ASPCA® mobile clinic post-surgical
and vaccination care instructions
FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS
Thank you for spaying/neutering your pets! Although it is a common
procedure
BEL
O W ! recommended for all
animals, please remember that your pet has just gone through SURGERY and he/she needs proper care to
recover, including a clean, warm and dry place to recover indoors.
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NO FOOD OR WATER until the time specified by the doctor. But don’t worry if your pet doesn’t eat
the night of surgery.
NO PAIN MEDICATION. There is some minor discomfort after the surgery but no pain. Any oral or
topical medicine not prescribed by a doctor is dangerous to your pet!
NO LICKING at the incision site!! Excessive licking or chewing might lead to an infection or cause
the incision to reopen. Prevent your pet from licking by distracting with treats, toys or petting.
Purchase an e-collar, a plastic cone that fits over the animal’s head. Do not remove the e-collar
until 7 to 10 days have passed. See attached sheet for instructions on how to place the e-collar on
your pet.
NO CAT LITTER for MALE cats. Use SHREDDED PAPER for at least one week. Litter dust can get trapped
in the incision site and cause an infection.
NO JUMPING, PLAYING or strenuous activity for 5 days, which can cause sutures to reopen.
NO BATHING for at least 7-10 days. Water can get into the sutures and cause an infection.
NO SUTURE REMOVAL. Sutures are absorbable.
Check the incision daily to ensure that the surgery site is clean and healing well. Use E-COLLARS
for no less than 7 days. If your pet is still licking at its incision area after 7 days, continue
using the e-collar until the pet stops licking.
Keep your pet away from other animals. Keep males away from unspayed females. Neutered males
produce testosterone for up to 30 days after surgery and can get an unspayed female pregnant.
Animals returning from the clinic may smell different to other animals in the household, which can
cause the animals to fight. Keep cats in the carriers with the door/lid open until the cat is ready
to eat at the time specified by the doctor.
It’s okay to feel a hard bump at the incision site. You can put a cool compress on the site to ease
the swelling. It’s not okay if this bump gets much bigger or starts to leak pus or blood.
It’s not okay if your pet doesn’t urinate or defecate normally after 3 days. Some cats won’t use
shredded paper – you can purchase dust-free post surgery litter at the pet store (ask them for this
product) and use that in the litter box instead. Some dogs might have diarrhea – feed the dog plain
boiled chicken and rice for 3 days; if diarrhea persists, contact the Mobile Clinic Manager.
It’s not okay if your pet vomits too much. Your pet might have nausea from the anesthesia and vomit
that night or the next day.
It’s not okay if your cat disappears or hides. Cats hide when in pain. If you haven’t seen your cat
at night after surgery, look for him/her, put him/her in a carrier and monitor his/her behavior for
the above signs of distress.
If your pet received VACCINATIONS, monitor the site of the vaccination and check for: 1)
swelling/lumps at vaccination site; 2) irregularity in fur growth; 3) swelling of face; 4) loss of
appetite; 5) vomiting; 6) lethargy or depression; and 7) difficulty breathing.
If your pet is experiencing problems, call (646) 596-1376 to discuss what to do or to see if your pet
needs a follow up exam at the mobile clinic.
Spaying and neutering can reduce or eliminate some nuisance behaviors but, in adult animals, these
behaviors may have already been ‘learned’ and might not go away completely:
1. 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 might continue to spray but their urine won’t smell as bad. Older female cats
may continue to show signs of heat (howling, crying) but can’t get pregnant.
2. Male dogs that mark their territory, mount or display aggressive tendencies might not change
despite being neutered, especially if they are older.
THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD SPAY/NEUTER YOUR PET AT AN EARLY AGE… 2-3 MONTHS OLD!!