Learn all about spay/neuter below

Your spay/neuter appointment

  • Before spay/neuter surgery
    • Dogs and cats over six months of age should not be fed after midnight. Puppies and kittens under six months may eat a small breakfast (half of usual serving) prior to traveling to the clinic. 
    • All animals should always have access to water at all times. 
    • Cats must be in a secure carrier. Please do not place more than one cat in a carrier. We have cardboard carriers available to purchase if you do not have enough carriers for each individual animal. 
    • Dogs should be on a secure, non-retractable leash. 
    • Please resist the temptation to send personal items along with your pet. 
  • Spay/neuter drop-off information
    • Check-in for cats is at 7 a.m. Arriving more than one hour late for your pet’s check-in time will result in your pet’s appointment being rescheduled. 
    • Check-in for dogs is at 7:30 a.m. Arriving more than one hour late for your pet’s check-in time will result in your pet’s appointment being rescheduled. 
    • Please allow about an hour for spay/neuter surgery check-in. 
    • When you arrive, please check in by texting us and following the instructions on the signs in the parking lot. 
    • We will call you and check in your pet. Then we will invite you and your pet inside to take a seat. 
    • Please do not bring animals who do not have appointments. 
    • If you are able, please sign the consent for electronically prior to your appointment. If you cannot sign the consent form ahead of time, please bring a pen with you to sign your pet’s authorization for veterinary services and surgery. 
    • Payment is required at pick-up. We will send an email with a payment link during the afternoon. If you complete this, pick-up will be quicker. 
  • Spay/neuter pick-up information
    • Pick-up time for dogs is 4:30 p.m. 
    • Pick-up time for cats is 5 p.m. 
    • As of 5-15-23, all patients must be picked up no later than 5:30 p.m. Our doors close at 5:30 p.m. and all pets in our care will be boarded. There is a $75 per day boarding fee per pet. FACE is not equipped as a full-service boarding facility. Boarded pets will be unattended overnight. There will be no staff available to monitor or walk them for more than 14 hours. This is not recommended and can be unsafe. FACE reserves the right to transfer pets to the city shelter when necessary. Occasionally, patients will be ready earlier in the day. We will notify you by text if you may pick up your pet before the scheduled time. 
    • When you arrive, please check in by texting us and following the instructions on the signs in the parking lot. You will receive instructions, then will be invited inside the building to greet your pet. 
    • Payment is required at pick-up. We accept cash, debit card, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover. We do not accept checks or money orders. 
    • Please read the post-operative care instructions provided to you in the morning. You may also call (317) 638-3223 and select option 5 to hear the instructions over the phone. 
    • Prior to discharging your pet, our staff will provide additional post-operative care instructions. 
    • We are a nonprofit clinic and rely on donations from the public to keep our services as affordable as possible. If you are able, we encourage you to make a contribution at check-out. 

Online Scheduling Notes

- We do not provide surgery services to the following breeds: Purebred English Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, Pugs, Pekinese, Whippets, Greyhounds, Italian Greyhounds, Persians, or exotic shorthairs.
- Fields with an asterisk (*) are required.
- When selecting a date during Step 4, click the calendar icon for a list of available appointment dates.
- Appointments may not be made more than five weeks in advance.
- If you have not received confirmation from us within two (2) business days, please be sure to check your email spam folder. Email us at records@faceanimalclinic.org if you do not find the confirmation.
- Do you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment? Please use this short online form to change your appointment - https://bit.ly/FACEReschedule - or call our clinic at 317-638-3223. If you provide 48 hours' notice or more, we will apply the deposit to your rescheduled appointment. Cancelled appointments will result in deposits being transferred into donations.

Schedule an Appointment

Postoperative Instructions

  • Indications to seek care immediately

    – Pale gums
    – Non-responsive, extremely lethargic
    – Sudden pronounced swelling at surgical site
    – Gaping or open incisions
    – Excessive bleeding
    – Persistent vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite

  • Food and Water

    You may offer a small meal the evening after surgery. Your pet may still be nauseous. Your pet may not have an appetite until the next day. This is normal. Small dogs, puppies, and kittens less than six months old should be encouraged to eat the same day of surgery. If your pet vomits the evening after surgery, do not feed them. You can offer a small meal again in the morning. If your pet does not regain a normal appetite or continues vomiting, please call our office or your veterinarian immediately.

