Surgery Instructions

The night before surgery

No food after midnight for non-pediatric dogs and cats (16 weeks and above), but water is fine.
Fill out your consent form that was emailed to you if you have not done so yet.

The morning of surgery

Be sure to bring your cat or small dog in a carrier that is secure - your pet will stay in the carrier to reduce stress (it smells like home!). Boxes, cardboard carriers, and soft, collapsible carriers are not ideal because we cannot monitor patients as well and there is more likelihood of escape.
Place an absorbent towel or pee pad in the carrier in case of accidents - we will put a new pee pad in after surgery if needed.
Drop off times will be indicated in your confirmation email, but typically are between 8:30am and 10am.
Please bring feral (non-socialized) cats in traps or transfer cages.

After arriving at the clinic

There is a parking lot just across the street from the new surgery center (740 5th Ave. New Kensington). You may park there.
Please come in to the lobby, sign in, and list your phone number. Go ahead back out to your car if there is a line, and we will call or text as soon as we are ready to admit your pet.
If you are a volume client (multiple animals), please pull up to the curb in front of the building, leave the patients in the car, and sign in. We will have a designated set of shelves for your animals and tags that will identify all the carriers that you bring.
If you have not signed your consent form, you will have an opportunity to do so. Also, please be sure to select any additional services that you would like the pet to receive.
Please make sure we have your mobile phone number so we can text when your pet is ready for pickup.

Surgeries

We typically perform dog spays and neuters first, followed by cat spays and neuters, then dentals and other surgical procedures. As soon as your dog or cat is sternal (awake enough to lay on her sternum/chest and not her side), we will text you to let you know that you will be able to pick up after about 30 minutes. You don't have to rush back to the clinic - we are open for patient discharge until at 5:30pm.
If you haven't received a call or text, please do not come back to the clinic. Sometimes on very busy days or with patients having more complicated procedures we may run behind schedule. We will always spend the needed time with a patient, even if it means that we stay late.
In some cases, we will keep a patient overnight and release them the following day. This is typically for surgeries other than spays/neuters or when we feel they are too sleepy to go home or may need additional pain medications or other treatments. Some surgeries, like perineal urethrostomies, require the cat to stay in the hospital for a few days to make sure that they are well enough to be managed at home (and prevents the need for a costly trip to the emergency clinic).

Post-operative Instructions (Cat Spay/Neuter and General Surgery)

Please leave your cat in the carrier or trap until the effects of anesthesia have completely worn off. Most cats will wake up rapidly after surgery, but some tend to be sleepy and listless for up to a day after surgery. Some cats may twitch and shiver while waking up. Some feral cats will thrash around in the trap as they are normalizing. Thrashing will diminish if the cats are kept in their covered trap in a quiet place, with human contact kept to a minimum.

It is important to KEEP THE CATS WARM when transporting them home and until they are fully awake and alert. The surgical anesthesia makes cats feel cold and hypothermia could result without sufficient warmth. If a feral cat: place the trap in a warm, dry area (such as a garage or covered with a blanket in a warm area on a covered porch.) Place a thick layer of newspapers or towels/blankets under the trap to shield the cat from cold floors/ground. On very hot days put the trap in a sheltered area, out of direct sunlight, covered with a lightweight sheet.

You may offer your cat about 1/4 to 1/2 of their normal diet the evening of their surgery as long as they are awake and alert. If your cat is still groggy, withhold food and water until tomorrow. Your cat may choose not to eat this evening because of nausea caused by the anesthesia. The appetite should return to normal within two days.

• Non-feral male cats should be kept quiet and confined for 36 hours.

• Non-feral female cats should be kept quiet and confined for at least 10 days. This means restricting running, jumping, and playing. A dog crate or small room should be used.

• Keep incision site dry. DO NOT apply anything to incision site.

• Dissolvable sutures are used so you don’t have to bring your cat back for suture removal. The incision is closed with stitches under the skin and then skin glue is applied. Female cats have a small, green line placed near the incision to show that they have been spayed.

