Spay/Neuter
Spay/Neuter to Save Lives
At Humane Fort Wayne, we provide services to spay or neuter your pet.
Spaying/neutering your pet is the responsible, humane way to prevent unplanned litters and reduce the number of animals in shelters. Spaying/neutering can also protect your pet from certain illnesses and can address unwanted behaviors such as fighting, spraying and roaming.
Schedule an Appointment
Our Spay/Neuter Clinic is located at 1333 Maycrest Drive.
Our spay/neuter services are by appointment only.
New appointments open for the following month on the first Monday of each month at 9AM. Starting in January, our spay/neuter schedule will open daily at 9am for booking. Due to high demand, appointments fill up quickly the day they become available.
Public Vet for Cats
While we are in move transition, we are partnering with Public Vet to offer more cat spay/neuter surgeries. Appointments are available for owned/indoor cats only. You can learn more and sign up for an appointment online below!
Request a Community Cat Appointment
Community Cat surgeries will be scheduled by appointment only.
What to Know Before Surgery
New surgery pricing will go into effect starting in January of 2025.
Payment Information
A $20 deposit is required at the time of scheduling. The remaining payment is due at the time of pick up. We accept cash in-person (no personal checks) or online payment if credit/debit is preferred.
Cats – Spay/Neuter
- Includes cone & pain medicine
- $100
Dogs – Spay/Neuter
- Includes cone & pain medicine
- Dogs 0-99 lbs: $150
- Dogs 100 + lbs: $200
For Clients who live within the 46802, 46803, 46805, 46806, & 46808 Zip Codes
- These zones are reflective of helping the community’s highest risk animals to reduce euthanasia and shelter intake.
- Dogs 0-99 lbs: $100 & Dogs 100 + lbs: $150
- Cats: $75
Outdoor Community Cat Package
- Includes spay/neuter surgery, Rabies vaccine, microchip, pain medication and ear tip.
- $45
Preoperative Blood Work
- Pre Anesthetic $75 – Required for large breed dogs 5 years and older before surgery. Required for cats and dogs 8 years and older before surgery.
- Annual $85 – Recommended for cats and dogs 3 years and older annually to monitor pet’s health.
- Senior $95 – Recommended for large breed dogs 5 years and older. Recommended for cats and dogs 8 years and older
Additional Costs:
Umbilical Hernia Repair
- Dog – $60
- Cat – $40
In-Heat
- Dog – $15
- Cat – $5
Pregnant
- Dog – Grade 1 $40; Grade 2 – $60; Grade 3 – $80
- Cat – Grade 1 $40; Grade 2 – $50; Grade 3 – $60
Cryptorchid (Undescended testicles) – For Both Dogs & Cats
- Unilateral Abdominal – $60
- Unilateral Inguinal – $50
- Bilateral Abdominal – $100
- Bilateral Inguinal – $80
Pyometra (Uterine infection)
- Dog – $125; Dog (Major) $200
- Cat – $50; Cat (Major) $75
City Registration
- 1 Year: $5
Your pet must be spayed/neutered and current on Rabies.
- Lifetime of the Pet: $30
- Senior Citizen Lifetime of the Pet: $5
Your pet must be spayed/neutered, current on Rabies, and microchipped.
- Females are spayed and males are neutered.
- Pets must be 3 months and at least 3 pounds for surgery.
- Giant breed dogs must have senior blood work completed before surgery beginning at 5 years of age.
- Non-giant-breed dogs and any cat must have senior blood work completed before surgery beginning at 8 years of age.
- Additional services such as vaccines are available for your pet at an additional cost on the day of surgery. You will be able to add those when scheduling or on the day of surgery here at the clinic.
- If your pet is current on vaccines – please bring the current rabies certificate or proof of vaccinations from your veterinarian with you the day of your pet’s surgery.
- Drop off time for surgery is 7:30 AM for Dogs and 8:00 AM for Cats. Due to the high volume of clients, there may be a wait to drop off your pet. Expect drop off to take some time and please plan accordingly.
- Pick up time is 3:15 pm for dogs or 3:45 for cats unless told otherwise. Due to the high volume of clients, there may be a wait to pick up your pet. Expect pick up to take some time and please plan accordingly.
