PLEASE BE SURE TO CHECK IN AT THE VOLUNTEER TABLE IN THE HALLWAY INSIDE. GLOVES MUST BE WORN AT ALL TIMES.

The responsibilities of the Spay Prep station are
1. to verify the sex of the cat
2. to express the bladder
3. to clip the abdomen
4. to look for spay scars and notify the Supervisor if found
5. to secure the cat on a spay board
6. to scrub the abdomen for surgery

As cats leave the Physical Exam/Ear Tip station, the volunteers from that station will place females on your station table. YOU MUST PHYSICALLY CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CAT IS A FEMALE. NEVER ASSUME THAT JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE BRINGS A CAT TO SPAY PREP THAT IT IS A FEMALE. After confirming the sex, initial the paw tag. The only male cat you should ever see is a cryptorchid, which will need abdominal surgery! Be careful, neutered males may be mistaken for females. Just because a cat has no testicles, does not mean it is a female!!!!!

MONITOR the cats carefully. Respiration (>6/minute), heartbeat (>100/minute), and gum color (pink). If the cat is not breathing well or its gums are blue, pull firmly on the tongue, press a fingernail on the nose leather and NOTIFY THE CLINIC SUPERVISOR for assessment. If a cat is not fully anesthetized, call the Supervisor.

First, express the cat's bladder over the sink. EXPRESS the cat's bladder ONLY IF YOU HAVE PRIOR EXPERIENCE. Do not spend a lot of time doing this - if you can't express it, move on. It is far better to not express the bladder than to traumatize the bladder or injure the cat. Do NOT allow your station to get backed up because you are spending too much time trying to empty a bladder!

Next, shave the abdomen of the cat exposing the umbilical scar and both rows of nipples. For cryptorchid males, prepare as for females, but extend the area to include the scrotum. Gently shave against the growth of the hair for a close shave. Use the coolant spray and toothbrush to clean the clippers after every few cats. Use a few broad strokes with the clippers to save time. Vacuum away the hair. BE CERTAIN YOU HAVE SHAVED ENOUGH HAIR. CHECK WITH YOUR TEAM LEADER IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS. IF YOU HAVE NOT SHAVED AN ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF HAIR, THE SURGEON WILL HAVE TO SEND THE CAT BACK TO YOU BEFORE PERFORMING SURGERY, CAUSING UNNECESSARY DELAYS!

Females should be secured to a spay board using masking tape. CLIP THE HAIR FIRST before taping the cat to the board. This will prevent hair from getting stuck in the tape. Tape the limbs just tight enough to hold the limbs away from the body of the cat, but do not overstretch! Overstretching can compromise respiration and cause respiratory arrest and death!!!!!! BE SURE THE PAW TAG IS IN PLACE AND CAN BE EASILY VISUALIZED.

Scrub with gentle pressure with chlorhexidine (Nolvasan) scrub (which has soap in it). Start with a clean gauze in the center of the prep area, circling toward the outer edge as you scrub. Do not touch the central scrubbed area once you have touched the fur. Avoid getting any scrub in the unclipped fur. Use water soaked gauze in the same pattern to remove the scrub.

Repeat the procedure 2 more times. Finally, spray the skin with a small amount of Nolvasan solution (no soap), avoiding the fur. Never let your fingers (even gloved) or anything besides the gauze sponges touch the area you are prepping. Try to minimize the amount of both scrub and solution on the fur of the animal. If the cat gets wet, he/she will be predisposed to hypothermia and anesthetic complications!!!

After the cat is prepped, call for the Spay Transporter to pick up the cat. Be careful not to contaminate your prepped area. You must inform the Spay Transporter if the cat is a cryptorchid male.

The instrument detail station will return clean spay boards to you after the cat has been removed.

At the end of the clinic, clean up your station and dispose of trash. As you repack your kit, verify that all of the supplies that belong in your kit are there. (See Inventory Sheet included in your kit.)

PLEASE TURN IN THIS INSTRUCTION SHEET WITH YOUR STATION KIT AT THE END OF THE DAY