Clinics

Surgery Information

• Your pet must weigh at least three pounds, and be at least three months old, for anesthesia to be safely administered.
• The clinic opens at 7:30 a.m. and all pets must arrive by 8:30 a.m. This is not just a drop-off, plan to be there approximately 30 minutes to meet with a veterinary technician. If you are not at the clinic before 8:30 a.m., your appointment will be forfeited.
• No food or water after 10:00 p.m. the night before surgery. A small amount of water is permissible. Your pet's stomach must be empty, or it could vomit during anesthesia, choke, and/or develop aspiration pneumonia.
• No flea or tick dips, sprays, or shampoos for a week before surgery. If you've used any the week of your appointment, bathe the animal in a mild baby shampoo to remove the residue. Frontline, Advantage, or flea collars are okay.
• Dogs must come on a leash or harness. Dogs will not be allowed to go home in the back of a pickup truck unless they are in a secured kennel.
• Cats must arrive and go home in a secure carrier. If you are bringing more than one cat, each cat must have its own carrier. We sell cardboard carriers for $5.00 if you do not have a carrier. Always put a clean towel in the carrier so we can make your cat comfortable for the ride home.
• All male dogs will go home with an e-collar at an additional charge. If you decline this collar, a waiver must be signed agreeing that any post-operative complications as a result of licking will be paid at your expense.
• If your pet is current on its rabies vaccination, we must see the current rabies certificate. Bring it with you the morning of surgery, or it can be faxed to us at (512) 450-0177. If we don't receive the rabies certificate by noon, by Texas State law, we must vaccinate at your expense. The metal tag is not acceptable as proof.
• All surgical patients can be discharged between 3pm and 6pm the day of the surgery. If for any reason the pick-up time is changed, you will be informed at check-in.

For the safety and well-being of your pet, we recommend the following instructions be carefully followed:

As when any anesthesia is used, stomach upset can occur. To help avoid this, we recommend that you restrict the amount of food and water to which your pet has access.

• Don't offer any food or water for 2 to 3 hours after you return home. After that time, you can offer a few pieces of ice, or a small amount of water.
• If your pet does not vomit up the water, an hour later you can offer a small amount of his/her regular food.
• Gradually increase the amount of food and water over the next 24 hours.
• Do not be alarmed if your pet does not eat or drink the first evening.
• If your pet does vomit, withhold food and water until morning. If vomiting persists, call us or bring your animal in for a recheck between 9am and 1pm (Wednesday-Saturday) at the Spay/Neuter Clinic, or 10am - 6pm (Saturday - Wednesday) and Sundays between noon and 4pm at our Wellness Clinic.

Restrict your pet's activity for the next few days. Spayed females require more recovery time than neutered males. Keep males indoors and quiet for 1-3 days, females for 3-5 days.

Check the incision at least twice a day until healed. Remember, your pet has undergone major surgery, and a small amount of red, watery seepage or bruising is normal for a few days. Contact us if you find:

• The incision is opening, or blood is dripping from the incision
• Any sign of infection, or the incision appears swollen or inflamed
• Excessive swelling of the scrotum on males

Surgical sutures will dissolve within 30 days, and should not need to be removed. Occasionally, skin staples are used to close the incision, and you will be instructed when to return to ATA to have them removed.

Males may still have sperm for as long as 30 days after surgery. Be aware that they can impregnate females during this period of time.

If your female was in heat, she will still be attractive to intact males until her hormone levels subside. It is critical that you keep her safe from intact males for as long as possible after her surgery, as mating would likely result in serious internal injuries.

Male dogs are very prone to licking the surgical area and can pull out their stitches early. ATA requires that owners of male dogs purchase a plastic e-collar to prevent the pet from licking his incision and causing bleeding, infection, and additional costs for you.

Do not allow your pet to get wet or go swimming for a week after surgery as this can easily introduce infection into the incision.

Do not apply any topical flea prevention the same day as surgery.

Do not give aspirin, ibuprofen, or Tylenol for pain relief. These drugs can be deadly, especially to cats. Contact us immediately if you feel your pet is suffering from excessive pain.

If you have a question or concern about your pet after surgery, please do the following:

• Contact our Spay/Neuter Clinic at (512) 450-0111 (Wednesdays through Saturdays - 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
• Contact our Wellness Clinic at (512) 451-9355 (Sundays 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Monday through Wednesday 12:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.)

If you have serious concerns when ATA is closed, contact our surgical supervisor at (512) 773-5704.

If you feel you have a life-threatening emergency and are unable to reach our surgical supervisor, contact Austin Vet Care (emergency hospital) at (512) 459-4336. They are located at 4106 North Lamar Blvd. They are open on weeknights from 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. the next morning. They are open 24 hours.

ATA will only cover the cost of surgery-related problems that are treated at the Austin Vet Care. If you bring your pet in for emergency services, you must let them know that your animal had surgery at ATA and we will be contacted for approval of charges. We will not reimburse for expenses incurred at other emergency clinics or any full-service veterinary clinics or hospitals.