Pre-Op Q&A
CAN MY PET BE DECLINED FOR SURGERY THE DAY OF MY APPOINTMENT?
Any pet can be declined for surgery at the time of check-in. There are multiple factors that could make your pet not suitable for surgery, today, such as: illnesses or injuries that need to be addressed first; still nursing mothers (babies less than 6 weeks); aggressive dogs that can’t be handled, even with muzzles; body conditions that aren’t suitable for our anesthetic protocols and/or follow up care; etc. Pet Savers wants to help our community with their pet care needs and to fulfill the mission of saving lives through prevention. However, it is far more important to Pet Savers that your pet’s health and well being are priority over the mission of spaying and neutering.
WHERE DO I FIND YOU?
We are located just North of the Valley Hospital along the I-90 freeway. We are between Evergreen and Pines. There are a handful of parking spaces along the front of the property including ADA spaces. You are also welcome to park in the loading/unloading zone along the front walkway. Please avoid the neighbor's lot!
DO I NEED TO BRING ANYTHING FOR MY PET?
If you have any pet records that could help us to determine your pet’s current needs, yes, please bring those. However, they are not required.
MY PET IS NOT UP TO DATE ON THEIR VACCINATIONS AND/OR FLEA & TICK PREVENTION. CAN MY PET CONTRACT AN ILLNESS OR PARASITES WHILE IN YOUR FACILITY?
Possibly. Once a vaccine is administered, the antigens must be recognized, responded to, and remembered by the immune system. Full protection from a vaccine usually takes up to two weeks. In some instances, two or more vaccinations several weeks apart must be given to achieve protection. Therefore, it is highly recommended that your pet is vaccinated two weeks prior to surgery, as they will be in a communal space with other pets. Your pet will be in its own kennel, but airborne diseases can still affect your pet if not properly immunized.
We do offer vaccines, microchipping, flea, and tick treatments at the time of surgery, but these may be limited to what our veterinarians opt to administer along with surgery. Vaccines can tax your pet so our veterinarians will only allow select vaccines to be administered at the time of surgery to better ensure your pet responds well to the surgery. That is our first priority.
Additionally, preventative products for parasites can take up to 24-48 hours for your pet to be protected against fleas and ticks. We recommend only products that have been manufactured by pharmaceutical companies. Unfortunately, many off-brand products that are sold at discount stores, are just not as effective as ones produced and backed by big companies. Furthermore, it can take up to 3-6 months to fully treat your environment against parasites, through your pet, as long as all pets in the household are given prevention, due to some life stages being tougher to kill.
Pet Savers has proper air circulation and utilizes special disinfectants in our facility to cut down on these risks. Also, we decline to operate on or vaccinate pets who are currently ill, to keep our facility clear of illness. However, without prior immunizations and preventions, your pet is still at risk. You are welcome to bring your pet to our vaccine clinic, two or more weeks prior to surgery, to help prevent these risks.
WHAT IS A GREEN LINE TATTOO AND DOES MY PET HAVE TO HAVE THAT?
All pets being spayed or neutered with Pet Savers will receive a green line tattoo on their abdomen. This is to identify the pet as “fixed” (spayed or neutered) so that anyone can tell immediately that this surgery has been performed and does not need to be repeated. Surgical glue will be put over the tattoo and the incision site. The glue will wear off, but the tattoo is permanent. There is no aftercare needed for the tattoo. This is a requirement to receive a spay or neuter at Pet Savers. Scars on a pet’s abdomen can be a result of a cesarean section operation (pet is still able to reproduce); or operation due to a stomach or intestine issue; etc. Therefore, they do not tell us truly if this pet is fixed or not. The green line tattoo is a definite indicator that the pet is no longer able to reproduce.
MY FEMALE PET HAS A SCAR ON HER STOMACH, I CAN’T SEE A GREEN LINE TATTOO, AND I DON’T HAVE ANY RECORDS FROM THE PREVIOUS OWNER. IS SHE ALREADY SPAYED?
We aren’t sure. Scars on a pet’s abdomen can be a result of a cesarean section operation (pet is still able to reproduce); or operation due to a stomach or intestine issue; etc. Therefore, the scar does not tell us if this pet is truly fixed or not. Only a green line tattoo is a definite indicator to us that the pet is no longer able to reproduce and is fixed. If we see a tattoo, we will not proceed with surgery.
If your pet is presented for a spay and we see a scar but no tattoo, our veterinarians will decide, per their professional opinion, to proceed or not. If you are unable to be reached the day of surgery and you have already signed for that service, we will likely proceed with the surgery. Our vets are unable to know if a pet is truly intact without going inside the abdomen to explore and/or seeing the green line indicator. Please be sure to discuss the scar you’ve seen with any of Pet Savers' agents before checking in your pet with us.
While risky, if in doubt, you could wait for six to nine months before doing the surgery. This will give you enough time to keep an eye on her for signs of the heat cycle which is a better indicator that your pet is not fixed.
I CAN’T SEE ANY TESTICLES ON MY MALE PET, OR A GREEN LINE TATTOO AND I DON’T HAVE ANY RECORDS FROM THE PREVIOUS OWNER. IS HE ALREADY NEUTERED?
Not necessarily. Without examining your pet, we can’t inform you on this. Even though you aren’t seeing testicles in the scrotum, your pet could still be intact and able to reproduce. There is a condition called cryptorchidism: a condition in which one or both of the testes fail to descend from the abdomen into the scrotum. Therefore, the testicles could still be present in the body and your pet is still able to reproduce. Additionally, your pet is still likely to want to roam due to the active testosterone in his system.
It could be that this pet was neutered somewhere that does not perform the green line tattoo as part of the process. The green line tattoo is an indicator that the pet has had a spay/neuter and is not intact anymore. However, our vets have a lot of experience in this field and are good at determining, by visual exam, if a male dog or cat has been neutered.
If it is determined that your pet is cryptorchid, there is an additional fee (usually $25-$50) for neutering as the length of time to complete the neuter will increase.
WHAT IS AN E-COLLAR AND WHY DOES MY PET NEED IT?
This is a short term for Elizabethan collar. It is typically a cone-shaped veterinary device of stiff material (cone of shame) placed around the neck of a cat or dog to prevent it from obsessive licking, biting, or scratching at the incision site. Pet Savers sells the plastic cones. However, there are other types of e-collars, such as the inflatable neck collars, that some pets prefer over the standard cone collar. These are available at local pet stores. Pet Savers will highly recommend, after observation, that certain pets have an e-collar applied the day of surgery to prevent post-care complications. This collar should be worn by your pet for the full healing period of 10-14 days.
WHAT POST CARE COMPLICATIONS CAN OCCUR WITH MY DOG OR CAT? I WANT TO BE PREPARED!
Great question! We have already compiled many FAQ’s in regards to post-operative care complications.