Info


Pre-Operative Instructions

  1. You must have an appointment to have your pet spay/neutered at Robinson’s Rescue. Schedule an appointment online by clicking here.
  2. We recommend that you have your pet vaccinated at least two weeks prior to your appointment.
  3. No food or water after 10:00 p.m. the night before the surgery. Pets must be kept indoors or confined. Any pet that has remained outside all night without being confined will not be admitted for surgery.
  4. Check-in time is from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. for all animals. We will not take your pet before 8a.m. We have a very strict surgical schedule that must be followed.
  5. When you arrive the morning of your appointment, please follow signs and a curbside attendant will help you with any questions you may have.  Please stay in your vehicle with your animal. We require this for the safety of your pet.
  6. All paperwork must be filled out and turned in digitally before noon the day before your appointment, noon on Thursday for a Monday appointment.  If your pet is not up-to-date on their rabies vaccination, we are required by law to administer a vaccine for an additional $10.
  7. Paperwork includes surgical release and intake form, current rabies certificate, and SSNIP information if applicable.  You will receive an email after you schedule your appointment online about how to digitally fill out this paperwork.  You can also download from our website and email to RR2210017@gmail.com. Please indicate the date of your appointment in the email.
  8. Our Curbside Attendant will take your animal from your vehicle the day of your appointment, you will not be allowed inside our building.
  9. Our veterinarians perform a general physical exam of every patient prior to surgery. Blood work is not done prior to surgery. Our veterinarians reserve the right to refuse service to any animal to whom surgery is deemed a health risk.
  10. We do not call after surgery to update owners.  If you would like to check on your pet the day of surgery, please either call the clinic at 318-221-0017 ext 7 or text us at 318-562-1979 before 2:30pm.

Pick-Up

Your pet must be picked up at 7:30 a.m. We charge $5 for every 15 minutes late for pick-up.

If you do not prepay, you will be emailed an invoice to pay for your surgery. We ask that all invoices be paid by 2pm the day of your pets surgery to expedite the check out process.  We accept only credit cards (with a $3.00 credit processing fee) and charge $38 to neuter a male cat, $48 to spay a female cat, $58 to neuter a male dog, and $68 to spay a female dog.  We also charge $10 to administer a rabies vaccination if your pet is not up to date, $30 if your pet is 60 lbs. or more, and $40 if your pet is 100 lbs. or more.

For feral cats, we charge $33 to neuter a male feral cat and administer a rabies vaccination and $43 to spay a female feral cat and administer a rabies vaccination.

It is very important that we are able to contact you the day of surgery, please make sure Robinson’s Rescue has correct phone numbers and you save our number to answer when we call.

Post-Operative Instructions

The healing process usually takes approximately 14 days. During this recovery time it is very important that you keep a close eye on your pet and prevent them from running, jumping, playing, swimming, or other strenuous activity. To avoid injury, dogs must be walked on a leash.

For 10-14 days following surgery, pets must be kept indoors where they can stay clean, dry, and warm. Do not bathe your pet during the recovery period.

A handy infographic of our post-op instructions can be found HERE.

Check out this video explaining post op care: https://youtu.be/LXj3ObjSLsw?si=ZyLyVch-PsS5n3cO

Robinson’s Rescue offers free rechecks for surgery related concerns.  Please call during business hours at 318-221-0017 Ext 7 for recheck questions.

Surgery Site

Female dogs and cats have a mid-line incision in their abdomen. Male dogs have an incision just above the scrotum and male cats have two incisions, one in each side of the scrotum. Check the incision site at least twice daily. Click HERE for pictures.

What you see on the day of pick up is what we consider normal. There should be no drainage. Redness and swelling should be minimal. Male cats may appear as if they still have testicles. This is normal; the swelling should subside gradually through the recovery period.

Do not allow your pet to lick or check at their incision.  If this occurs, we recommend you purchase Elizabethan collar (“E-collar”) must be applied to prevent them from being able to reach the area.  These can be purchased at our clinic for $6.00 at the time of surgery.

Your pet has received pain medication.  Do not give additional medication without consulting your veterinarian. Male dogs have received a post-operative steroidal anti-inflammatory injection.

Female Pets In Heat

If your female dog or cat was in heat at the time of surgery, you must keep them away from intact males for at least two weeks. While they are unable to become pregnant, they will still attract intact males, for a short period of time. If a male tries to mate with her serious bleeding and trauma to the reproductive tract may occur, possibly leading to death.

Sutures

Unless you are told otherwise, your pet does not have external sutures. All sutures are absorbable on the inside and the very outer layer of skin is held together with surgical glue. Do not clean or apply topical ointment to the incision site. If you are told that your pet has skin staples, they will need to return in 14 days to have those removed. Male cats do not have any sutures.

Activity

Some animals are active after surgery, while others are quiet. It is very important that you limit your pet’s activity for the next 10-14 days. No running, jumping, playing, swimming, or other strenuous activity during the 10-14 day recovery period. Dogs must be walked on a leash and cats must be kept inside. Keep your pet quiet.

Dogs and female cats have internal and external sutures that provide strength to the tissue as they heal. Any strenuous activity could disrupt this healing process. The healing process takes at least 10 days.

Feeding

Your pet should have a small snack the night of surgery. Their appetite should return gradually within 24 hours of surgery. Lethargy lasting for more than 24 hours after surgery, diarrhea, or vomiting are not normal and you should contact us immediately. Do not change your pet’s diet at this time and do not give junk food, table scraps, milk or any other people food for a period of one week. This could mask post-surgical complications.

What to Look For

Spaying and neutering are very safe surgeries; however, complications can occur. Minimal redness and swelling should resolve within several days. If it persists longer, please contact us. Please contact us or your regular veterinarian immediately if you notice any of the following:

  • pale gums
  • depression
  • vomiting
  • diarrhea
  • discharge or bleeding from the incision
  • difficulty urinating
  • labored breathing

If you have any questions or concerns directly related to the surgery during the recovery time period, please do not hesitate to contact the clinic at (318) 221-0017.

After hours please consult your regular veterinarian or contact the Animal Emergency Clinic on Line Avenue by calling (318) 227-2345.