Do you put them under while doing surgery?

Yes the surgical procedure is the same procedure as anywhere else. Every surgeon varies in techniques, anesthetic protocols and skill sets. Our surgeons have every drug available to them to use given any situation surrounding an animal, its age, its health and weight or any medical condition or the service being provided.

Is this a quality surgery?

Yes, our surgeons are have a great deal of experience, meaning their incisions to be typically much smaller than those found in private practice, as well as the actual surgical procedure is often quicker requiring less time, the animal is under less anesthetic than an average surgery. Our suture materials are premium Ethicon Monocryl Plus Antibacterial Suture, which dissolve on their own, no need to return. All sutures are buried, there are no sutures exposed. Incisions are generally less than one inch. All of our instruments are German Miltex Stainless and are meticulously maintained, sterilized and annually sharpened. We have a team of recovery personnel who stay with your pet from the minute the surgery is complete until the animal is awake. Surgeries are performed with a heating pad on the surgery table to maintain body temperature, heart and oxygen levels are monitored, catheters are placed and fluids administered as needed. Blood diagnostic panels are required for any animal eight years of age or older or on any animal who may have medical issues that warrant pre-op blood work. We will perform surgeries on animals with a Grade 1 or 2-heart murmur; a Grade 3 heart murmur is at the discretion of the surgeon. Grade 4, 5 or 6 heart murmurs should be performed in a hospital setting, and are not surgical candidates for our clinic.

Will you do surgery on an animal in heat?

An animal currently in their heat cycle may still be spayed or neutered. It is a surgeon’s preference as to whether or not to do an animal in heat. The majority of our surgeons will perform a spay or neuter on an animal in heat. Some surgeons will not. This is at the discretion of the doctor and the owner.

How old does my pet have to be?

There are a lot of philosophical beliefs and opinions and medical information concerning the appropriate age to spay/neuter and animal. Our comfort level with all of our surgeons is eight weeks or two pounds. There are doctors who will not perform the surgery until an animal is four months, six months or even a year. Again this is a medical opinion of the attending veterinarian, and the discretion of that veterinarian. We have performed thousands of pediatric spay/neuter procedures without complications.

Do you Declaw Cats or Remove Dewclaws?

No, declawing is a cosmetic surgery and we will not perform them here. We recommend that you educate yourself on the effects of declawing a cat prior to making any decisions. Dewclaws on dogs are rarely removed for medical reasons; as such this is a procedure that we do not perform here.

My animal is sick, can I get an appointment?

We do not see nor treat sick animals. We provide spay/neuter services and routine preventative care. If your animal is injured, sick or needing specialty care you must visit a full service veterinarian clinic/hospital.

Do you do Dentals?

Our primary mission is spay/neuter. That said, we do a very limited number of dentals, limited to four per week. There is an extensive waiting list for dentals and if your pet needs a dental, you can reasonable expect a 6 month wait to be seen at our clinic.

What time will my pet be done?

Our clinic opens at 7:30, the surgeon will determine the order in which the surgeries are performed based on several factors including how many of each species, size and weights, anticipated recovery times, procedure being performed and overall health condition. Once all animals are checked in, the surgery order will be determined; your arrival time has NO bearing on the surgery order. Please understand that pick-up times are fairly accurate but may be delayed due to, while rare, complications that may arise during surgery.

No one answers the Phone?

Our phone rings continuously throughout the day, the evenings and even during the night. We are staffed with volunteers in our effort to keep cost down so that we can provide services to the community. Only calls requesting appointments will be returned. All other questions can be answered on this website. If you have a question that cannot be answered on the website, you may email your question to clinic@fvawl.org. We appreciate your patience as we respond as soon as we can..