FAQs
Each day 10,000 humans are born in the US — and each day 70,000 puppies and kittens are born. As long as these birth rates exist, there will never be enough homes for all the animals. As a result, millions of healthy, loving cats, dogs, kittens, and puppies face early deaths as a form of animal control. Others are left to fend for themselves against automobiles, the elements, animals and cruel humans.
Remember, an unspayed female dog and her mate and all of their puppies and their puppies’ puppies, if none are ever neutered or spayed, add up to:
1 year: 16
2 years: 128
3 years: 512
4 years: 2,048
5 years: 12,288
6 years: 67,000!!
What can you do to stop the suffering? Spay and neuter your pets.
Below are some questions about spaying and neutering. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us!
Does my pet need to be spayed or neutered?
Yes. The female sterilization procedure is known as spaying. Males are neutered. Because spaying is more complicated, the cost is typically a little bit higher than neutering. It is very important to get your pet spayed or neutered for a number of reasons, including:
- Spayed/Neutered animals live an average of 2-3 years longer than pets that are not.
- Animals that aren’t sterilized are more likely to get hit by cars or run away in search of for a mate.
- Thousands of animals die each year at animal shelters and on the city streets. If your pet is having puppies or kittens they are adding to the number of animals that die - even if you get them good homes, that is still taking a good home away from an animal that may have otherwise been adopted at the shelter.
- Pets tend to have less aggression and behavioral issues (such as spraying urine inappropriately) after being surgically sterilized.
Will spaying/neutering make my pet lazy?
No. Neutered males tend to mellow a bit after surgery. For example, they show much less aggressive behavior such as marking and biting. Furthermore, males tend to be less restless after they are neutered making them better pets. They will not get lazy but it CAN solve many behavior problems you are experiencing.
Do males benefit from neutering?
Yes. 99% of all reproductive system problems can be totally and easily avoided by having your pet spayed/neutered early in life. With males, it is recommended they are neutered before 9 months of age. If they have started spraying, you have waited too long. Spare the animal the fighting, infections and abscesses that are inevitable if you put things off. Neutered animals are also less likely to develop certain forms of cancer later in life.
Should we let our female have one litter?
No. Females should be spayed before the first heat which usually occurs at 5-6 months of age. We stress before, since a female can become pregnant at that age and she is in no way ready for it. Pregnancy will place a great strain on the system, often resulting in birth defects, and she may not be able to nurse, resulting in seriously malnourished offspring. In addition, early spaying prevents later problems, including mammary tumors, uterine infections, and uterine tumors. If a female is allowed to go through a heat before spaying, those problems may still arise later in life because estrogen is stored in the system as a result of the heat.
How old does my pet need to be?
Pets as young as three months old can have the surgery with no ill effects. If females are spayed before their first heat (which usually occurs when they are five to six months old), breast cancer can be almost completely prevented. The sooner the better.
Is the surgery painful?
Yes, the surgery is painful. For this reason we offer a post-operative pain medication that lasts for 24 hours. We give this injection to all animals but request a $10 donation to cover our cost.
My pet just had a litter. When can I spay her?
If a mother has had a litter, they will need to nurse for 4-6 weeks. The puppies or kittens should be able to eat solid food and only then, when a mother’s babies are eating on their own, should they be separated. It usually takes about two weeks of separation for the mother’s milk sacs to dry up but this must happen before the surgery. It is important to get her in as soon as they dry up as mother cats will most likely go into nursing heat and get pregnant again while nursing the first litter, and dogs can go into heat a couple of months after having the first litter.
What is the cost?
Female dog - $59
Male dog - $49
Female cat - $39
Male cat - $29
There is an extra $10 charge if a female is in heat or pregnant at the time of surgery. For a full breakdown of costs of services see the Services Page. These services are free at our mobile clinic on Thursdays and Fridays (see below).
What are Free Fridays and Saturdays? Am I eligible?
The Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinic offers free spay/neuters, rabies shots, and city registration for pets of Austin residents living east of Congress Avenue. This is sponsored by the City of Austin. No appointment necessary. Please check the mobile clinic schedule for the location of the Mobile Clinic on that Friday or Saturday.
Spays/Neuters: Pets are taken in on a first-come, first-served basis. Please arrive at or before 8 a.m. We will begin check in at 8 am but remember first come/first served, people tend to start lining up as earlier at 6 am. Pets must be on a leash or in a carrier. Do not feed your pet breakfast that morning. Your pet will stay all day for the surgery and you will pick up at 5 pm. Please tell the staff of any problems your pet may have. It is important to get their early, especially if you have a dog or multiple pets (limit of 3 per visit).
