Before and after your pet’s surgery.
Please read the instructions for your pet before surgery and keep this page available during recovery.
Arrival and drop-off
- Arrive at the specific drop-off time provided for your pet. Drop-offs are staggered beginning at 7:00 AM.
- Each cat must arrive in a separate, secure carrier. Do not use boxes, cardboard carriers or backpacks.
- Community cats must arrive in an approved humane trap. Box traps are not accepted.
- Tell us about any illness, medication or diagnosed condition before surgery.
- We will call when your pet is awake, stable and ready to go home. Please pick your pet up at the time we discuss with you.
Before surgery
- Withhold food starting at midnight the night before surgery.
- Continue to allow water.
- Your pet must be healthy and over 5 pounds unless we have approved an exception.
- Do not give medication on the morning of surgery unless we have specifically instructed you to do so.
- Plan to leave your pet with us and return when we call to confirm the pickup time.
After surgery
First night
Keep your pet in a carrier or small, confined space for the first 3–4 hours at home. After that, continue quiet confinement overnight. Offer food and water only when your pet is fully awake and alert.
Activity
No running, jumping, playing, swimming or strenuous activity for 7 days. Keep cats indoors and walk dogs on a leash. Do not bathe your pet for one week.
Incision care
Check the incision twice daily. Keep it clean and dry. Mild redness or swelling may occur, but there should be no discharge. Most sutures are absorbable unless we tell you otherwise.
E-collar
Do not allow licking or chewing. A properly fitted e-collar should remain on as instructed. Licking is the most common cause of infection and incision opening.
Food and medication
Resume the normal diet when your pet is awake and hungry. Do not offer table scraps or unfamiliar foods. Give all prescribed pain medication exactly as labeled.
Follow-up
We recommend an examination with your regular veterinarian 7–10 days after surgery to confirm healing and discuss any additional care or vaccine boosters.
Before and after surgery
Never fast a rabbit. Continue the normal diet of hay, pellets, water and leafy greens right up to surgery.
- Bring some of your rabbit’s usual food and favorite greens for recovery.
- Use a secure carrier, preferably hard-sided, with a thick towel and nonslip surface.
- At home, keep your rabbit in a quiet, enclosed area and restrict running, jumping and climbing for 7–10 days.
- Offer normal foods immediately and encourage eating with a variety of leafy greens.
- Check the incision at least once daily for swelling, redness, discharge or pain.
- Keep the cage and litter area especially clean and dry. Remove urine and feces at least twice daily.
- Separate a neutered male from an intact female for 6 weeks after surgery.
- Give the prescribed pain medication exactly as labeled.
Helping PAW provides rabbit spay and neuter services but does not provide general medical care for rabbits.
When to seek veterinary care
Contact a full-service veterinarian or emergency veterinary hospital promptly if your pet has difficulty breathing, collapses, has uncontrolled bleeding, severe facial swelling, repeated vomiting, significant diarrhea, worsening pain, marked swelling or discharge from the incision, or opens the incision.
Dogs and cats: Seek care if appetite does not begin returning within 24 hours or lethargy lasts longer than 24 hours.
Rabbits: Contact a full-service veterinarian if your rabbit is not eating within 6 hours, is not producing feces, has diarrhea, or seems excessively painful or lethargic.
If your pet is currently hospitalized at Helping PAW, call the number provided at drop-off. For an emergency after hours, contact the nearest emergency veterinary hospital.
Support for postoperative concerns
If you have concerns directly related to your pet’s surgery during recovery, contact Helping PAW promptly using the surgery contact information provided at discharge. For an emergency after hours, contact your regular veterinarian or the nearest emergency veterinary hospital.
Helping PAW will treat complications resulting directly from surgery at a designated location and at minimal cost when postoperative instructions have been followed in full. Illnesses or injuries unrelated to surgery should be addressed by your regular veterinarian.
Complications caused by failure to follow postoperative instructions, including licking or a poorly fitted e-collar, are the owner’s financial responsibility. Helping PAW cannot be held responsible for these complications or for contagious diseases.
Questions before surgery?
Request an Appointment
Email our team.
For appointments and non-emergency questions, email info@helping-paw.org.