5.2.2. What supplies are needed for sterilisation programmes?

The basic supplies needed to set up a sterilisation clinic, and the equipment required to perform 100 female sterilisations are provided in this section, but first read here to learn whether these programmes are necessary. Click here to view basic devices for dog sterilisation.

Click here for a PDF version of this section.

Items for static clinic
 Registration area

• Tables and chairs

 Waiting/recovery area

• Poles/ tress to tie leashes to
• Extra cages for small dogs and cats
• Hessian sacks (3-4) for managing or transporting cats
• Newspaper, towels, mats
• Heating pads (particularly in regions with cold weather conditions if the clinic is outside)

 Prep room / store room / laundry

• Tables (ideally stainless steel tops, otherwise tables with easy to disinfect surfaces)
• Autoclave ideally, otherwise a steriliser or cold sterilisation equipment that will render the equipment aseptic
• A storage cabinet with a lock (for storage of drugs)
• Weighing scales
• Refrigerator (to store vaccines and drugs)
• Electric clipper with blade size 40 (alternatively, disposable shaving blades)
• Spray bottles for prep solutions
• Waste bins
• Restraining devices for dogs and cats (e.g. muzzles, leashes, nets, crush cages, towels etc.)

 Surgery room

• Surgical tables (ideally stainless steel tops, otherwise tables with easy to disinfect surfaces)
• IV stand
• Instrument stand
• Surgical lamps (optional if vets feel there is adequate light)

Items for mobile clinic
 Provision of clean water supply (bottled if necessary)
 The same as above for the static clinic (and all need to be fitted into the mobile vehicle).

Items for registration/education materials
 Registration forms
 Post-operative care instructions
 RPO materials

Medical/surgical equipment needed (1-2 of each unless otherwise stated)
 Kidney bowl
 Thermometer
 Gauze container
 Scissors
 Haemostat
 Suture-removal scissors
 Nail clippers
 Stethoscope
 Pen light
 Storage jar
 Laryngoscope
 Various sizes of endotracheal tubes (ideally used only once daily – minimum 15-20 required)
 Spay sets (depending on daily capacity - preferably a minimum of 10 sets)

• Haemostats
• Towel clamps
• Needle holder
• Allis forceps
• Tissue forceps
• Backhaus clamps
• Carmalt forceps
• Scissors
• Spay hook

 Items for a crash box (emergency)

• Resuscitation bag
• Endotracheal tubes and laryngoscopes
• Needles and syringes
• Gauze
• Emergency drugs (adrenalin, atropine, dexamethasone, antihistamine, morphine, doxapram, reversal agents etc.)

Medical/surgical consumables (for 100 dogs)
 Gauze 1,500 pieces (for prep – minimum 10-15 per dog)
 Cotton (for injection - 1-2 rolls)
 Needles (one needle per injection – estimate at least 600-700 pieces)
 Syringes (minimum 100 pieces ). Note: syringes can be reused for same drugs unless contaminated. Preferably changed daily.
 Lubricating jelly (to take temperature) – 1 tube
 Examination gloves – minimum 100 pieces
 Scrub brushes – 4-5 pieces
 Disposable drapes, 100 pieces, one per dog and washed daily (can be replaced with cloth drapes)
 Surgical gloves – 100 pieces (plus 10 extra)
 Surgical blades – 100 pieces
 Sutures

• Chromic catgut – 40 metres
• Vicryl/Safil (synthetic absorbable) – 50 metres (if used for intradermal sutures, or 30 m without)
• Nylon – 40 metres (for skin sutures, but needs to be removed)

 Suture needles – 10-20 pieces (if needles not sewed on to sutures)
 IV infusion set – 25 pieces (can be re-used if using the same bottle; ideally changed daily)
 IV catheters – 100 pieces (plus 20 extra)
 Autoclave tape/indicators – 1 roll
 Autoclave envelops – 100 pieces or 30 metres (can be replaced with cloth), one per spay set (can be reused)
 Surgical tapes – 30 metres

Drugs/medicine
 For surgery

• Premed
• Anaesthesia
• Antibiotics
• Analgesic

 For prep

• Chlorhexidane solution – 1.5 litres
• Alcohol – 5 litres
• Tincture iodine – 0.5 litre

 Others

• Eye ointment – 5 tubes
• IV drip (lactated ringers or normal saline) – 25 litres

Items for cleaning up
 Basin – 2-3
 Brush – 2
 Detergent – 1 bottle
 Towels
 Broom/mop and bucket

For identification of dogs – there are a number of alternatives
 For collaring – 100 collars
 For tattoo – tattoo equipment with ink
 For ear notching – curved haemostats, cauteriser, 100 blades
 For microchipping – 100 microchips, scanner, 100 alcohol swabs