- You may send another family member or friend to drop off or pick up your pet as long as we are made aware of this.
- Late drop-offs for surgery appointments often result in surgery needing to be rescheduled.
- We recommend that all pets are vaccinated at least 2 weeks prior to surgery appointment.
- There may be additional charges if your pet requires antibiotics, flea medication, or fluids.
- Surgery prices include the cost of pain medications.
- An Elizabethan collar (cone) is included in your pet’s surgery and is highly recommended for all animals except male cats and community (trapped) cats.
- During a spay the pet receives ovariohysterectomy and males receive castration.
- All pets will receive a small tattoo during surgery.
- There will be an additional charge if your pet is pregnant, in heat, cryptorchid (testicles not descended), has a reducible hernia, is obese, or has a pyometra (infection of the uterus).
1. To schedule your pet for surgery, call us at 260-420-7729 and leave a voicemail, or schedule online here.
2. We recommend that your pet receives their Bordetella and Distemper vaccines two weeks prior to surgery to ensure that they do not contract these from an unvaccinated animal. If your animal is not vaccinated we can administer the vaccines at the time of surgery, however, they will not be protected until two weeks after receiving the vaccine.
3. All animals aged 5 months and under may have 1/4 of their regular meal given no later than 6 am the day of surgery. All pets 6 months and older need to have food withdrawn by midnight prior to having surgery. Please continue to provide water. Pets must be kept indoors or confined. Any pet that remained outside all night without being confined will not be admitted for surgery (excluding feral cats).
4. Drop off time for surgery is 7:30 AM for Dogs, 7:30 for Community Cats, and 8:00 AM for Pet Cats. Drop off may take at least 30 minutes, and you may be asked to wait outside. Please plan accordingly. We ask that you wait in line with your pet(s) and we will allow 3-4 clients in to check in at a time. Our surgery schedule is very busy and your animal may be denied for surgery if you do not arrive on time.
5. All dogs must be on a leash and all cats must be in a separate carrier. If you do not have a carrier for your cat, you can purchase a cardboard carrier for $7.00, plus tax at our front desk. Community Cats, or free-roaming cats, must be in separate humane live traps.
6. It is state law that your animal be current on its Rabies vaccination. Please bring proof of current Rabies vaccination with you on the day of your pet’s surgery. Tags will not be accepted. If your pet is not updated, we will need to administer the vaccine at the time of surgery for $17.00.
7. Pick up time for dogs is 3:15 pm and pick up time for cats is 3:45 pm. Pick up may take at least 30 minutes. Please plan accordingly. You will be given a copy of your post-operative instructions. Staff can go over any questions you may have.
8. We do not board pets. However, if you do not pick up your pet at the designated time, you will be charged an extra $15.00 late pick-up fee, per animal, and Humane Fort Wayne reserves the right to surrender your animals to Animal Control.
9. We offer City Pet Registrations.
$5 per year (if your pet is spayed/neutered and current on rabies); $30 for the lifetime of your pet (if your dog is spayed/neutered, current on rabies, and microchipped); $5 senior citizen lifetime (if your dog is spayed/neutered, current on rabies, and microchipped)
The recovery period after surgery is 10-14 days. It is imperative that you keep your pet from running, jumping or rough playing during this time frame. They need to take it easy after surgery to heal properly.
10 Days After Surgery
14 Days After Surgery
Your pet may develop a small lump under the incision that is called a seroma. A seroma arises if your pet is running and jumping more than they should. Do your best to decrease your pet’s activity. The seroma should go away as the incision heals and poses no medical concern towards your pet.
Look At The Incision Every Day
It is important that you check your pet’s incision at least twice a day to ensure there is no redness, swelling, or bleeding. It can take up to 4 months for the internal sutures to completely dissolve. The first day after surgery should be when the incisions look the worst and it should improve daily. If you see anything that concerns you, contact us right away.
Unless you are told otherwise, your pet does not have external sutures. All sutures are absorbable on the inside and the very outer layer of skin is held together with surgical glue. Do not clean or apply topical ointment to the incision site. If you are told that your pet has skin sutures or skin staples, they will need to return in 7-10 days to have those removed. Male cats do not have any sutures, and they can groom their incisions to keep them clean.
