Frequently Asked Questions
DOES EVERY ANIMAL GET A NEW STERILE PACK AND NEW STERILE SUTURES?
Surgery is performed on every animal with a new sterile pack, a new sterile suture package and scalpel blade, and the surgeon follows all standard sterile surgical prep and procedures.
WILL YOUR CLINIC TAKE BUSINESS AWAY FROM OTHER VETERINARIANS?
Disease prevention for all animals is very important to us. Like any other animal hospital, while it is impossible to
guarantee that an animal will never contract a contagious disease while at our clinic, we do everything we can to
minimize this possibility. We clean and disinfect tables and equipment between each animal, change anesthetic tubing between the different populations of animals, clean cages between every animal, separate those who seem to have a contagious infection and similar disease prevention techniques.
We are also sure to use appropriate disinfectants depending on the situation. We most commonly use Trifectant (potassium peroxymonosulfate) due to its broad spectrum of activity including against calicivirus, parvovirus, and panleukopenia. We will also use bleach if ringworm is suspected, and use chlorhexidine for our surgical tubes and equipment.
ARE ALL YOUR SURGERIES PERFORMED BY A LICENSED VETERINARIAN?
All surgeries are performed by a licensed veterinarian and all anesthesia is administered by licensed veterinary
technicians. Veterinary technicians and assistants are only permitted to assist as allowed per Washington state
codes: WAC 246-935-040 and 246-935-050.
HOW CAN YOU OFFER SURGERY SO CHEAP?
WHAT DO YOU DO TO PREVENT DISEASE TRANSMISSION?
WHAT IS HIGH-QUALITY, HIGH-VOLUME SPAY/NEUTER?
Are time-saving surgical techniques used considered the acceptable standard of care?
High-quality, high-volume spay/neuter programs (HQHVSN) are efficient surgical initiatives that meet or exceed current veterinary medical standards of care in providing accessible, targeted sterilization of large numbers of dogs and cats in order to reduce their overpopulation and subsequent euthanasia. The number one cause of death of healthy dogs and cats is euthanasia due to overpopulation.
HQHVSN clinics adhere to medical standards set by the HQHVSN Task Force, a 22-member panel of expert
veterinarians. Standards are comprehensive and include pre-operative evaluation, pain relief, anesthetic protocols,
monitoring, aseptic technique, surgical technique, post-operative supportive care and more.
Do you have to cut corners?
We have streamlined our procedures to perform a large number of surgeries per day which reduces our overhead
costs per animal. Our surgeons are experts at these surgeries and can perform them at maximum efficiency without any compromise on quality or standard of care.
Our medical support staff members are highly trained individuals that specialize in caring for the animals efficiently while also providing superior anesthetic monitoring and surgical recovery.
Private practices often report performing more spay/neuter after HQHVSN programs enter their communities.
Marketing promotes the benefits of spay/neuter to clients who use private practice veterinarians and creates a
“bandwagon” effect making spay/neuter more socially desirable to pet owners.
HQHVSN programs target individuals that do not otherwise use veterinary services. The AVMA and APPA report that of the 19 million underserved pet owners 88% of those pets have not been altered and 69% have never visited a veterinarian. HQHVSN programs target this population, and at the same time educate owners about the importance of on-going veterinary care for their animal. This increases the likelihood that owners will seek care for their pets after spay/neuter through veterinary clinics in the area.