Shots: IF YOUR PET IS ALREADY SPAYED OR NEUTERED ONLY!!!!! We give shots to pets that are already sterilized on Monday thru Saturday between 10 am and 4 pm and on Fridays and Saturdays at the Mobile clinic (See above for schedule). Rabies is covered by the city of Austin but you will be responsible for low cost shots such as feline leukemia or distemper/parvo. We will NOT give shots to pets that are not fixed unless they are getting surgery that day. This is because our goal is to decrease pet overpopulation.
Since you provide low-cost services, do you use supplies of a lesser quality?
No! We provide high volume, high quality spay/neuter surgery. We use the highest quality suture materials, anesthesia, anesthesia monitoring and instruments. Every animal’s surgery is done with a freshly sterilized surgery pack. There is no significant difference from a standard veterinary clinic.
How does the mobile clinic work?
The Mobile Spay-Neuter Clinic is driven to a location in Austin or a nearby community for the day. Pets are dropped off between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. There is some paperwork that needs to be filled out, then pets are left for the day. They are ready for pick up from 5-5:30 p.m. Click here for the mobile clinic schedule.
Do you provide vaccinations for pets who are not receiving surgery?
Yes, during walk-up hours (see walk-up schedule). Monday through Saturday from 10a.m. - 4p.m. Remember, only animals that have already been fixed can have services at that time.
Do we need an appointment?
Yes, with the exception of Free Fridays/Saturdays with the mobile unit. Please email appointments@EmanciPET.org or call (512) 587-7729 to make an appointment. Email is preferred.
If you send email or leave voicemail, please include your full name, telephone number, the town in which you are calling from and whether you have a cat, dog, male or female. If you have a dog please leave us an approximate weight.
Please make sure you receive conformation before bringing your animal.
For Marble Falls location, please call (830)-598-SPAY.
What do we do prior to the surgery?
The night before the surgery, withdraw food by 12am (midnight), unless your pet is under 4 months. If your pet has been vaccinated against rabies, find the original, signed rabies certificate or other proof of rabies vaccine to the clinic with you. THE TAG IS NOT PROOF. Without this, your pet will have to be vaccinated by law. Any other medical history will be useful to determine what other optional services your pet is due for such as heartworm testing or distemper/parvo vaccines.
What time is check-in and pick up?
If your appointment is at the mobile unit, your drop off is from 8-8:30am and pick up is from 5-5:30pm.
If your appointment is at the stationary clinic, your drop off will be between 8-8:30am. Your pick up time for the 8am clinic is 5-5:30pm.
If your appointment is with the Emanci-Shuttle, your drop off is from 6:45am to 7:00am and pick up will be between 6:00 and 6:30pm, depending on traffic.
THERE ARE NO EARLY PICK UPS UNLESS YOU ARE SPECIFICALLY TOLD OTHERWISE. The reason for this rule is that we don’t know exactly what time we will be done with surgery, and for the safety of the animals, we require all of our techs stay on the van during surgery. We will not, and cannot, stop surgery so one pet can go home early.
We do charge late fees if you arrive late because we can’t start our surgeries on time. Please brings cats in a SECURE carrier and dogs on a leash. Check-in may take 10-20 minutes or longer. If you do not pick-up by the end of your scheduled pick up time, a late fee of $1/min will be assessed. After 6pm, your pet will be taken to an after hours clinic in Austin and you will be charged a $70 fee.
What do we do after surgery?
Restrict food and water. You can offer your pet small amounts of food later in the evening and increase it gradually. Your pet may not be interested in eating at this time. This is perfectly normal. If vomiting occurs the first night, withdraw food. Your pet should be eating/drinking normally the next day and not vomiting.
Try to keep the your pet confined and do not allow jumping or running for 7-10 days to give them plenty of time to heal and so that you can monitor the incision. No licking at the stitches! If you think your pet will lick, please get an E-Collar from us or Petsmart or your regular vet ASAP. A pet can pull out stitches easily which can lead to hundreds of dollars spent at the vet repairing the damage. Keep the incision clean with a little hydrogen peroxide once a day for 7 days. Do not bath the animal for 7-10 days.
If you were given regular stitches, you need to bring your pet in to have the stitches removed in 7-10 days either at your regular vet’s office or through us. We do offer dissolvable stitches. If these were used, there is no need to come back to have it removed.
DO NOT GIVE ASPIRIN, TYLENOL OR IBUPROFEN to dogs or cats. They can be deadly. All pets receive pain medication while they are at EmanciPET, it lasts for 24 - 48 hours.
Try to check the incision 1-2 times daily for swelling, discharge or redness. A little seepage is normal but if it’s excessive or if there are any complications related to the surgery, please contact EmanciPET at (512) 587-7729 - if it is after hours or you’re having trouble getting through just listen to our message and an emergency contact number will be on there. You can call that number 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If no one answers leave a message and we’ll call right back.
