Your pet must fast the night before surgery. For animals over six months of age, no food is allowed after midnight the night before surgery. For kittens under six months, a small breakfast is okay. All animals should always have access to water.

If your pet is not fasted, he or she may vomit during surgery, which is a choking risk and could cause post surgical issues.

Your pet can NOT be bathed on the morning of their appointment. We will deny surgery if your pet comes in wet.

Please complete and sign all electronic paperwork before your appointment for faster check-in. Plan to spend at least 30 minutes at check-in and pick-up.

DOGS: Drop off is between 8:00 AM and 8:30 AM.
You must leave your dog in your vehicle while you check-in.

CATS: Drop off is between 8:30 and 9:00 AM.
Your cat must be in a plastic carrier before it enters the building. One cat per carrier. If you do not have a carrier for your cat, you may purchase a cardboard carrier from the clinic for $10. If you bring two cats in one carrier, you will be charged for a cardboard carrier for one of the cats to go home in.

FERAL CATS: Drop off is between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM. Limited space is available.
Cats must be in a humane trap.

All feral cats must receive an ear tip, with no exceptions.

Please enter through the front door and check in at the window.

We stagger pickup times.

Dogs: will be picked up between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Owned cats: will be between 5:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Feral/trapped (community) cats: will be picked up between 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

IF ANY ANIMAL IS NOT PICKED UP ON THE SAME DAY OF SURGERY, A $25 BOARDING FEE WILL BE APPLIED FOR AN OVERNIGHT STAY. For any animal not picked up by 10 am the following morning, animal control will be contacted for animal abandonment.

Caring for Your Cat or Dog After Surgery

Thank you for spaying/neutering your cat or dog. You have just helped to decrease the potential number of homeless animals in Bulloch County and surrounding areas! Although spays and neuters are common procedures, please remember that your pet has just gone through surgery and needs appropriate care to recover properly, including a clean, warm/dry, and quiet place indoors to rest.

Note: If you have any questions or concerns following surgery, please email [email protected] or stop in anytime Sunday through Wednesday between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. (no appointment necessary) for a FREE recheck.

If outside of these hours, please get in touch with your primary veterinarian or emergency services.

Anesthesia and Surgery: Monitor your pet for any signs of abnormal recovery from anesthesia and/or surgery. These may include:

• Bleeding
• Lethargy, depression, or weakness
• Loss of appetite/decreased water intake
• Shivering
• Increased or decreased body temperature (cool or warm to the touch)
• Unsteady gait
• Pale gums
• Labored breathing
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

Vaccinations: If the animal received vaccinations, monitor the site of vaccination (shoulder/hind leg) and check for the following additional signs:
• Swelling of face
• Hives
• Limping
• Drooling
• Itchiness

If any of these signs occur, please email please email [email protected] or stop in Sunday through Wednesday between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. (no appointment necessary) for a FREE recheck.

Food and Water: Approximately half your pet’s normal serving of food and water should be offered about two hours after returning home from surgery.

If your pet is under 16 weeks of age, feed him/her approximately half the normal amount of food and water as soon as you return home. If your puppy or kitten will not eat when he/she returns home, you can do the following without risk of being bitten or scratched: rub maple or Karo Syrup on the pet’s gums. To do this, put a small amount of syrup on a cotton-tipped applicator and rub it on the animal’s upper gums.

Keep in mind that many pets will not eat on the night they return home from surgery. If the animal does not eat on the evening following surgery, give him/her food and water as you ordinarily would on the day following surgery.

If your animal vomits after eating on the night of surgery, remove the food and leave only a small amount of water available. Offer a small amount of food the next morning. If vomiting continues or diarrhea begins, please email [email protected] or stop in Sunday through Wednesday between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. (no appointment necessary) for a FREE recheck.

Surgery Site: There are no stitches on the outside of the surgery site. All stitches are underneath the skin. These stitches dissolve, so there is no need to return to Fixing the Boro SNIP Clinic for removal. The two sides of the incision are also adhered with medical-grade glue.
The surgery site on a male cat is so small that it does not need to be closed with stitches or medical-grade glue. It is acceptable to see one or two small openings on the scrotum.

If your animal easily allows it, check the surgery site daily to make sure that it is healing. What you see on the day the animal is released from surgery is considered to be a normal appearance for the surgical site.

If the surgery site is very red, has green/yellow or reddish discharge, has a foul odor, has something sticking out from it, is warm to the touch, or has bruising or a bump that seems to be growing, contact us.
Do not apply any products to the surgery site unless recommended by staff members of Fixing the Boro.

Tattoo: Animals who have had surgery receive a small green tattoo. For female dogs and cats, the tattoo is placed alongside the surgical incision. For male dogs, a tattoo is placed on the lower abdomen. No tattoo is given to male cats. No complications from the tattoo are expected, as sterile instruments are used to create it. However, if the tattoo site is contaminated, infection could occur, so please monitor the tattoo site for redness, swelling, or discharge. If these occur, please get in touch with us.

Jumping and Playing: Restrict jumping and playing for 10-14 days after surgery. Too much activity can cause the surgery site to open or become swollen. To help keep your pet from being too active:

• Place your pet in an adequately sized carrier, kennel, crate, or small room when you’re not able to supervise him/her. The animal must be able to stand up and turn around in the housing unit.
• If your pet is small, carry him/her up and down stairs.
• Walk your pet on a leash to allow him/her to go to the bathroom.
• Do not take your pet for long walks or allow him/her to roughhouse with other animals or people.
• Do not allow your pet to jump on or off furniture.

Keep Your Pet Away from Other Animals Keep neutered males away from unspayed females. Neutered males can get an unspayed female pregnant for up to 30 days after spay/neuter surgery. Keep spayed females away from unneutered males who may wish to mount them.

Animals returning from the Fixing the Boro SNIP Clinic may also smell different from other animals in the household. This can cause them to fight, so be prepared to keep your pets in separate areas for a few days following surgery.

Microchips: If your pet received a microchip, do not brush, groom, bathe, or pet him/her excessively in the area of the microchip implant (near shoulders) for the first 24 hours after he/she arrives back home. Do not allow your pet to roughhouse with other animals or people.

Bathing Your Pet: If you wish to bathe your pet, wait until 10-14 days after surgery. Bathing your pet before this time can cause the surgery site to open and delay healing.

For Cats

Cat Litter: Litter dust can get into the surgery site and cause an infection. Shredded paper, a brand of litter called Yesterday’s News (can be purchased at pet stores), pine litter, or uncooked, long-grain rice should be used in the litter box for at least a week after surgery.

Housing: Helping your cat feel safe and comfortable is important to the recovery process.

• Place your cat in a quiet, confined area such as a bathroom, laundry room, or kitchen, and turn the lights off.
• Provide fresh food/water and a clean litter box.
• Keep in mind that cats may hide after surgery. It is a good idea to block access to all places where your cat could hide. This will allow you to monitor the cat more easily during recovery.

Behavior: Spaying or neutering your pet can reduce or eliminate certain undesirable behaviors, such as urine marking, mounting, aggression, or spraying, but these behaviors may have already been learned and might not go away completely. If these behaviors do go away, they might do so gradually:

• It may take up to 30 days for male cats to stop spraying and for female cats to stop showing signs of heat.
• Older male cats may continue to spray, but their urine will not smell as bad.
• Older female cats may continue to show signs of heat (howling, crying) for a few days, but they can no longer get pregnant.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email us at [email protected]