  • Activity

    Please keep your pet indoors or confined in a safe, clean environment for the next 14 days. Dogs should be kept on a leash to go outside. They should not be allowed to run, jump, or play rough for the next 14 days. Owned cats should be kept inside a calm, quiet room. Your pet may seem shaky or agitated the night of surgery. If this occurs, keep them in a dark, quiet room while they recover. Male cats and dogs may remain fertile 30 days after being neutered. During this time, please keep them away from females that have not been spayed.

  • Monitoring

    Please check your pet’s gum color frequently. Your pet’s gums should remain pink and moist. If your pet has naturally black gums, you can check under their lip or gently pull down on their eyelid to see the color. If you notice pale gums or inner eyelids, contact FACE or another veterinarian immediately. Monitor your pet’s energy. Most pets resume normal energy 24-48 hours after surgery. Monitor your pet’s pain level. It is normal for pets to experience minor discomfort after surgery, but this should get better 24-48 hours after surgery. If you notice your pet is very tired or seems to be in pain, contact FACE or another veterinarian immediately. 

  • Incision

    Check your pet’s incision daily for redness, swelling, leaking, or openings. Some redness and swelling at the incision site is normal a few days after surgery. Contact the clinic if it seems too much to you. Keep the incision clean and dry. Do not bathe your pet for 14 days. Your pet should not lick the incision. If your pet licks the incision, they will need to wear an E-collar (cone) until the incision is healed. Stitches are buried under the skin and should not be seen. You may be able to feel the surgical steel used to close the incision under the skin. If you notice the steel is sticking out of the incision, please call FACE or another veterinarian. Your pet will have a small green tattoo applied near their incision or on their abdomen to indicate that they have been surgically sterilized.

  • Medications

    Your pet may or may not be sent home with oral medications. If they are not going home with pain medication, they have received enough pain medication at the clinic to last throughout their recovery. Please follow medication instructions closely and give medication with a small meal. If it causes stomach problems (vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite), stop giving the medication and call FACE or another veterinarian.

  • Community Cat Considerations

    Community cats should be offered food and water as soon as they are alert. They should be fed a meal before they are released. Cats that are stressed may not eat and will be more comfortable eating in their normal environment.

    A feral cat should remain in their trap until it is ready for release. To minimize stress, the trap should be kept in a warm, quiet, dimly-lit room. Cover the trap with a lightweight sheet, such as a pillow case. Friendly community cats should be kept in a safe, enclosed room, such as a bathroom or garage.

    Do not attempt to handle feral cats. Gently lift the trap to see the incision and look for issues. You may notice slight bleeding from the incision or from the eartip site immediately after surgery. This is normal and should get better as soon as the cat calms down.

    Most cats will urinate and defecate within 24 hours after surgery. Do not put a litterbox in a trap. Cats should be kept in a clean trap. The newspaper in the trap will help keep the cat dry if they urinate. Replace dirty newspaper with clean newspaper. Friendly community cats that are not recovering outside should be offered a litter box.

  • When to release/return your community cat

    Community cats should be released once they are alert, oriented, and able to walk. This usually happens 12-24 hours after surgery. Please contact the clinic if your community cat is not behaving normally after this time. The veterinary staff may recommend female cats that have recently given birth be released the evening of surgery to return to their kittens. If it has been recommended that a community cat be confined longer than 24 hours after surgery, they should be moved to a large crate where they are safe and confined, but able to move freely.

  • In case of emergency

    During normal business hours – Mon – Thur, 9 to 5:30 – please call or text FACE for questions or concerns following your pet’s surgery. Do not send messages via social media or email.

    FACE Low-Cost Animal Clinic | 317.638.3223 | txt 317.680.1055 | 1505 Massachusetts Ave | Indianapolis, IN 46201

    After hours, or if FACE is not open, please contact Airport Animal Emergi-Center, your full service veterinarian, or any 24 hour emergency veterinary clinic for guidance.

    Airport Animal Emergi-Center | 317.248.0832 | 5235 W. Washington St | Indianapolis, IN 46241

Spay/neuter FAQs

  • What does Spay/Neuter mean?

    A spay or neuter surgery removes an animal’s reproductive organs. A spay surgery removes ovaries and the uterus, and a neuter surgery removes the testes. After this surgery, the animal is infertile, or sterile. Sometimes, these animals may be referred to as “fixed.”

  • How much does spay/neuter surgery cost?

    Spay/neuter services for cats is $125, and spay/neuter services for dogs is $150. All spay/neuter surgeries include high-quality anesthesia, surgery, and pain management medications. See our community cat services page for pricing related to unowned, feral cats.

  • What is your deposit policy?

