Thank you for volunteering your valuable skills at an Operation Catnip “Spay Day.”  Our large-scale assembly line approach enables us to make the most of our volunteers’ time and talent.  Generally, more than 200 cats can be spayed and neutered in four hours of surgery.  As a veterinarian, your primary responsibility will be to spay cats.  Anesthesia, preparation and recovery will be performed at other stations.  You may be asked by a supervisor to evaluate a cat for a medical condition or anesthetic complication.  Minor problems such as abscesses may be treated also.  Operation Catnip has a standard crash kit and isoflurane anesthesia machines for emergencies.

Spaying cats under the conditions of Operation Catnip presents some unique challenges.  The cats brought to the clinic are wild and will be released the day after surgery.  Therefore, the opportunity to monitor or treat post-surgical complications is limited.  Cats that are not in advanced pregnancy are generally spayed through a flank incision (an easy modification of the midline approach).  A 10-minute video of the flank approach is available on loan from Operation Catnip.  The flank approach prevents evisceration in the event of an incision dehiscence. In order to reduce complications and surgical time, we use the smallest incision possible. We use 2-0 absorbable suture for normal cats and 3-0 absorbable suture for kittens.  We also try to spay a cat with only one pack of suture when possible in order to keep costs down. We find instrument ties save suture. We do not use skin sutures but will have surgical glue available for incisions that don’t close perfectly with a subcuticular suture.

We use an injectable drug combination of telazol, ketamine and xylazine, which means that anesthetic duration is limited. As cats have already been anesthetized for several prep stations before they arrive at the surgery table, minimizing surgical time is essential.  A vet assistant will be assigned to each trio of veterinarians.  The assistant will remove the finished cat from your table, replace it with a new cat, and open your surgical pack, blade, suture, and gloves for you.  This will let you devote most of your time to surgery.  Our most experienced surgeons can spay 4-6 cats an hour.  It can be a challenge to balance both skill and speed, but the two are compatible.  If you don’t have a lot of experience or confidence with cat spays, there is no better place to polish your skills.  Feel free to scrub with one of the veteran surgeons at the beginning of the clinic to pick up some valuable pointers.

On Spay Day, you will be asked to:

Ø  WEAR gloves at all times, even if not in surgery (See Bite and Scratch Policy).

Ø  WEAR gloves, cap, mask, gown or scrub top while in surgery. 

Ø  CHANGE only gloves between cats.

Ø  DISCARD your own sharps.

Ø  DISCARD defective instruments, so they are not repacked.

Ø  COMPLETE and SIGN the Medical Record/Rabies Certificate.

Ø  TELL the Vet Assistant:

Ø  If you want a cat to receive subcutaneous fluids (advanced pregnancy, excessive blood loss, etc.) after surgery. 150 ml is standard unless you prescribe otherwise.

Ø  If you need special items such as carmalts and extra gauze opened for you. 

Ø  If the cat is lactating, in heat or pregnant.

Ø  SPEAK to the Clinic Supervisor if the assistant does not have the information or supplies you need.

ALL STAFF MUST CHECK IN AT THE VOLUNTEER TABLE.

GLOVES MUST BE WORN AT ALL TIMES.

The Spay Stations are the nucleus of the clinic.  The pace of all other stations is regulated to support the continuous spaying of cats. Spay Transporters bring cats to and from the surgery table. The Vet Assistant opens gloves, sutures, blades and instrument packs. The Spay Veterinarians perform flank and midline spays and neuters on cryptorchid males.

Veterinarian Instructions

The primary responsibility of veterinarians is to spay cats. Depending on the reproductive status of the cat, it will be prepped for a midline or flank spay.  Evaluation of a medical condition or assistance in an emergency may also be requested.  A standard crash kit and isoflurane anesthesia machines are available.

Minor problems such as an abscess or laceration may be corrected, but cats requiring lengthy treatments or complex surgeries will be referred to outside veterinarians or euthanized. The policy manual describes the limits of the additional medical care available at the clinic.  Questions about care should be directed to the Clinic Supervisor who will consult with the Veterinary Director.  This policy is to ensure that Operation Catnip maintains its focus on sterilizing as many cats as possible.

Work as quickly as possible, as the pace of this station determines how many cats can be sterilized each month.  In addition, the injectable anesthetic is of a limited duration.  The most experienced surgeons can spay 4-6 cats an hour.  Using instrument ties will help reduce surgical time and suture use. 

1)     WEAR gloves at all times, even if not in surgery (See Bite and Scratch Policy). Wear gloves, cap, mask, gown or scrub while in surgery.  Change only gloves between cats.

2)     USE the smallest incision possible with 2-0 absorbable suture for normal cats and 3-0 absorbable suture for kittens.  Try to spay a cat with only one pack of suture when possible in order to keep costs down. Instrument ties save suture. Use subcuticular sutures instead of skin sutures for closure as the cats will be released before the sutures can be removed.  Surgical glue is available for incisions that don’t close perfectly.

3)     TELL the Vet Assistant:

Ø  If a cat is inadequately anesthetized. Isoflurane gas will be provided by mask.

Ø  If you want a cat to receive subcutaneous fluids (for advanced pregnancy, excessive blood loss, etc.) after surgery. 150 ml lactated Ringer’s solution is standard unless you prescribe otherwise.

Ø  If you need special items such as extra instruments, sterile carmalts, drapes and extra gauze opened for you. Speak to the Clinic Supervisor if the assistant does not have what you need.

Ø  If any changes need to be made in the cats’ preparation (such as where the fur is clipped).

Ø  If the cat is lactating, in heat, pregnant, or displaying any other medical condition. This information is collected on the Medical Record form and used for statistical purposes.

4)     DISCARD your own sharps after each cat. Also discard defective instruments, so they are not repacked.

5)     VERIFY the assistant has appropriately filled out the Medical Record Form and sign.

6)     ADVISE the Spay Transporter to remove the finished cat and replace it with a new one.

The surgeon is responsible for ensuring the Medical Record Form is filled out correctly: