Prior to Your Pet's Surgery

1) Requirements for surgery:

  • Your pet must be at least 2lbs and 2 months old on the day of surgery
  • We do not perform surgery on animals with the following medical conditions:
    • Heart murmur
    • History of seizures
    • Bleeding disorders
  • We do not perform surgery on the following breeds:
    • Greyhounds
    • Italian Greyhounds
    • Mixes of either above breed
  • If your pet has recently had a litter:
    • Dogs must be at least 3 months post-partum to receive surgery
    • Cats must be at least 1 month post-partum to receive surgery
  • Due to the limited space on our mobile unit, we are currently not accepting patients that weigh more than 75 lbs

2) All pets 6 years and older are required to have pre-surgical blood work performed BEFORE their scheduled surgery date.

  • After signing up with us, we will provide you with more information via text/email.
  • The blood work results are valid for 30 days.

3) Dogs must be in a carrier or on a leash, and cats must be in a carrier.

4) All pets older than 4 months should not be fed after 10pm the night before surgery. This is to prevent any vomiting that may occur before, during, or after surgical anesthesia. Water should be available to your pet at all times.

5) If your pet is 4 months of age or younger, please feed your pet a SMALL amount of food the morning of their appointment, approximately ¼ of what they normally eat at meal time. This will prevent them from getting low blood sugar.

6) Be sure to check-in at the scheduled time. This allows us to sterilize as many animals as we can. Late arrivals may be required to reschedule. All animals will receive a free examination prior to surgery by our veterinarian. In the event that the veterinarian determines that your pet is not a suitable candidate for surgery, our team will contact you directly.

After Your Pet's Surgery

After surgery, when picking up your pet, you will be given a handout on what to expect. That same information can also be found below:

1) Your pet may be drowsy or nauseous after surgery. This is due to the anesthesia, and is normal. When you get home, offer your pet only a small amount of food. If they are not interested, try again the next morning.

2) We require dogs to have surgical cones, and highly recommend them for cats. If you are unable to provide your own surgical cone, you can purchase one on the same day of your pet’s surgery. They prevent licking/biting at the incision site, which is important in preventing infection and opening of the surgical incision.

3) We recommend monitoring your pet's surgical incision(s) during the healing period. Please call our office or use the contact page if you notice any swelling or discharge of the incision site. Mild redness and bruising is normal immediately after surgery and is not a cause for concern. Please note, Trusted Paws is not a 24 hour facility and does not carry emergency equipment. If you believe that there is an emergency situation, we recommend the 24hr emergency veterinary clinics listed below. We do not reimburse any expenses incurred for emergency treatment.

Arizona Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Center
86 W. Juniper Ave (Suite 1)
Gilbert, AZ 85233
(480) 497-0222

VCA Animal Referral and Emergency Center
1648 N Country Club Dr
Mesa, AZ 85201
(480) 908-7803

4) Each pet will receive a small tattoo near their incision. This is used as a confirmation to others that your pet has been fixed.