We offer an Alternative Spay/Neuter program for low income families. Appointments are available for qualified clients on Tuesdays on a first come - first serve basis.
All animals must pass a vet exam prior to surgery and animals over the age of 7 years are subject to further restrictions.
Cats must be 12 weeks of age and must weigh at least 2 pounds. Dogs must be 12 weeks of age or older and must weigh less than 50 pounds.
Spay & Neuter Fees
Dogs Cats
Spay - $99 Spay - $69
Neuter - $85 Neuter - $55
Click here to print an application for the Alternative Spay/Neuter program
Make your appointment today by calling us at 843-569-3647 or click here to make your appointment online!!
Don't litter, Spay or Neuter!
Puppies and kittens are adorable! We all love a purring kitten or a playful puppy. Sadly, there are also just too few homes for the many puppies and kittens born each year. This over-population leads to many healthy puppies and kittens dying each year just because they don't have a home. Unaltered pets also have greater major health risks in both males and females, so unless breeding is definitely in your pet's future, it is essential to spay or neuter your pet.
Unless you are planning on showing and breeding your pure-bred, AKC registered pet, your pet should be spayed or neutered between 3 and 6 months of age, when they are old enough to be quite safe for surgery but before they become reproductively mature. While it is never too late to reap many health benefits from spaying or neutering, it is safest and best to alter your pet before he or she turns 6 months old. Surgery on "pediatric" pets is also lower risk and less complicated (and so less costly) because of the smaller size of the patient, the relative good health of younger pets and the lack of influence of complicating hormones. We also offer an additional discount to patients less than 16 weeks of age when they are spayed or neutered.
Spayed or neutered pets live, on average, years longer than unaltered pets because of their lower risks of:
- Cancers
- Infections
- STDs
- Pregnancy
- Behavior Problems
When deciding on where to have this procedure done, please be aware of your options and the varying standards of care available at different hospitals and clinics. This is a major surgery and there are significant risks involved with substandard care.
At Animal Medical Clinic, we provide high quality, safe, effective and humane care to every patient. We include every aspect of a safe and humane surgery on all of our treatment plans.
Our standards of care for all spay or neuter surgeries include:
- Comprehensive pre-anesthetic exam by the doctor
- Pain plan customized to the individual patient's needs including appropriate medications to control pain before, during and after surgery (and take home doses as needed)
- IV catheterization for rapid IV access for emergencies
- Warmed IV fluids to maintain blood pressure and protect internal organs while maintaining body temperature
- Patient warming before, during and after surgery with circulating warm water blanket during surgery and/or warm air blankets.
- Anesthesia plan customized to the individual patient's needs to maximize the comfort of the patient, minimize the risks of anesthesia and help ensure a rapid, comfortable recovery for your pet
- Premedication with appropriate pain & sedative medications
- Anesthesia induction using appropriate IV medications
- Endotracheal intubation
- Gas anesthesia for maintenance of anesthesia
- Sterile and aseptic procedures
- High quality autoclaved surgical tools
- Quality suture material for secure sutures and minimal irritation
- Intradermal sutures for less irritation and better healing
- Patient monitoring and recovery monitoring by a licensed veterinary technician using ecg, blood pressure, tempurature, and oxygen saturation monitors, temperature monitoring and, most importantly, well trained personnel dedicated to patient care
- Pre-surgical boarding the night before surgery if preferred to dropping off the morning of the surgery
- Surgical re-check appointments to check healing and remove any sutures
The following items are included in spay or neuter procedures depending on the age and health status of the patient and the needs and desires of the owner:
- Age appropriate pre-anesthetic blood testing (Recommended but optional on healthy pets. May be required for older pets and for pets with unstable health.)
- Fitting with an elizabethan collar to prevent post-op licking at the surgery site.
- Permanent Identification(microchip) placement.(Optional, but recommended for all pets)
If you are considering your options on surgery, please be sure to find out just what care is provided to your pet at a particular clinic. Learn what is included in any estimate. Are IV catheters routine? IV fluids? Pre-anesthetic safety blood or urine testing? Patient warming? Patient monitoring? Even pain medications? If these important items are not routine, are they even available?
If you are "shopping" for a hospital to spay or neuter your pet, please make sure that you understand the level of care provided to your pet and that you know what is included in your estimate and what is an "option".
There are many choices to be made by the veterinarian even on a seemingly routine surgery such as a spay or neuter. You can trust us to make the safest, most humane and most caring choices for your pet and to take care of him or her as if she were our own.
Why is it best to spay or neuter my pet between 3 and 6 months of age?
Altering your pet before he (or she) becomes sexually mature prevents them from being exposed to the adult hormone levels that can cause serious health risks (pregnancy, infections, cancer, etc.) and problem behaviors (inappropriate elimination, wandering off, aggression, etc.). Young, smaller, healthy pets also have fewer surgical risks. This is also the optimum age to implant a microchip to permanently identify your pet.
How does pre-anesthetic blood testing make surgery safer?
Before placing your pet under anesthesia, it is important to identify any health issues that may make anesthesia more risky. The comprehensive physical exam the veterinarian performs before surgery can identify many concerns but blood testing can identify infections, organ dysfunction and other conditions that are not apparent through physical exam. If the doctor finds any abnormal results, we will talk with you about how we can address any health concerns before proceeding with surgery. Sometimes we may need to delay surgery until we have addressed any problems, but often we can proceed with surgery with consideration of any special precautions that are indicated and proceed with any needed treatment after surgery.
How do IV fluids make surgery safer?
The IV Catheter provides us with immediate access to a vein for administering drugs and/or fluids. This is a vital safety precaution for every anesthetized patient. Additional fluids are important because they help protect your pet's kidneys and other organs by helping to maintain blood pressure during surgery.
How does a microchip protect my pet?
A microchip is permanently placed under your pet's skin between the shoulder blades. If your pet is ever lost or stolen and brought to a shelter, pound or veterinary hospital, he can positively identified and safely returned to you. Lost pets who are microchipped are much, much more likely to be reunited with their owners than pets who are not microchipped. We recommend all pet owners microchip their pets. Many owners choose to microchip their pet's during the spay or neuter surgery since the rather large microchip needle can be painlessly inserted while the pet is asleep for surgery.