Pre-Op & Post-Op Care
We are happy to serve you and your pet at the AWS Community Veterinary Clinic. Please read through these pre-op and post-op instructions for your pet’s spay or neuter surgery.
Pre-Op: Before your pet’s surgery:
It is okay to feed your pet about ¼ of their normal serving amount of food the morning of surgery. If your pet does not normally eat in the morning, they should have their normal meal the night before. Do not limit your pet’s water before surgery. Normal water is fine the evening and morning of.
Please drop off your pet on the day of your appointment, no earlier than 8am and no later than 8:30am.
Remember:
- Please bring your cat in a carrier labeled with their name. If you are bringing multiple cats, bring them in individually labeled carriers.
- Please bring your dog in a carrier or leashed on a flat leash – No retractable leashes, please.
- Regardless of the time your pet’s surgery is scheduled, drop off is at 8am.
- When you arrive at AWS, please enter through the Adoption Center Main Entrance and follow the signs to the Clinic. You may need to wait in line for a short while, as surgical intake is completed one client at a time.
- If you cannot make your appointment, please call us in advance to reschedule.
- Please note, we are able to spay cats that are in heat. If your dog is currently in heat close to the appointment date, we will need to reschedule.
Pets must be up to date on rabies vaccinations to have surgery. Thus, we require proof of a rabies vaccine, such as a rabies certificate signed by a veterinarian. If you do not have or are unable to bring your pet’s most recent rabies vaccine certificate, we will provide a rabies vaccine at no charge.
Post-Op: After your pet’s surgery:
Your pet will be ready to go home in the afternoon. Dogs should be picked up at 3 pm. Cats should be picked up at 4 pm.
Download the post-operative care instructions.
If there are any questions or concerns directly related to the surgery during the recovery period, please contact the clinic at (207) 292-2424 or clinic@animalwelfaresociety.org and we will respond as soon as possible. If you have an emergency situation, please contact your regular veterinarian or Maine Veterinary Medical Center in Scarborough at (207) 885-1290. We will treat at our clinic, for minimal cost, any post-op complications resulting directly from the surgery, if the above post-op instructions are followed in full. Please call for an appointment as soon as you see cause for concern. We cannot be held responsible for complications resulting from failure to follow post-op instructions, or for contagious diseases for which the animal was not properly vaccinated.
