Spay & Neuter

At My Best Friend Veterinary Center, we provide spaying and neutering to both cats and dogs.

Surgery costs vary depending on your pet’s size, age, and overall health of the pet – please, give us a call at (314) 567-5577 to receive an accurate cost for your pet’s spay or neuter.

Pre-surgical instructions: No food or water after 10 pm the night before the procedure.

Post-operative care instructions:

  • Food & Water – Allow nothing by mouth during the first couple of hours after returning home. Water, in small amounts, may be given. Food may also be given in small amounts later in the evening. A decreased appetite is common after anesthesia, but it should return to normal within the first 24-36 hours. Resume normal water and food consumption on the first full day home following surgery.
  • Play & Exercise – Provide a quiet resting area where your pet can rest following his/her surgery. Keep your pet warm following surgery and for the next 24 hours. Restrict all activity for 7-10 days (especially important for large breed dogs). Leash walking is permissible, but DO NOT allow unrestrained running, jumping, or playing.
  • Incision – Check the incision at least twice daily. It should appear closed, clean, dry, and free of discharge. Excessive licking or chewing can interfere with healing and can cause redness, swelling, or opening of the incision site. An e-collar may be necessary to prevent licking and chewing. Avoid bathing your dog and do not allow swimming for 14 days.
  • Weakness – Your pet may be weak or disoriented for a period lasting up to 24 hours, as an after-effect of the anesthetic. As a precaution keep your pet away from areas where he/she could fall or be injured.

Note: If skin sutures or staples were placed and will need to be removed in 10-14 days. Please schedule a no charge check-in with us within that time.

Dog Spaying / Neutering

Dogs are usually neutered at 6 to 9 months of age, though the procedure can be performed as early as 8 weeks old.

It will take time for your pet to recover from the operation, so you will need to take various measures to help them. Your veterinarian may give you pain medication. In addition to whatever specific advice you get, you probably want to follow these steps to help your companion recover from their surgery:

  • Supply a quiet place away from other animals where they can rest.
  • Prevent the dog or cat from running around and jumping on things as much as possible.
  • Prevent your pet from biting or licking the incision site. This is normally done by fitting a plastic, cone-shaped collar.
  • Check the incision site daily to make sure it is healing properly.
  • Wait ten days before bathing the animal.

If you also notice a loss of appetite, lack of energy, or any redness or swelling at the incision site, call us. Vomiting and diarrhea should also be reported right away. If the incision has opened up again for any reason, contact us as soon as possible.

Cat Spaying / Neutering

Kittens may be spayed or neutered as early as 8 weeks. There is no harm in waiting longer, but surgery before the age of 5 months is recommended. This timeframe minimizes urine spraying behavior and the risk of an unwanted pregnancy.

The care instructions for dogs generally apply to cats as well. You may also get instructions specific to your pet’s situation.

Preparing for Your Appointment

You can take several steps to ensure your visit goes smoothly.

  • Don’t feed your pet before the operation. For pets over four months old, we recommend giving no food after midnight before their appointment. For younger pets, we recommend no food after 6:30 AM on the morning of the surgery.
  • Please bring cats to the clinic in a hard-sided pet carrier, one cat per carrier.
  • Dogs of all sizes must be on a leash.
  • Allow 40 to 60 minutes for check-in.
  • Feral cats must be in a humane trap that gives them enough room to turn around. Animals in unapproved carriers or traps will probably be refused surgery.

We request that you have your pet vaccinated before their appointment to protect other animals at the clinic. Plan to drop off your pet by 8:30 AM. We will contact you when they are ready to be picked up at the end of the day.

After check-in, our staff will check out your pet to make sure they don’t have any health issues that would keep us from anesthetizing them. If the pre-operative exam doesn’t reveal any problems, the operation will proceed.

After the operation, we will contact you and let you know how it went. A veterinary technician will talk to you about any special instructions or any prescription medicine your pet needs.

Contact us to schedule an operation, or ask our friendly office staff any questions you may have. We require appointments for spay/neuter operations and recommend appointments for all other services.