Emergencies and Complications

Spay and neuter surgery is very safe. Although rare, serious complications can occur. In these cases, close monitoring and quality care is essential to identifying an emergency situation.

Please contact our clinic immediately if you notice any of the following signs of illness:

• Depression
• Vomiting*
• Diarrhea*
• Discharge or bleeding from the incision
• Difficulty urinating
• Labored breathing
• Pale gums
  **You may be asked to follow up with your regular veterinarian, as vomiting & diarrhea are non-specific signs of illness and may or may not be related to the surgery performed.  A full service veterinary clinic has access to necessary diagnostic equipment.  We are happy for your regular veterinarian to refer your pet back to us if they determine the concern is surgical in nature.  

Steps to take if your emergency is happening during regular business hours (Monday-Thursday, 7:15 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.):

• Please call the Center at 402-905-3490.
• We will treat complications directly resulting from the surgery.
• There is no charge assessed at NHS SNC for re-check examination of an animal with a possible post-operative complication.  Furthermore, we always strive to keep treatment costs minimal.
• If you have any questions or concerns directly related to the surgery during the recovery time period, please do not hesitate to contact our Center at 402-905-3490.

Steps to take if your emergency is happening when the Center is closed:

• If your pet requires emergency care when the Center is closed, please call or visit your regular veterinarian or local emergency veterinary clinic.

Please Note: Each client is responsible for paying the cost of an emergency visit directly to the veterinarian or emergency clinic delivering treatment. If we determine that the complication is a surgery-related issue, we may reimburse our client the cost of the emergency visit.

Please keep in mind that your regular veterinarian must address diseases, illnesses, or injuries that are not a direct result of surgery. We cannot be responsible for the following:

• Treatment of a contagious disease that your pet develops after visiting our clinic.

  We highly recommend that all pets be dewormed and vaccinated against the most common contagious diseases for dogs and cats before coming to the NHS SNC for surgery. It can take days to weeks for a pet to develop immunity after receiving a vaccination.  The stress of surgery can also cause an animal with internal parasites to show signs of illness post-surgery. 
• Underlying health issues not known at the time of surgery.

  We recommend pre-surgery blood work and examination at a full service veterinary clinic prior to spay or neuter surgery. The pre-surgery work-up can help to uncover undiagnosed medical conditions which could put your pet at risk for serious complications during or after surgery. If owners forego this testing we cannot be responsible for any issues that may develop at or after surgery.
• Complications that develop when the post-op instructions have NOT been followed.

  Serious complications can develop because the post-op instructions have not been followed. If an owner elects to not follow our instructions for any reason we cannot be responsible for post-surgery complications.