Surgery can be stressful on both the pet and owner. We want your pet’s pre- and post-op experience to feel calm, compassionate, and fully supported every step of the way. Please see below for answers to some common Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), or click the button below for our Post-Operative Care Instructions (which will also be emailed to you at check out).
Click the "Request Records" button below to request your pet's records from a previous visit.
After you book your appointment via our website or phone, you'll receive an email with Pre-Operative Instructions, as well as an email with a link to your pet's Surgical Consent Form, which you should digitally sign before your appointment date. Please let us know if you do not have an email address. Also, be very honest about your pet's medical history and symptoms on the consent form and with our staff. This is very important for the health of your pet going into surgery!
The night before surgery, you will be asked to withhold food from your pet. It is extremely important that your pet not eat before surgery, as having food in their stomach could cause them to vomit while under anesthesia, which could lead to choking or breathing issues.
You'll arrive with your pet at your designated check-in time (likely 8:00am for dogs, and 8:30am for cats), and be greeted by one of our technicians at the front door of PetSmart. The technician will check in your pet and send you through the store to the clinic so that they can have a brief pre-operative exam by out Veterinarian.
If any concerns are noticed on exam, a technician will discuss them with you prior to completing check-in.
You may be asked to sign a "High Risk Waiver" if your pet is deemed to be at higher than normal risk for surgical complication. These factors may include your pet's age, breed, reproductive status, or health issues. This doesn't necessarily mean that they cannot have surgery, but that our staff need to discuss the options with you prior to proceeding.
After surgery, your pet will be placed on a warmed bed in the recovery area and watched by our trained staff until they are awake enough to have their breathing tube removed and return to their kennel with a blanket and a "snack" (generally a small amount of wet food). Our staff is well trained on how to respond to any complications during this initial recovery period and most pets' recovery is uneventful. The pain control medications given prior to surgery generally do a great job at controlling discomfort, but more may be given if they are displaying signs of pain.
At the end of their pre-operative exam, your pet will be given an injection of medication that will calm them and provide long-acting pain control so that it is "on board" before the procedure. Once they are relaxed in their kennel, our technicians will gently move them into the area where they will be prepped for surgery. They will be given an intravenous injection that will place them under anesthesia (deep sleep) and then they will be hooked up to a machine that will deliver oxygen and continuous gas anesthetic, as well as a monitor that will keep track of their vitals during the procedure. They will be shaved over the site of the incision and the area will be disinfected and scrubbed to ensure that it is clean. For female cats and dogs, this area will be on the abdomen. For male dogs, the shaved area will be around the scrotum (testicles). For male cats, the area will be around the scrotum, which is closure to the cat's tail than on a dog.
The doctor will make a small incision and remove the reproductive parts, for females: all or part of the uterus and ovaries (depending on the procedure), and for males: both testicles. The surgery may take between 5 minutes (male cat) and 35-40 minutes (large female dog). The doctor will then close up the incision with dissolvable suture and the technicians will move the pet to recovery (see Recovery Monitoring).
You'll arrive at the time given to you at check-in to pick up your pet. They may be drowsy for the rest of the evening, and may not want to eat their normal meals for a few days. Please refer to the Post-Operative Care Instructions given to you at check-out for further information. They will also be emailed to you, along with the medical records at the end of your appointment.
It is VERY important that you keep your pet calm and clean for two weeks after their procedure, and you must keep their e-collar/cone (included with surgery) on for 14-days. Please ensure that your pet takes any post-operative medication sent with them, and don't hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or concerns. We will see pets for surgery re-check appointments free of charge and will give you information on how to call in for Veterinary Urgent Care triage services when we are closed.
Please always refer to the Post-Operative care instructions given by our staff, and emailed to you with your medical records.
To best help your pet heal, you should:
1.) Keep the e-collar/cone (included with surgery) on at ALL times for 14-days after surgery.
2.) Limit your pet's activity for 7-10 days.
3.) Check the incision twice per day and watch for excessive redness, discharge, or an open incision.
4.) Call us if you have questions or concerns at 559-338-1767.
Cornerstone provides surgery rechecks for free during normal business hours. Please call for an appointment. If it is after-hours, please refer to your Post-Operative instructions for after-hours and emergency directions.
You'll receive detailed instructions on recovery at the time of pick-up. It is EXTREMELY important that you follow them!
Generally you can expect your pet to experience some swelling, redness, or bruising. They may also have a mild rash where the hair was shaved due to the close shave needed to sanitize the area.
Spaying and neutering are both very safe surgeries; however, as with all surgery, complications can occur. Minimal redness and swelling of the surgery site should resolve within several days, but if they persist longer, please contact us at 559-338-1767. You should also contact us immediately if you notice any of the following:
If it is after-hours, please refer to your Post-Operative Care instructions for further care instructions. Cornerstone utilizes Vet Triage to help owner triage possible surgical complications and make a decision about whether emergency care is needed. You will receive information about this at check-out.
If you feel that your pet is experiencing a life threatening emergency, please take them to the nearest emergency veterinary hospital.
Please note that Cornerstone will not assume financial responsibility for care sought at outside veterinary clinics, and refer to your Surgical Consent form for further information on liability.
If you are uncertain if you should seek emergency treatment, Cornerstone provides access to Vet Triage, a virtual veterinary urgent care program where veterinarians connect with clients in real time to provide assistance and triage. You will be provided with a code at check-out that you can use to access care. Cost for a Vet Triage consult is only $25, and Cornerstone pays for the rest of the exam fee as a courtesy.
Clients can access the Vet Triage Portal here: https://vettriage.com/cornerstone/
Spay and neuter is considered to be a safe procedure, especially when the surgery is performed by specially trained High-Volume, High-Quality spay and neuter surgeons who attend additional medical training to perform these surgeries, as is the case at Cornerstone.
However, like any surgical procedure, there are risks associated with anesthesia and surgery itself. We encourage you to speak to our staff or your full-practice veterinarian about any concerns prior to your pet's appointment.
Yes, it is generally safe to spay your female dog or cat while they are in heat or pregnant, and our veterinarians perform this surgery often; however, our staff will discuss the potential risks and benefits with you at check-in and you may need to signa "High Risk Waiver".
We aim to provide judgement-free care. Our staff will always support your decision to spay your pet whenever medically possible. Our shelters are flooded with an overwhelming amount of puppies and kittens, so spaying your pet is the right choice, even when pregnant or in heat!
If you have questions about these procedures, please contact us at [email protected].
Spay/Neuter surgery is more affordable at Cornerstone because it is our specialty. We are able to reduce cost through volume, and our surgeons and staff are specially trained to reduce cost and procedure time through efficiency and method. We are also supported through generous donors and organizations that believe, like we do, that providing affordable and accessible veterinary care is incredibly important for our communities and the pets that they love.
Your Pre-Operative and Post-Operative Care instructions will all be emailed to you. If you misplace the email, just contact us and we can resend it! You can call us at 559-338-1767 or email at [email protected]
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