PrePARING FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT

 Check in time is at 7:30am, any persons arriving later than 7:45am will be asked to reschedule their animals for another day and the deposit will be forfeited. 

Please leave your animals in the safety and comfort of your car until you are checked in with our staff.

 Dogs and cats who you know as your loving companions can easily be startled and become aggressive around other animals and unfamiliar humans. New places, new sights, new smells and new sounds can be very frightening to even the tamest of animals.

Please be aware check in could take 30-60 minutes.

• No food after 9:00PM the night prior to surgery for all patients 4 months or older. Water is fine. If your pet is 4 months and younger, we ask that you please give them a spoonful of food the morning of their appointment.
• Cats MUST be brought in separate carriers, NO loose cats or cats brought wrapped in blankets. If you do not have a carrier a cardboard cat carrier will be provided for $10. For your pets health and safety and the health and safety of our staff hard sided pet carriers work best. Dogs must come in on leash.
• If your animal is timid or appears to be nervous around other humans we may ask you to assist us with your animal for the health and safety of your pet and the health and safety of our staff.

 Our admission form reads:

S/Nipped clinic uses qualified staffing and approved materials for all procedures performed. It is important for you to understand that the risk of injury or death, although extremely low, is always present just as it is for humans who undergo surgery. Carefully read and understand the following before signing your name.

I, acting as owner or agent of the pet named above, hereby request and authorize S/Nipped clinic, through whomever veterinarians they may designate, to perform an operation for sexual sterilization of the animal named on the above portion of this form.

• I understand that the operation presents some hazards and that injury to or death of such an animal may conceivably result, for there is some risk in the procedure and the use of anesthetics and drugs in providing this service.
• I either certify that my animal has been vaccinated within one year prior to this date or waive my right to protect my animal by having it vaccinated, or request vaccinations at the time of surgery. I understand that it takes up to two weeks for vaccinations to protect my animal.
• I understand the inherent risks of failing to maintain current vaccinations and waive all claims arising out of or connected with the performance of this operation due to such failure.
• I certify my animal is in good health and has had no food since 9 P.M. the evening prior to surgery unless otherwise instructed.
• I understand that S/Nipped clinic has the right to refuse service to any animal to whom surgery is deemed a health risk.
• I understand that S/Nipped clinic may not perform a complete physical examination before surgery is performed. I also understand that my animal will not receive pre-operative bloodwork and waive my right to have this service performed prior to surgery at a full-service veterinarian.
• I understand that some factors significantly increase surgical risk, including by not limited to, pregnancy, heat, disease such as Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline Leukemia, and internal and external parasites.
• I understand that if my animal is pregnant, the pregnancy will be terminated at time of surgery.
• I understand that if my animal has an umbilical hernia, it will be repaired at the time of surgery at an additional charge of $15.
• I understand if I don't retrieve my pet at the agreed upon time, S/Nipped clinic will exercise its right to turn the animal over to Coos County Animal Shelter. Owners of pets left after the agreed date shall be charged a boarding fee of no less than $20 per day.

I hereby release S/Nipped clinic, all veterinarians, assistants, volunteers, directors, and employees from any and all claims arising out of or connected with the performance of this procedure or any adverse reactions from vaccinations. I agree that I have not and will not claim any right of compensation from them, or any of them, or file action by reason of such sterilization or attempted sterilization of such animal or any consequences related thereto. Owner/agent hereby agrees to indemnify and hold S/Nipped spay and neuter clinic harmless for any damages caused during transportation or handling of the animal, or for any damages caused by any unforeseeable events including fire, vandalism, burglary, extreme weather, natural disaster or acts of God. Your animal will receive a small tattoo on his/her underside to show that s/he has been sterilized.   

 We do have restrictions at the clinic. Our belief is that spay/neuter is an elective procedure and may not be beneficial for all pets, therefore we will decline pets who are not good surgical candidates. Those pets 5 years and older are at a much higher risk during surgery so the S/Nipped team asks that you contact your local veterinarian for those geriatric surgical clients, exceptions may be made on a case by case basis with prior blood work only.

