Post-Care Instructions

Restrict Activity: 

• Please restrict your pet’s activity for 10 days. 
• Keep your pet separate from other pets in the household for 3-5 days. 
• Please note that male dogs can impregnant females for approximately 4-6 weeks after being neutered.  

Diet: 

• Anesthesia may cause nausea with your pet. 
• Offer your pet water 30 minutes after arrival at home. 
• Offer a very small amount of food one hour later.  
• Continue to offer small portions of food throughout the day. 
• Pets may resume their normal diet late tonight or tomorrow morning.

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Plastic Cone (e-collar): 

• Place an E-Collar/plastic cone on your pet for 14 days to prevent them from chewing or licking at the incision. 
  
  • This cone should remain in place at all times to prevent your pet from causing an incisional infection by licking. 
  • We recommend threading your pet’s own collar through the straps on the cone so it fits securely. 
  • The cone should feel snug, but loose enough to allow two finger widths under the tie/collar.  
  • Please check how tight the cone is once a day while in use. 

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Monitor Incision: 

• Do not allow your pet to lick or chew the surgical site. 
• Some swelling and redness along the incision line is normal.  
• Contact us if you notice bleeding or excessive swelling. 
• Do not bathe your pet for 14 days following surgery. 

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Sutures: 

• Our sutures are dissolvable and do not need to be removed. 
• A small amount of tissue adhesive may be present overlying the incision. 
• This may crack and peel away after 2-3 days. This is normal. 

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Medication: 

• Do not give your pet human pain medication. These medications can be harmful or even fatal to pets. 
•  If you purchased pain medication from The Pet Advocate please follow the instructions as prescribed on the label. 
• If you notice these symptoms, please discontinue medication and contact your veterinarian. 
  
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea 
  • Dark, tarry stools 

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Vaccination Reactions: 

• If you see any of these signs please contact your veterinarian immediately:
  
  • Lethargy
  • Lack of appetite
  • Swelling at the site of vaccination. 
  • Swelling of the face and neck
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Hives. 

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Contact Us: 

• If you notice something that you feel is an emergency, contact us right away. We will be happy to re-check your pet during regular business hours. 
• After-hours emergency treatment will be referred to Sage Veterinary Centers (925-574-7243) at the pet owner’s expense.

Please review the following information to make sure your pet is happy and comfortable after their vaccines:

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• Any time a dog or cat receives a vaccination, there is a small chance a vaccine reaction may occur. 
• While we do not expect your pet to have a vaccination reaction, please look for the following signs in your pet.
  
  • Lethargy
  • Decreased appetite
  • Light achiness at the site of vaccination
• Although very rare, more severe signs of a vaccine reaction include the following. 
  
  • Swelling of the face and neck
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Repeated vomiting or diarrhea
  • Hives
  • A lump at the site of the vaccination that seems painful or has drainage
• If you think your pet is having a vaccine reaction please call your veterinarian right away. 

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Post Deworming: 

When your pet is dewormed, it is possible that they may develop loose stool for a short time. Occasionally, a pet may vomit. This is generally considered normal after deworming.

Please do not hesitate to call us if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you for entrusting The Pet Advocate to provide spay/neuter service for your community cats. The following instructions should serve as a guide to post-surgical care for the community cat. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns. 

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Sedation: 

Your community/feral cat underwent general anesthesia for their procedure today. They may be sedate for the next 12-24 hours. 

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Male Cats: 

• We recommend keeping males 12 hours prior to releasing them to their colony or trapped location. 
• Male cats may occasionally leave small blood spots under their traps after their neuter procedure. 

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Female Cats: 

• We recommend keeping females 24 hours prior to releasing them to their colony/ trapped location. 
• If the cat appears to be lactating, please release her within 12 hours so she may return to nurse her kittens. 

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Feral cats are easily stressed and having a surgery performed can be very stressful. 

• Do not attempt to transfer the cat to another trap or enclosure. 
• Keep the cat in a temperature-controlled environment to prevent hyperthermia or hypothermia. 
• Keep their trap covered at all times prior to release. 
• Offer food and water after arriving home. 
• Be careful the cat does not escape while placing food and water into the trap. 
• Ensure the cat is released at the same location/colony where they were trapped. 

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Contact Us: 

If you notice something that you feel is abnormal or an emergency, please contact us right away. 

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After-hours emergency treatment will be referred to Sage Veterinary Centers (925-574-7243) at the pet owner’s expense.