title: The Association of Shelter Veterinarians veterinary medical care guidelines for spay-neuter programs.
abstract: As efforts to reduce the overpopulation and euthanasia of unwanted and unowned dogs and cats have increased, greater attention has been focused on spay-neuter programs throughout the United States. Because of the wide range of geographic and demographic needs, a wide variety of programs have been developed to increase delivery of spay-neuter services to targeted populations of animals, including stationary and mobile clinics, MASH-style operations, shelter services, feral cat programs, and services provided through private practitioners. In an effort to ensure a consistent level of care, the Association of Shelter Veterinarians convened a task force of veterinarians to develop veterinary medical care guidelines for spay-neuter programs. The guidelines consist of recommendations for preoperative care (eg, patient transport and housing, patient selection, client communication, record keeping, and medical considerations), anesthetic management (eg, equipment, monitoring, perioperative considerations, anesthetic protocols, and emergency preparedness), surgical care (eg, operating-area environment; surgical-pack preparation; patient preparation; surgeon preparation; surgical procedures for pediatric, juvenile, and adult patients; and identification of neutered animals), and postoperative care (eg, analgesia, recovery, and release). These guidelines are based on current principles of anesthesiology, critical care medicine, microbiology, and surgical practice, as determined from published evidence and expert opinion. They represent acceptable practices that are attainable in spay-neuter programs.
authors.affiliation: Section of Pain Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Andrea L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Looney
authors.forename: Mark W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Bohling
authors.forename: Philip A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Bushby
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Howe
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: Julie K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Eddlestone
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Weedon
authors.forename: Leslie D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Appel
authors.forename: Y Karla
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Rigdon-Brestle
authors.forename: Nancy J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Sweeney
authors.forename: Kathy A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Tyson
authors.forename: Adriana H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Voors
authors.forename: Sara C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Christine L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Wilford
authors.forename: Kelly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Farrell
authors.forename: Ellen P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Jefferson
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Moyer
authors.forename: Sandra P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Newbury
authors.forename: Melissa A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Saxton
authors.forename: Janet M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Scarlett
mesh_terms: D000758:Anesthesia / Q000592:standards / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D002369:Castration / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards / Q000662:veterinary*; D002415:Cats / Q000601:surgery*; D004285:Dogs / Q000601:surgery*; D037901:Euthanasia, Animal; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D018579:Patient Selection; D011155:Population Control; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000592:standards / Q000662:veterinary; D012952:Societies; D014481:United States; D014730:Veterinary Medicine / Q000592:standards*