Before Pearl goes into heat and annoy us with dreadful cries, we decided to get her spayed. I wasn’t too familiar with this process since Sky was already neutered when we adopted him. The local vet hospital in Mississauga that she usually goes to quoted us $350. Considering that we already spent approx. $250 for her previous 2 visits (flea prevention, vaccinations, etc.), we needed to look for alternative options. I called a few different vets around the area but the lowest cost was $150 in Scarborough. I looked online and read about spay/neuter clinics across the GTA that offer the surgery for canines and felines at a very affordable price. These are self sustaining, high volume clinics with waiting lists as they service the public, animal shelters and rescue groups. There are two associations that offer this service; Toronto Humane Society ($70) and Ontario SPCA ($65). I called the Toronto Humane Society first as they were in closer proximity to us but they were fully booked into late May. Cats can go into their first heat as young as 4 months old so I didn’t want to risk waiting any longer. I called the closest SPCA clinic which was the New Market location (they also have one in Barrie, St. Catharines and Windsor) and was able to book Pearl in for April 12th when both of us would be off. Payment was made over the phone and an email confirmation was received with pre-op instructions.
Night before surgery – no eating at all after 6:00pm, water allowed
Day of surgery
In mid April it was about 2 degrees and snowing. I placed Pearl in the carrier and we drove to the clinic. Due to weather conditions the drive took about an hour. They do not open the doors till 8:00 am sharp. At the door, there was a table of forms on clipboards for visitors to fill out. We grabbed one and went back into the car. We filled out the form and sat there until they opened the doors. Others decided to line up at the door. When we got in, we handed the form, paid $15 for the e-collar (cone) and left Pearl in their care. The drop off took about 15 minutes. They do not need proof of vaccinations to proceed with surgery which had me worried as I had forgotten to bring it. Owners were given the choice to come pick up their kitties at either 4:00 pm or 5:00 pm sharp. We opted for the latter as canine pick ups were at 4:00 pm only and wanted to avoid the rush. The pick up took about 15 minutes as well as they briefed us on important post-op information. Pearl was already awake by then and had the e-collar fitted on her. They also provided us with emergency contact if necessary on a copy of the admission form, and a sealed envelope with medication inside for post-op. Once we got home, we realized the anesthesia had not worn off yet. Pearl walked into everything possible, and when her cone hit something she would reverse a few steps and try again. She started eating right when I fed her and she’s already jumping up and down even though she’s not supposed to. We did have to keep the two separated though to prevent Sky from licking her wound.
Morning after surgery
The next morning she was fine; no signs of swelling or infection. Right when I was about to feed her wet food, I remembered the medication. I opened the envelope and found two syringes of Metacam (meloxicam) in it. Metacam is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug which must be taken with food. I took one of the syringes and added it to her wet food which she licked clean as usual. Along with the medication is an information sheet that helps you determine if your kitty is in pain or not which I thought was really helpful. She’s in great shape for day 1 of 10! Sky couldn’t keep away from her so we let them play together but kept a close watch.
All in all, I’m just glad the surgery was a success! I know some people might be worried that because they are a high volume clinic, they might not provide quality service but I think they are very professional and organized. I would definitely recommend SPCA to any pet owners! 🙂
You can visit the sites for more info and fees:
http://www.spayneuter.ontariospca.ca/
http://www.torontohumanesociety.com/sn_clinic.htm
The Professional Nappers 