• Check out time for patients is typically between 2pm-4pm most days depending on the patient load.
• You will be notified at the time of check-in what the exact time check-out will be. Please be available or have someone available to pick your pet up at our designated pick up time. 
• Any person arriving later than 30 minutes after the discharge time will be assessed $20 late arrival fee. 

Our staff is paid hourly and our nonprofit cannot afford overtime wages. So please be responsible and arrive at the designated check-out time. Any animals remaining at 5:30pm will be turned over to Coos County Animal Control, fees may be associated with this process as Animal Control deems necessary. 

 Did you lose your hard copy of the post-operative instructions the clinic provides at the time of check out? Here they are.

• Please restrict your pet’s activity as much as possible. Crating is perfectly acceptable if necessary. NO RUNNING OR JUMPING for 2 weeks! Keep your pet indoors for 10-14 days. Dogs need to be on a leash when outside, please walk only. We want to prevent any stress or strain to the surgical area. 

• Your pet has internal and external sutures (male cats will have a small opening for possible drainage instead of external sutures); the internal suture will dissolve on their own over the next 4 months. Skin glue has been applied to the top of the incision to help reinforce it. It also acts as an anti-bacterial layer. So, it is very important the glue stays intact through the full length of the healing process which is typically 10-14 days.  The glue will dissolve too quickly if it gets wet, so no letting them lick or chew at the incision site, no letting them outside in the rain except for a short potty break, then gently pat the surgical area dry, don’t rub it and no bathing them for the next two weeks. There is no need to return for suture removal unless specifically told otherwise. It is important your pet not lick at the incision, this can cause post-operative complications. E-Collars (plastic cone) are necessary for ALL surgical patients.

•  If external sutures are still present after the patient is healed, you may remove them by taking scissors and clipping them out, but the incision must be completely healed. 

• E-Collars are necessary for all animals to avoid from licking or chewing at their incisions as well as post-operative pain medication for a successful recovery experience for ALL dogs and cats. Cats are given a Buprenorphine SR injection that lasts for 72 hours post-op.  Please lift your pet’s food so that they may eat and drink with their collars on. Do not remove collar. Make sure your pet has a regular collar on and looped through the e-collar. The string we may give if your pet arrived with no collar is only temporary. 

• E-Collars need to be worn for at 10-14 days. Please don’t take the collar off otherwise it can lengthen the recovery process and cause post-operative complications. 

• Check your pet’s incision when you get home today, what you see will be normal. Look at the incision twice daily for 10-14 days. Signs of possible infection include swelling, inflammation, and discharge from the surgical site. If you see any of these symptoms or have even the slightest concern about the post-op healing process, please feel free to call the clinic a.s.a.p. Rechecks are free of charge. If antibiotics are needed, we can prescribe those here for an additional charge. If you notice any concerns on a day we are not open, please contact your regular veterinarian right away. 

• On your pet’s abdomen is a little green tattoo. This tattoo verifies your pet has been spayed or neutered in case there were any questions later on. 

• Please feed your pet their normal diet only, for the next 10-14 days. No special treats or people food this may cause vomiting or diarrhea. Nausea is a normal side effect of anesthesia so smaller appetites are normal for 24 hours after surgery. 

• For pets who received vaccinations today, please monitor your pet tonight for possible vaccine reactions. Symptoms could include vomiting, diarrhea, facial swelling, or hives. If you see any of these symptoms, please call us or seek veterinary attention immediately.  

• Post op pain medication, these animals have received a 24 hour post-operative pain injection (cats a 72 hour injection), as well as many other medications to induce anesthesia; please be aware your pet will be under the influence of these medications for about 24-72 hours, and may not behave as your normal pet. With this being said, please restrict their access to small children until the medication has worn off. The medication can induce some behaviors similar to a human who has been medicated also, resulting in delayed reactions, unstable footing, agitation, and confusion. Please under no uncertain circumstance, can you leave your pet unattended outside. 

• During the 10-14 days after surgery they need a clean, calm, warm, safe and dry space to finish recovering from surgery.  Cats may need an alternative to cat litter (e.g. torn up newspaper) to eliminate on for the recovery time.