Questions about spay/neuter surgery? In this video Spay/Neuter Program Services Director, Dr. Rizal Lopez, answers some of the most common ones.
Our state-of-the-art facility houses a professional staff and a complete pet health clinic for dogs and cats; plus we have a spay and neuter clinic in St. Petersburg, FL. It’s designed to provide the best pet health services in the St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay area.
Overpopulation is a huge problem. Two intact dogs can add over 2,000 new dogs to that problem in only four years. Shelters become overrun with these unwanted litters. Their futures are uncertain. How can you help? Love Your One spay and neuter your pet.
Request a Non-Urgent Appointment Online Now
or call us at 727-220-1770
Appointments are required.
Your dog or cat should be at least four months of age, and must be current on its rabies vaccine and licensing. If rabies is not current, it is mandatory that we vaccinate and license the pet during its visit. Other core vaccines (DA2PP or FRCP), although not mandatory, are highly recommended.
If fleas are found on your pet, a quick acting, short duration flea pill will be administered, to protect our housing areas from infestation, with a $12.20 fee.
Spay/neuter is most effective at preventing cancers if done before the first heat cycle, which can occur at 5-7 months of age, depending on size and species of your pet.
Spay/neuter is easier and less traumatic if done when your pet is NOT in heat. If your pet is showing signs of heat, first—be mindful of having it around any intact males, and second, schedule the surgery about 4-5 weeks after your pet comes out of heat.
In general, the maximum age limit is 5 years and younger (in dogs, giant breeds 3 years and younger), unless discussed and approved by our spay/neuter veterinarian.
There is a non-refundable deposit for spay/neuter appointments.
For dogs up to 49 lbs. the spay/neuter fee is $220.
For dogs 50-125 lbs. the spay/neuter fee is $280.
*Dogs in for spay/neuter will be automatically fitted with a Surgical Onesie. This is included in the price!
We apologize that we are unable to accommodate dogs larger than 125lbs at this time.
For male cats the fee is $100 and for female cats it’s $110.
Appointments required for surgery. Call 727-220-1770 for details.
Also, did you know you can have other services completed at the same time as your spay/neuter appointment?
Let our staff know when making your appointment if you’d like to add any of the following services:
- Additional vaccines, like Distemper/Parvo and FRCP (feline combo), Bordetella (boosters, at 3-week intervals, may be necessary depending on age)
- Heartworm, 4DX heartworm, and FeLV/FIV testing
- Heartworm and flea preventive products (up to 6 monthly doses)— call for product offering
- Microchips
- Nail trims and simple ear cleanings
Pre-Surgery
- Bring proof of rabies vaccination.
- Ensure your pet doesn’t have fleas with use of a regular flea preventive—otherwise we will treat it, at your expense.
- SPCA Tampa Bay’s Spay/Neuter clinic recommends pre-anesthetic blood work, which is an additional fee.
- Any remaining food available to a pet should be removed at midnight, before surgery the next day, water is fine to leave out at all times.
- Pets should be generally healthy; minor injuries or illnesses may not impact anesthesia risks. However, final decisions on the safety of anesthesia and surgery are the veterinarian’s choice.
What To Expect
Additional charges will apply if your pet is cryptorchid, in-heat or pregnant.
Spay/neuter usually involves a single day of hospitalization—drop off in the morning, and home in the afternoon—complications are very uncommon. However, although rare, if complications arise, you may be advised to take your pet to an emergency overnight hospital. Those expenses are separate from the spay/neuter services.
The decision to spay or neuter your pet is an important one and can be the best decision you make for their long-term welfare. Spaying or neutering at an early age provides huge health benefits to your pet and the entire community.
The many benefits of spaying or neutering your pet include the following:
Reduces your pet’s susceptibility to reproductive cancers and infections
Spaying a cat before her first heat cycle (as early as six months old) can reduce her odds of contracting breast cancer to 1 in 20,000. Spaying also eliminates her risk of contracting ovarian cancer. Neutering a male dog completely eliminates the risk of testicular cancer, and significantly decreases roaming tendencies.
Highly cost-effective
Un-spayed females have an 85% chance of needing a costly emergency procedure.
Increases your pet’s life expectancy
Spaying or neutering your dog or cat can significantly add to its length of life. Spaying a pet before six months of age can increase her life expectancy by 12 to 18 months.
Spayed females won’t go into heat
Females usually go into heat four to five days every three weeks during breeding season. In their search for a mate, they’ll often yowl and urinate more frequently.
Drop-off times and pick-up times will be determined by your nurse at the time of your call. Generally, drop-offs are around 7:30-8:30am and pick-ups are around 4:00-5:00pm.
Please review our spay/neuter requirements
before booking an appointment.
Our staff will contact you by phone to arrange pick-up times on the day of surgery.
Sometimes complications occur and require additional surgical intervention or treatment. Our caring veterinary staff will discuss any possible charges based on your pet’s needs.
Ready to book a spay/neuter appointment? Excellent decision
To request a non-urgent appointment, please email us at StPeteVetCenter@SPCATampaBay.org. We typically respond within 48 hours. For urgent needs, please give us a call at 727-220-1770.
To make sure we provide great care, we include spay or neuter surgery, a spay incision line tattoo, and rabies and FVRCP vaccinations. In addition to the sterilization surgery, one ear is tipped (notched horizontally) while the animal is under anesthesia. The ear is tipped to help easily identify those altered feral animals at a distance, so that they do not need to be anesthetized again in the future in order to determine if spay/neuter has been performed.
Feral cats must be inside an approved cat trap when they are brought to the clinic for surgery. Any cat brought in a standard pet carrier will not be considered a feral cat, and will be charged routine owned pet fees. Clients should consider providing a safe indoor location (such as a garage) for the cat to stay in for one night following surgery.
For feral cat caregivers, call our Client Care Specialists for feral cat pricing and surgery dates.
