Appointment Scheduling
National Capital Area Spay & Neuter Center
1001 L Street SE
Washington, DC 20003
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Feline Vaccines & Services:
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Canine Vaccines & Services:
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The clinic is open to the public Monday-Thursday. We schedule appointments one to two weeks in advance. To schedule a surgical appointment by phone, call 202-88-ALTER (202-608-1356). To schedule a surgical appointment by email, please send your desired appointment date, name, address, daytime phone number, pet's name, age, breed, color, and sex to snc@washhumane.org.
Instructions
PLEASE READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS VERY CAREFULLY, FAILURE TO FOLLOW THEM MAY RESULT IN YOUR PET BEING DECLINED FOR SURGERY:
The Night Before the Scheduled Appointment:
- Keep your pet safely inside your home
- Your pet must not have any food (including bones, treats, rawhides, table-scraps) after 9:00pm the night before the appointment– however, make sure they have fresh water available.
The Morning of the Scheduled Appointment Date:
- Your pet must not have breakfast—however, make sure they have fresh water available
- Please take your dog on a walk prior to arrival for their comfort
- Drop-off is between 7:30-8:30 a.m. Animals arriving after 8:30 may be declined.
- Please check off all desired items and services on the admission form you are given at this time, and allow 15-20 min for the check-in process to be completed.
- All cats must arrive in an enclosed carrier, if you are bringing multiple cats you will either be required to bring them in separate carriers or to buy a cardboard carrier from us for $5
- All dogs must be on a leash or in an enclosed carrier.
- Please leave dogs in your car while you fill out your paperwork. Our reception area is not large enough to safeyly accomodate multiple dogs.
The Evening of the Scheduled Appointment Date:
- Pick-up for dogs begins at 3:30pm and pick-up for cats begins at 4:30pm. All animals must be picked up by 5:30pm. We may call you in the event that your animal is ready to be picked up earlier than the assigned time. Because we may perfrom as many as 50 surgeries per day, we strongly encourage owners to plan to pick up their pets as early as possible to avoid waiting in line at the end of the day. Owners arriving after 5:30 PM for pick-up will be charged an additional $25 fee.
- We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover or exact change only. We do not accept personal checks and we do not keep change on hand.
- Please note that the Center closes promptly at 5:45pm. We are not able to board animals overnight. Animals not picked up by closing will be transported to the Animal Shelter for boarding overnight and a fee will be required to collect them the next day.
Post-operative Instructions:
The two things you are trying to prevent during your pet’s surgical recovery period (the next 7 to 10 days) are 1) infection and 2) tearing of stitches at the surgical site. Please follow the instructions to ensure your pet has a safe and speedy recovery:
- Your pet should not run, jump, play roughly, swim or partake in strenuous activity. Dogs must be kept on a leash when outside. Please keep your pet in a crate or confined to a small area of your house when no one is home. No unsupervised play with other household animals.
- Unless on a walk, pets must be kept indoors where they can stay clean, dry and warm. Cats should be kept indoors at all times.
- No baths or trips to the groomers– the incisions must stay dry.
- Do not allow your pet to lick or chew at the incision. The most effective way to prevent this is to have your pet wear an e-collar (a clear plastic cone that goes around the head) at all times.
- Check the incision site twice daily for drainage, redness, or swelling. It is important to note that even if your animal is confined and is wearing an e-collar, if it is young and active it is still possible for the surgery site to sustain damage or become infected –it is extremely important to monitor the incision as well as your pet’s overall behavior and activity level.
- Appetite may be irregular for the first 24 hours after surgery. Your pet should eat on the evening of surgery, but should receive only a small amount of food to prevent stomach upset. Do not change your pet’s diet and do not give junk food, table scraps, milk or “people food” as this could mask any post-surgical complications.
- Cats should use an alternative paper-based litter to prevent litter particles and dust from sticking to the surgery site and causing infection. A 15 lb. bag of Yesterday's News litter can be purchased at the Center for $10.
Sutures will dissolve in 6 weeks to 6 months.
If your animal does tear a suture or get an infection due to activity or excessive chewing or licking you may call the Center for a re-check or visit one of the vets on the sheet provided to you. Sutures will be repaired for the same cost as the initial surgery. A one week supply of antibiotics is $15. We will refund the cost of surgery only if an animal’s post-op complications are found to be the result of the surgery itself and not improper post-operative care. Please note that surgery stresses the immune system and can trigger the onset of previously unknown pre-existing health problems. If your animal’s incision is clean and dry and there is no significant swelling or drainage but your animal is having other health issues, please see your regular veterinarian for treatment.
Please note that we routinely tattoo all patients to indictae that they have been surgically sterilized. The tattoo will appear as as 1/4 inch long green line near the animal's incision. Tattooing doesn't hurt the animal in anyway. A tattoo will help prevent any future confusion and/or unecessary surgery in the event your pet is ever lost or rehomed.
If there are any questions or concerns directly related to the surgery during the recovery period, please call the Spay/Neuter Center (202) 882-5837 ex 103. If there is an emergency after hours or on the weekend, contact your regular veterinarian or your nearest emergency animal hospital.
Questions? You can email: snc@washhumane.org