Keep Your Pet(s) Calm And Separate
It is important to keep your pet separate from other pets in the home the night after their surgery, as they may still be feeling the effects of drugs and anesthesia. Over the next 10-14 days, please use your best judgement when allowing your pet to interact with other pets and/or children in the household.
If our doctor noted that your female pet was in heat – keep her separate from intact males for at least 2 weeks.
Elizabethan Collars (E-Collars/Cones)
Collars help to prevent your pet from licking their incision. To avoid infection, have your pet wear the e-collar for a minimum of 10 days unless told otherwise. Your pet should be able to eat and sleep with their cones on. You may take it off while they are eating, but you must watch them the entire time and replace the cone when they are done.
Food
Offer your pet half of the size of their normal meal and water when you get home. Though your pet may not be hungry tonight (this is normal), do NOT offer them anything extra. NO TREATS OR TABLE SCRAPS. Regular eating habits should return within 24-48 hours.
Pain Medication
Dogs will go home with instructions and pain medication. You should begin to give this medication in the morning the next day. Instructions will be on the bottle. Cats do NOT go home with pain medication since we gave them medication that will last in their system for 3-4 days.
Surgical Tattoo
Your pet will receive a small, green tattoo near the incision site. This tattoo is not another incision—it’s just a small score in the top layers of the skin filled with tattoo ink and covered with surgical glue. The tattoo will ensure that anyone examining your animal will know they have been sterilized.
Surgical Rechecks
How does spay/neuter save lives?
For every one child born, there are seven pets born. At this rate there will NEVER be enough homes for all of them. This results in many of them being euthanized in shelters simply because they were born. By sterilizing our pets we help reduce the number being born with no homes to go to, ensuring that more of them will have a family of their own for life.
Why should I spay/neuter my pet?
In addition to an unwanted litter, spayed/neutered pets are:
- Less likely to run away
- Less likely to bite
- More trainable
- Have no messy heat cycles
- Less likely to urine mark and/or spray
- Less likely to develop certain types of cancer
When should I have my pet spayed/neutered?
Your pet must be at least 3 months old and weigh at least 3 pounds. Additionally, your pet must be healthy enough for the surgery, which our vets will determine before the surgery.
*Please note: If your pet has received any steroidal injections in the past 30 days we need to know that when you schedule them for surgery.
What if I can not afford to spay/neuter my animal?
We have options available for financial assistance. Please contact us for more information.
What if my animal never leaves our yard or home?
Although it may be your intention that your pet never leaves your yard or home, accidents do happen and it just takes one escape to end up with a litter of furbabies. Just ask your local animal control officer how many times he or she has heard that one! It is these unplanned litters that fare the worst.
Does low cost mean low quality?
Absolutely not! Our clinic adheres to a medical protocol model dictated by the ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance and the American Veterinary Medical Association. For more information on our medical protocols visit www.aspca.org/aspca-spay-neuter-alliance.
Do you use a real veterinarian?
Yes. All veterinarians employed by HFW are licensed and hold a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. Each of our vets has years of experience in a private practice setting, as well as in a high-volume, high-quality spay/neuter clinic. Additionally, our vets continue to expand their education through specialized training in spay/neuter surgery.
What about pain medication for my pet?
We consider the comfort of your pet our priority. Patients are sent home with oral pain medication (at no additional cost to you) to ensure comfortable recovery for your pet.
Will my pet need to have staples or sutures removed?
No. Under normal conditions, we use two methods of closing the surgical site. The inside has been closed using sutures specially designed to absorb during the healing process; no removal is necessary. The outer portion of the surgical site has been closed using a surgical glue that dissolves during the healing process, as well.
Should my female cat/dog have one litter or heat cycle before spaying?
No; this is a common misconception. There is no medical or behavioral benefit to waiting until after a pet’s first litter/heat cycle before spaying. On the contrary, spaying your pet before the first heat/litter can reduce the risk of medical complications down the road.
Financial Assistance
Do you qualify for financial assistance?
Before you schedule your appointment, click the link below to fill out a form to find out!
