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When people ask what we do at the clinics, probably the best explanation is that they are patterned after “day surgery” at hospitals.
The dogs and cats are checked in, weighed (dogs) and placed in crates in their respective ends of the building. Dogs are given a pre-anesthesia shot to relax them and after a bit are taken into the prep room to be anesthetized, shaved and scrubbed for surgery. Once in the surgery room, the dogs are hooked up to a gas anesthesia machine and the veterinarian spays or neuters the dog. The dogs are returned to the recovery room and are laid out on blankets to be monitored by two to three volunteers. Only when the dog is completely awake is the owner contacted to pick up their dog.
The cats are done a little bit differently in that they are taken from their crates and placed in a bag (to calm them and to protect the vet techs from bites) and then weighed. They are given an injectable anesthetic and once asleep are placed on a “spirit boat” to be shaved and scrubbed. All cats are given a tattoo of a small X on their abdomen, so that other veterinarians will recognize that they have already been altered. Feral cats will also have the left ear tipped, to distinguish them from unaltered cats when they are returned to their caretakers. They are then taken to surgery where the females are placed on the gas anesthesia machine and the males are placed on the surgery table to be neutered (they take about a minute or so to get done). After surgery the cats are taken to cat recovery where they are checked and treated for ear mites, feral cats are vaccinated and the cats are monitored by two or three volunteers.
We’re very fortunate in having the best veterinarians, vet techs and volunteers participating in our clinics. If you’re interested in seeing a clinic in action, we hold them once or twice a month and would be happy to give you a tour. |
