AHS spay/Neuter Mobile Unit

Q: When will my pet be in heat? How long should I wait to have them spayed or neutered?

Heat can start at age 6-12 months; for some small breeds, as early as 5 months, and for some large and giant breeds, the first cycle may not occur until 14 months of age or older.

We ask that you wait at least 8 weeks after the cycle ends to schedule your appointment.

Q: Is micro-chipping important?

Approximately 4.3 million animals enter animal shelters throughout the United States as strays

every year.  Registered microchips give lost pets the best chance of returning home.

Q: What shots should my pet get and how often should this be done?

A: Distemper shot should be given every year.

-Puppies need a series, a shot every three months. If a shot is skipped the series has to be started from the beginning.

Rabies- The first shot administered is good for a year. Every one after is good for three years.

For dogs that are exposed to environments with other dogs such as a kennel, vet, ect we recommend the Bordetella shot. It prevents dogs and other pets from contracting kennel cough, or the canine common cold.

Dogs in contact with streams and are outside quite a bit should be vaccinated with Lyme disease and leptospirosis every year.

Q: Are the animals put under anesthesia for surgeries?

A: Yes

Q: Do you have a licensed vet on your unit?

A: Yes

Q: How can I get the mobile unit out to my area?

A: The Health Department has to set it up with us. Contac t us about coming out to your area and we’ll work with the health department to get your town on our calendar.

Also feral cat groups can request our assistance. The group must have at least 18-23 cats for spay and neuter.

Q: What services are provided?

A: Vaccines

Spay& Neuter

Micro-chipping

Heart worm tests/ meds

Snap test

Ear cleaning/meds

Flea treatment

Some dental

Q: How old does your animal have to be to be spayed or neutered?

A: 5 years or younger. There is also no weight constriction but there is an additional fee added for bigger animals.

Have any other questions? Contact us at associatedhumane@aol.com

I have a question about my other 7mth old kitten, Leah. She has leukemia, but it’s not active- she’s actually very healthy and whenever she has a running nose or stuffed nose, I immediately begin doing steam therapy, and she quickly gets relieved. But I have a question about getting her spayed. Should I risk it? She’s solely indoor and all the other cats (only 1 male) are “fixed”. I read online that if she’s exposed to surgery, anesthesia, etc her disease could become active. What do you think? I don’t mind not spaying her, but I just want to know if it’s the best thing for her considering her disease.
Thank you!

1)     I do agree that there is a risk of her disease becoming active if put under anesthesia because any time an animal is put under anesthesia, the immune system drops and they can become susceptible to various illnesses including colds and other ailments. But there are also risks for not spaying her. The most common is a uterus infection called pyometra that can make your kitty very sick and an emergency surgery would have to be performed to remove the uterus at that time. Another is mammary gland cancer (breast cancer). It is a proven fact that every time a cat goes into heat, her chances of getting breast cancer increases by about 18%. In her case, your best bet would be to discuss the pros and the cons with her current vet and see what their opinion would be on the matter. I hope this helps you.

Our 7-month-old Chocolate lab…had gotten spayed like three months ago, and we have noticed that her scar tissue is getting bigger. We want to know what that means and what we can do about it. Thank you so much.

2)      If the scar area appears to be getting bigger it could me a few things. One would be a hernia. Sometimes when a puppy or kitty is very active, especially after surgery, they can pop a stitch which can cause some of the fat tissue from the stomach to pop out causing a small swelling or sometimes even a large swelling. But you need to be careful because if more than one stitch breaks, sometimes intestines or other contents of the abdomen area can get trapped and cause severe problems. Another problem it could be is something called a seroma. A seroma is a fluid filled bubble that can be caused by an active puppy’s stitches rubbing on the inside layers of the incision. This causes a swelling that can be drained by a vet and if placed on antibiotics and warm compresses, will go away on its own. Finally, sometimes scar tissue can build up in the incision area also from internal rubbing of stitches. I hope this information helps you but what I would recommend would be to see your local veterinarian to have the surgery site looked at so that a decision could be made as to what may be causing the problem.

Do you have a few unanswered questions about your pet? Visit our ASK THE VET page and interact with our mobile unit staff. Submit your question and come back on March 1st to see what questions were selected to be answered!

What’s the best thing I can I do so my dog does not have dry skin and dandruff?

Make sure you do not wash your animal too much (do not wash more than twice a month).

Also incorporate fish oil capsules into your dog’s diet.  ½ capsule a day will bring natural oils back (omega 3 fatty acids).

My little Bishon, Buddy will be 7 years old this month, he is a rescue that I have had for 3 years now and he came from a puppy mill. He had been caged his whole life and was used for breeding. I’ve noticed lately that he won’t jump on the couch or on the bed and he has been a little slow on our walks, he doesn’t appear to be in pain, but I can tell he isn’t himself. Is there something I should be doing for him?

  Bring Buddy to the vet to have his knees checked. Smaller dogs tend to have patellar luxations (AKA knee cap shifting when they move); most of the time there is nothing that can be done except for supplements that you can get at your local pharmacy. If there are higher grade issues with the knees, surgery can always correct it. Your best bet is to take him to your local vet and have him checked out.

Do you have a few unanswered questions about your pet? Visit our ASK THE VET page and interact with our mobile unit staff. Submit your question and come back on March 1st to see what questions were selected to be answered!