Spay & Neuter Clinic Extra Services

Pain Relief Medications: Anesthesia only controls pain while pets are asleep. At Ace of Spays, all pets receive another shot that controls pain for 6-8 hours. 2 days of extra pain relief is a great idea for all pets. Abdominal surgery, such as a hysterectomy (comparable to a spay), is painful. Removing testicles is also painful. Pets on pain relief medication eat sooner and recover faster after surgery. The medications we use are very safe and effective. Do not purchase pain relief medication for aggressive cats as it will be impossible to administer.

E-Collars: prevent pets from damaging the incision. Licking causes infections. Chewing causes suture removal. E-Collars are recommended to prevent further medical expenses. Male dogs are notorious offenders.

Microchips: A rice sized pellet is inserted under the skin. All pets entering animal shelters are scanned for chips. The scanner picks up the chip number. The shelter calls the national registry and finds the owner.

Feline Leukemia/AIDS Test: Neither disease is transmissible to humans. Once cats are infected, they remain infected for life. Infected cats can live for years. In-house tests are screening tests. There is another, more expensive test that can be run in animals with positive results to verify infection, though these also are not fully reliable. Kittens born to infected queens can test positive for AIDS up until 6 months of age even if they are not infected themselves. If your pet tests positive for either condition, call to discuss how best to proceed. Until a final determination is made, keep these cats separate from non-infected cats.

Distemper Vaccines: Vaccination is not required for appointments but it is recommended that puppies and kittens have at least 2 of their initial series of shots prior to arrival. We make every attempt to minimize exposure but the chances of exposure still exist. Multiple distemper shots are given to puppies and kittens until they are over 12-16 weeks old. These are usually given at 3-4 week intervals starting at 6-8 weeks of age. Our practice protocol is 1 shot a month starting at 7-8 weeks of age and ending at or after 16 weeks of age. We then give a final booster at 1 year of age. At least 2 shots are required before a pet is protected from disease and at least one of the shots must be given at or after 12-16 weeks of age. There are conflicting opinions about distemper vaccination intervals for adult pets ranging from the need for annual shots, to one shot every 3 years, to no more distemper vaccines at all. We opt for the latter choice as research indicates immunity is long and vaccination reactions (see attached) do occur.

Rabies Vaccines: Rabies is required by the State. Pets must be at least 3 months of age for a rabies shot. After the first shot, another is given in 1 year and then every three years thereafter. We must see a former rabies certificate for your pet (recent or expired) in order to provide a 3 year shot. State law requires it.

Tapeworm Treatment: Tapeworm segments look like rice. They are caused by fleas. If you see tapeworms, we recommend a good flea control program and treatment for tapeworm. Frontline plus is very effective against fleas.

Dew Claw Removal: Dew claws (extra toes on a dog’s hind legs) that are not firmly attached can get caught on things causing painful tears. We remove loose dew claws but not ones with firm bony attachments.

Declawing: We do not declaw cats unless the only other option is euthanasia and then the surgery is NOT done during spay/neuter clinics. Declawing involves the removal of bone. It is very painful. Most kittens outgrow poor clawing behavior. “Soft Claws” available at PetsMart are glue on plastic tips that prevent damage from clawing.

Deworming: Pets should be on a regular deworming schedule. Many heartworm preventatives contain deworming medication.