• Inspect incision area daily for swelling, redness or drainage. A small amount of redness is normal and sometimes an animal will have a small reaction to the suture material. This will result in a small raised area, or bump, usually at the end of the incision site. This may not occur until weeks after the surgery.

• If your pet keeps trying to lick or chew the incision, an E-collar should be used and left on until the incision is completely healed.

• Some cats and kittens will develop a firm, non-painful lump under the incision. This is an inflammatory reaction and should resolve within 2-3 weeks.

• Generally, your cat does not need more than pain medication than has already been given. If you feel that your cat is in pain, please consult with your regular veterinarian to determine if they need more pain medication.

• FERAL MALE CATS: If they are awake and alert, you may release them back to their home in the evening; if they appear listless, sleepy or unsteady on their feet, keep them in the trap overnight before releasing.

• FERAL FEMALE CATS: We recommend that you hold female cats in the trap for 24 hours before releasing. If you are able to check the incision area, make sure the incision has not opened and that there is no fluid draining from it. Do not keep a cat in a trap or carrier for more than 24 hours unless under the instruction of a veterinarian.

Please see an emergency vet or your regular veterinarian if any of the following occur: Loss of appetite for more than 2 days, refusal to drink water for more than 1 day, severe depression or weakness, vomiting after the first 24 hours, severe pain, incision opening up completely.

For non-emergency post-op questions or concerns please call Frankie’s Friends at 724-889-7011. We will provide a follow-up examination free of charge for any incision or surgery related concern.

Post Op Instructons

Post-operative Instructions (Dog Spay/Neuter and General Surgery)

Please leave your dog in a crate until the effects of anesthesia have completely worn off. Most dogs will wake up rapidly after surgery, but some tend to be sleepy and listless for up to a day after surgery. Some dogs may twitch and shiver while waking up.

It is important to KEEP SMALL DOGS WARM when transporting them home and until they are fully awake and alert. The surgical anesthesia makes dogs feel cold and hypothermia could result without sufficient warmth.

You may offer your dog about 1/4 to 1/2 of their normal diet the evening of their surgery as long as they are awake and alert. If your dog is still groggy, withhold food and water until tomorrow. Your dog may choose not to eat this evening because of nausea caused by the anesthesia. The appetite should return to normal within two days.

No stitch removal is necessary in either the male or female dogs – the sutures will dissolve.

•Male dogs should be kept quiet and confined for 36 hours.

•Female dogs should be kept quiet and confined for at least 10 days. This means restricting running, jumping, and playing. A dog crate or small room should be used.

•Keep incision site dry. DO NOT apply anything to incision site. Green tattoo ink has been applied.

•Dissolvable sutures are used so you don’t have to bring your dog back for suture removal. The incision is closed with stitches under the skin and then skin glue is applied.

•Inspect incision area daily for swelling, redness or drainage. A small amount of redness isnormal and sometimes an animal will have a small reaction to the suture material. This willresult in a small raised area, or bump, usually at the end of the incision site.

•If your pet keeps trying to lick or chew the incision, an E-collar should be used and left on until the incision is completely healed.

•Some dogs will develop a firm, non-painful lump under the incision. This is an inflammatory reaction and should resolve within 2-3 weeks.

•Generally, your dog does not need more than pain medication than has already been given. If you feel that your dog is in pain, please consult with your regular veterinarian to determine if they need more pain medication.

Please seek treatment at an emergency clinic or see your regular veterinarian if any of the following occur: Loss of appetite for more than 2 days, refusal to drink water for more than 1 day, severe depression or weakness, vomiting after the first 24 hours, severe diarrhea, severe pain, excessive redness or swelling, drainage, or opening of the incision.

For non-emergency post-op questions or concerns please call Frankie’s Friends at 724-889-7011. We will provide a follow-up examination free of charge for any incision or surgery related concern.