    As of 5/1/23, all new appointments will require a deposit of $60 for spay/neuter services. A $16 non-refundable deposit is required for all vaccine appointments and is paid when you schedule the appointment. We are unable to issue refunds on deposits under any circumstances. If you reschedule your appointment with a notice of 48 hours or more, your deposit will be applied to the future visit. Your deposit will be applied to your service fees the day of your appointment. The remainder of your payment is due during check-out on the day of your appointment. We accept cash, credit, or debit cards. We do not accept personal checks, CareCredit, or money orders.

  • Something came up. Can I reschedule?

    Thanks for letting us know! Please use this short online form to cancel or reschedule your appointment. If you are unable to use this form, please call us at (317) 638-3223. Using this form will shorten our response time and will result in a quicker turnaround.

    If you provide 48 hours’ notice or more, the deposit for your appointment will be applied to your next appointment. Thank you for letting us know if you are unable to keep your appointment.  Cancelled appointments will result in deposits being transferred into donations.

  • Are there breeds you do not provide surgery services for?

    We do not provide surgery services to the following breeds: Purebred English Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, Pugs, Pekinese, Whippets, Greyhounds, Italian Greyhounds, Persians, or exotic shorthairs, due to the additional recovery needs of these patient types.

  • Do you offer financial aid?

    Yes, with the support of our generous donors, we may be able to reduce the price of your pet’s surgery. As you fill out the online appointment request, please explain your situation in the notes section at the end. Our staff will contact you with options. Please do not arrive for your appointment without settling this in advance. You can also email us with your request at records@faceanimalclinic.org. Additionally, we encourage you to look into this great program from Pet Friendly Services of Indiana. It can reduce your cost to $25.

  • How do I schedule an appointment for a community cat?

    Call us at 317-638-3223 or fill out this form to make an appointment for our TNR services. This includes spay/neuter, vaccinations, preventative, and an eartip. We do not schedule community cats online and can no longer accept walk-ins. Learn all about our community cat program requirements and surgery instructions on our community cat page.

    Please remember that a community cat lives outdoors and does not have an owner. A cat that splits time between your home and the outdoors does not qualify for this program.

  • How old does my pet need to be for surgery?

    We recommend that most cats and dogs be spayed/neutered between four and six months of age.

  • What if my animal is in heat or pregnant?

    If your female cat or dog is in heat or pregnant, we can spay her without any additional cost. Our staff can answer any questions you may have about the procedure, increased risks, follow-up care, etc.

  • Should my pet have a litter of puppies or kittens before they are spayed?

    We do not recommend that your pet have a litter of puppies or kittens before being spayed. Spaying your pet before her first heat cycle greatly reduces her risk of developing certain types of cancer later in life.

  • Would the surgery ever cost more?

    If your pet is cryptorchid (a male with undescended testicles) or suffering from pyometra (a female with an infection of the uterus) there is an extra fee. It costs an additional $75 per testicle if your pet is cryptorchid. There will be an added $75 charge if your pet is suffering from pyometra. If your pet needs these specialized surgeries, our team will call you to discuss their recommendations.

  • Can you neuter my rabbit?

    Although we do love rabbits, the answer is no. We only perform surgeries on dogs and cats.

  • Does my pet need the rabies vaccine before surgery?

    All patients are required to be up-to-date on the rabies vaccine. Please bring proof in the form of a valid rabies certificate or patient history from your primary veterinary provider. If your pet received the rabies vaccine at FACE, we can provide the information you need that morning. If your pet is not up-to-date, you will be required to purchase the rabies vaccine, which will be given at the time of surgery. If your pet is eligible, our staff will suggest the three-year rabies vaccine that does not require an annual booster vaccine. This product is only available if your pet has proof of receiving the one-year rabies, one year prior or three-year rabies, three years prior.

  • Are the dates available online correct? Why don't I see any open appointments?

    Yes, the dates are accurate. Our online scheduling system directly connects with our software, so as appointments open they are available to the public on our website. Spay/neuter appointments tend to be filled five weeks in advance.

  • Do you have a waitlist in the event of a cancellation?

    We are unable to manage a waitlist with the volume of clients we serve on a daily basis. If you do not see an open date, we encourage you to keep revisiting the website. Calling the office will not result in different information.

  • What other services can my pet receive at the time of surgery?

    During your pet’s surgery appointment, you can choose to add on vaccines, a microchip, a nail trim, and FIV/FeLV test for cats, heartworm test for dogs. You can review your options with our staff when you drop off your pet in the morning. You can also purchase flea, tick, and heartworm preventatives at this time.

    Visit our Preventatives Page for more information.
    Visit our Vaccine Clinic Page for more information.