- I am a veterinarian licensed in the state of Pennsylvania
I graduated from Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 1993. I have been a licensed veterinarian in the state of Pennsylvania since then.
- Services offered:
-spay (females $80)/neuter (males $50) surgeries
-FVRCP (distemper) vaccine ($10) and rabies vaccine ($15) at the time of surgery only. I do not schedule appointments for vaccines only. Ideally, your cat should be examined and vaccinated at your regular veterinarian prior to surgery. Having your cat fully vaccinated prior to the spay/neuter appointment will help to protect your cat since there will be other cats present at my facility on the day of surgery.. Vaccines are offered, but not required, at the time of surgery. Please note that rabies vaccination is required by law in PA and MD, even for indoor cats because it is contagious to humans.
-An injection of pain medication is given at the time of surgery and is included with the cost. No pain meds are sent home, and are not typically needed. If you feel your cat needs additional pain medication, you would need to contact your regular veterinarian for that, as I do not keep oral pain medications in stock.
-FELV/FIV testing ($30) at the time of surgery only
-Revolt flea treatment (generic Revolution) $12/dose or $70/6 pack at the time of surgery only
-Ear tipping is recommended for owners that are spaying/neutering outdoor cats, but is not a requirement. I will only ear tip a cat if that is specifically requested on the day of surgery
I am not equipped to provide other veterinary services, so if your cat has a medical problem, you should have that addressed at your regular veterinarian prior to your spay/neuter appointment.
If you want presurgical bloodwork, you should do that at your regular veterinarian prior to your spay/neuter appointment
I can generally manage any post-operative incision issues that arise, but more complicated problems, such as vomiting, might have to be handled at your regular veterinarian
I do not offer spay/neuter services for dogs, rabbits or any other species of animal
I do not offer declawing of cats
- Drop off and Pick Up Times
Drop off time is 7-7:30 am and Pick up time is 5-6 pm. Please be prompt.
Because I am usually working alone, it is often difficult for me to accommodate special requests for drop off or pick up times. Please schedule on a day when you can make the scheduled drop off and pick up time.
- Feral cats I like you to schedule an appointment to bring the feral cat in, then try to trap the afternoon or evening before. If you don’t happen to catch it, just text the morning of your appointment to let me know. You can reschedule and try again the next time new appointments are posted. It is often helpful to place a trap with the door fastened open (so you don’t catch the cat before you intend to) and start feeding the cat only in the trap several weeks before the surgery appointment. This will get the cat accustomed to the trap and make it more likely you will be successful in trapping for the surgery. It is often helpful to withhold food for a day or two prior to any attempt to trap so the cat is hungry enough to go into the trap.
- Cat in heat
I will spay cats even when they are in heat as long as the cat is under 2 years of age. If your cat is older than 2 years, you should wait until she is not in heat to schedule the surgery.
- Pregnant Cats
I will spay cats that are pregnant, provided they are not in advanced pregnancy. If the cat is visibly distended in the abdomen, I will not spay at that point. Please avoid letting your cat get pregnant if at all possible. The surgery will be much easier for your cat if she is not pregnant. Separate male and female cats within your household if the are 5 months of age or older. Kittens can be spayed at 4 months which is usually before they are old enough to breed. Any cat that goes outside has the potential to be pregnant even if you are not aware of any male cats around…they will find your female. Cats can be pregnant as early as 5 months of age, although 6 or 7 months is more typical.
Signs that your cat is pregnant include : swollen abdomen, lack of heat cycles, swollen nipples
You can have a mother cat spayed when the kittens are 5-6 weeks old. Usually the cat will not be pregnant again at that point and the kittens can be weaned so they are not nursing while the mother is trying to heal from her spay surgery. Plan ahead, as the spay/neuter schedule books out 4-6 weeks. If you wait much longer than 6 weeks after giving birth, the mother cat will often be pregnant again.
- SNOW/BAD WEATHER POLICY
In the event that snow or other bad weather is forecast, I will let everyone know if I am closing the clinic by 8 pm the night prior to the appointment via text message. If I have to cancel your appointment due to forecasted bad weather, I will offer a makeup date, usually within the next week. I will not generally close the clinic for small amounts of snow, unless ice is also forecast. If you are uncomfortable driving because of the weather, you are welcome to cancel your appointment, but you will need to reschedule online the next time appointments are posted, as I do not make provisions for appointments that are canceled on a date when the clinic is open.