Surgery Requirements for cats and dogs

We have these requirements and restrictions in place to ensure the safety of your pets and our staff. If your pet does not meet our requirements, or if any of these restrictions apply to your pet, we recommend scheduling their surgery with a full-service veterinarian who can provide pre-anesthetic blood testing and intravenous fluids.

All animals must be in good health and at least 16 weeks of age for surgery. 

Required Vaccinations

Before you can schedule an appointment for surgery, we require that you provide proof that your pet is current on vaccinations. If your pet is an existing HSU Clinic patient but was vaccinated elsewhere, please bring those records in during our business hours to schedule a spay/neuter. We cannot accept vaccination records by email or fax at this time

Dogs must be current on the DHPP (distemper/parvo combination) and Bordetella (kennel cough) vaccinations.
* Because of the high demand for our affordable spay/neuter services, and limited kennel space, there may be an extended wait time for an appointment for a dog.

Cats must be current on the FVRCP (distemper combination) vaccination.

If your pet needs vaccinations, we are happy to provide them for you during our normal walk-in vaccination hours. We can discuss appointment availability and schedule a spay/neuter appointment for you at that time. 

Please note:

  • We cannot provide any services for cats that are not in carriers or dogs that are not on leashes.
  • All fees must be paid at the time of service, we cannot offer payment arrangements.
  • We reserve the right to refuse service for any animal to whom any procedure is deemed a health risk or if the animal is deemed too aggressive or difficult to handle. 
  • We cannot perform surgery on an animal that has bitten a person within the last 10 days.

Surgery Restrictions

Our clinic does not provide surgery for animals that may be at a higher risk of complications due to age, size and/or breed. We recommend scheduling your pet’s sterilization surgery with a full-service veterinarian who can provide pre-anesthetic blood testing and intravenous fluids.

Age

We do not provide surgery for animals over 7 years old.

Weight

Dogs must weigh at least 5 lbs and no more than 90 lbs.

Health

We reserve the right to refuse service for any animal to whom any procedure is deemed a health risk or if the animal is deemed too aggressive or difficult to handle.  Common health risks include:

  • Dogs that are in heat
  • Heart murmur
  • Dogs or cats that are in the advanced stages of pregnancy
  • Inguinal Cryptorchid cats (one or both testicle is retained in the abdomen)
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