WHS National Capital Area Spay & Neuter Center
1001 L Street, SE., Washington, DC 20003
202-88-ALTER (by appointment only)
Map to the Spay & Neuter Center

Pre and Post Surgery INSTRUCTIONS:

The Night Before the Scheduled Appointment:

• Keep your pet safely inside your home
  
• No food for your pet (including bones, treats, snacks, table-scraps) after 8:00pm – make sure that they always have fresh water available

Arrival Instructions:

• Please give your dog a good walk prior to arrival for their comfort
  
• Drop-off and surgery admission is between 7:30-8:30 a.m. Animals arriving after 8:30 may be declined surgery.
  – Please allow 15-20 min for the check-in process
  
• All cats must arrive in a carrier**
  
• All dogs must be on a leash
  
• Please leave your pet safely in your car while you fill out your paperwork

Post-Operative Instructions:

• Pick-up and surgical discharge is between 5:00-5:45pm*
  – Please note that the Center closes promptly at 6:00pm. We are not able to board animals overnight, and animals not picked up by closing may be transported to the Animal Shelter for boarding.
  
• No running, jumping, playing, swimming or other strenuous activity for 7 to 10 days
  
• Check the incision site twice daily. There should be no drainage. Redness and swelling should be minimal
  
• Pets must be kept indoors where they can stay clean, dry and warm
  
• No baths during the recovery period – the incisions must stay dry
  
• Dogs must be walked on a leash – no yard play or romping at dog parks
  
• We recommend that you remove the litter from the litter box of altered cats and use shredded newspaper so that the litter does not become imbedded in the incisions for 5-7 days after surgery
  
• Do not allow your pet to lick or chew at the incision. If they do, an Elizabethan collar MUST be applied to prevent access to the site
  
• Feed approximately 1/4 of the amount of dinner that you normally feed the night you take your pet home from the Center. Offering the normal breakfast amount the following day is fine. Appetite should return gradually within 24 hours of surgery. Animals that go home with pain medication may experience a decrease in appetite due to the medication.
  
• Lethargy lasting for more than 24 hours post-op, diarrhea, or vomiting are not normal and your pet should be taken to your regular veterinarian. Animals may have a slight cough for a few days after surgery
  
• Do not change your pet’s diet at this time and do not give junk food, table scraps, milk or any other people food during the recovery period as this could mask post-surgical complications
  

If there are any questions or concerns directly related to the surgery during the recovery period, please call the Spay/Neuter Center directly (202) 608-1356. If there is an emergency after hours, contact your regular veterinarian or Friendship Hospital for Animals (202) 363-7300.

The Washington Humane Society National Capital Area Spay and Neuter Center will treat at our clinic, at minimal cost, any post-operative complications resulting directly from the surgery, if the above post-op instructions are followed in full. Your regular veterinarian must address illnesses or injuries that are not a direct result of surgery. Please call for an appointment as soon as you see cause for concern. We cannot be held responsible for complications resulting from failure to follow post-operative instructions, or for contagious diseases for which the animal was not previously properly vaccinated.

*We may call you in the event that you may pick-up yuor animal earlier than 5:00, so please be sure to provide a good daytime contact number at the time of check-in

**A makeshift carrier is appropriate for transport to the appointment if necessary; however for the safety of your pet we will require you to purchase a secure cardboard carrier for $5 for transport home

Questions? You can email: National Capital Area Spay & Neuter Center