pre-operative instructions for clinic clients
Congratulations on your decision to spay or neuter your pet! What follows are instructions for preparing your pet for surgery. Please follow the instructions carefully. Pets that are not properly prepared for surgery may not be able to have surgery as scheduled.
what you need to know before surgery
- You must have an appointment for surgery. Call 413-781-4019 to make an appointment. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Due to the high demand for our services our phones lines may be busy. Please leave a message and we will return your call as soon as possible.
- Animals must be in good health. If your pet is showing any signs of illness such as coughing, sneezing, runny eyes or diarrhea he or she will be declined for surgery. See your regular veterinarian for care first, and then re-schedule surgery when your pet is healthy.
- Our veterinarians highly recommend that your pet be vaccinated two weeks prior to surgery. Your animal will be around a lot of other animals and could be exposed to something (just like when you send your kids to school). It takes two weeks for a vaccination to become fully effective. We can administer vaccines on the day of surgery, but they are not guaranteed to protect animals while they are here with other animals in our clinic. This is a recommendation, not a requirement.
- Kittens and puppies must be 8 weeks of age AND weigh at least 2 pounds.
- If your pet is over 8 years of age, we strongly recommend pre-surgical blood tests. These blood tests let us know how well your pet's liver and kidneys are functioning. You can have this done at any full service veterinary office and have the results faxed to us. This is not a service we can provide.
what you need to do the night before the scheduled appointment
- Keep your pet safely inside your home.
- If your animal is over 4 months old, do not allow him or her to eat any food after midnight the night before surgery. You may allow your pet to have water.
- If your animal is less than 4 months old, he or she may have food and water overnight.
what to do when you arrive at the clinic
- For your dog's comfort, please give him a good walk before you arrive at the Community Spay/Neuter Clinic.
- If your pet is less than 4 months old, feed him or her at 6:00 a.m. the day of surgery. Please be aware of the exact time your pet ate so you can give us this information when checking in. You may allow your pet to have water.
- If your animal is over 4 months old, no food this morning!
- Drop your pet off at the clinic in the morning at 8:00 a.m. Late arrivals will not have surgery and will need to be rescheduled. Please allow 20-30 minutes for check in.
- Payment is due in full at drop-off. We do not bill. We accept cash, Visa and Mastercard, and debit cards. WE DO NOT ACCEPT CHECKS AS PAYMENT.
- The Spay/Neuter Clinic entrance is located on the east side of the DPVHS Adoption Center at 171 Union St. in Springfield. The Adoption Center is closed in the morning and the doors will be locked. Please come around the side of the building to the Spay/Neuter Clinic entrance.
- Please leave your pet in the car until you have completed the admission process.
- You must complete the necessary paperwork upon arrival. Our paperwork is a three-part carbonless form; it cannot be faxed or e-mailed. To save time the morning of your appointment, you are welcome to stop by the clinic prior to your pet's scheduled surgery day and pick up the paperwork.
- For the safety of your pet and our staff, all pets must be safely restrained. All adult cats are required to be in an individual plastic or cardboard cat carrier at time of drop off. One cat per carrier. If not, a $10 cardboard carrier fee will be charged for each cat needing a separate carrier. Kittens less than 16 weeks can be no more than 2 to a carrier. All feral cats/kittens must be brought in a humane trap that is covered with a sheet or towel. One cat per trap. Humane traps may be borrowed from the DPVHS Adoption Centers. All dogs must be on a leash or in a carrier.
reasons for refusal
Our veterinarians perform a general physical examination of every patient prior to surgery and reserve the right to refuse service to any animal for whom surgery is deemed a health risk.
reasons for refusal may be but are not limited to:- Animals over 4 months of age who are known to have eaten (including snacks or table scraps) after midnight the evening before surgery.
- Animals who were left outside the night before surgery (they may have eaten).
- Animals who clinic staff cannot safely handle (feral cats must arrive in humane traps to be safely handled).
- Feral cats who are brought in any container except a humane trap.
- Animals with known health issues, such as a heart murmur, may be referred to a full service veterinary hospital.
- Dogs who are nursing or in heat.
- Animals showing any signs of illness such as coughing, sneezing, runny eyes, or diarrhea.
- Kittens or puppies who are younger than 8 weeks OR smaller than 2 pounds.
If any of these situations apply to your animal, please discuss this with a clinic staff member when making your appointment. We may be able to make special arrangements if we know the issue in advance. This is for the safety of your animals and our staff.
pick up and home care instructions
- Pick your pet up at 3:00 p.m. the same day as surgery.
- Please note that we close promptly at 4:00 p.m. Please, arrive on time to pick up your pet! We do not board animals. Our Adoption Center staff cannot release surgical patients. If you arrive so late that the clinic staff has to stay past closing to send your pet home with you, you will be charged a $15 late fee. If you do not pick up your pet at the assigned time and the Community Spay/Neuter Clinic has closed, you will need to come back the next morning to pick up your pet, and you will be charged a $25 boarding fee (NO EXCEPTIONS).
- You will be given instructions on taking care of your pet after surgery when you pick him or her up. To read those instructions now, click here.
