Microchipping
To minimise the number of lost and missing pets in our community, BARC is pleased to provide microchipping to the pet cats and dogs of Bendigo residents. Please call the BARC team on (03) 5441 2209 to arrange an appointment for microchipping. Once you have an appointment booked, staff will request you complete the from below at the time of your appointment, or just prior to.
Discounted Dog Desexing
Are you struggling to afford to desex your dog, which has resulted in an unplanned litter of puppies? BARC’s Last Litter Program is set up to help provide discount dog desexing to Bendigo’s pets, preventing further unwanted litters while helping to placing the pups in new homes. Complete the form below to see if you are eligible.
Has your dog recently had puppies? Join our Last Litter Program to give your pups the best start while benefiting from our support!
How It Works
Simply provide your puppies to BARC for rehoming (mitigating all the legal requirements to rehome puppies yourself) and you can benefit from our Discount Dog Desexing.
With the Last Litter Program, your mumma dog will receive desexing and microchipping for just $75, while all puppies will be desexed, vaccinated, and microchipped before going to their new homes.
Plus, you won’t need to obtain a source number or meet other legal rehoming requirements in Victoria. Your family and friends will also get first pick of the litter, providing them a cost-effective adoption option.
To get started, fill out our online application form.
Discounted Cat Desexing
Cats should be desexed from 2-3 months of age as they can become pregnant from just 4 months of age. Desexing also reduces unwanted behaviours in cats such as excessive vocalisation, fighting, wandering, and spraying urine to mark their territory. BARC has several options available to assist residents of Bendigo who may be eligible for discount cat desexing. Spaces are limited and we encourage you to reach out to us as soon as possible to see if you qualify. There are currently 2 discounted cat desexing programs available.
If you would like to take ownership of a community cat, or have recently acquired a cat, you may be able to have them desexed through the Bendigo Community Cat Program. This program offers desexing, vaccination, microchipping, flea and worm treatment, as well as council pet registration from $20. Cats going through the program may be required to spend a short period of time (up to 8 days) housed at BARC while we arrange the required treatment. To see if you are eligible for the discount, please complete the online application here.
BARC and the City of Greater Bendigo are working with the National Desexing Network to provide discount cat desexing at several vet clinics around Bendigo, these surgeries are not provided by BARC and the bookings are made direct with the clinic. To see if you are eligible for the discount, please contact the National Desexing Network on 1300 368 992. Prices range from $55 to $65.
Post Surgery Care for Cats
On arriving home you should keep you cat warm and comfortable by providing a soft clean bed, ideally in a quiet and warm room. Unless otherwise instructed, your cat should be offered a drink of water and a small amount of their regular food. Ensure your cat has access to their litter tray.
Please keep your cat indoors for at least 5 days following the surgery, to minimise their level of activity and minimise damage to the surgery site. You should discourage any jumping or activity that will cause excessive stretching of the wound, especially during the first five days post-operatively.
Your cat may have had a tube placed in their trachea (windpipe) during the anaesthetic - this can occasionally cause mild irritation and a slight cough as an after-effect. If so, it will settle down over the next few days, however should it persist then contact your local veterinary practice.
It is only natural that your cat may try to clean the operation site, however, if this becomes excessive, then there is a danger of the stitches being pulled out or infection being introduced into the wound. If you have purchased an Elizabethan-type collar to prevent the cat chewing then please ensure it is used, otherwise please contact your local practice, and ask for one. Not surprisingly, many cats find these collars strange at first and will attempt to remove them. However, after a short period most animals will settle and tolerate wearing the collar. Once accustomed, it is better to keep the collar on permanently, rather than to take it on and off. Remember - it only takes a few seconds of unobserved chewing for a cat to undo its stitches. If your cat does succeed in removing any of its stitches, then please call your local vet as soon as possible.
The wound should normally be clean with the edges together and the skin a normal or slightly reddish/pink colour. In pale skinned cats bruising may be seen around the wound. This may not appear until a few days after the operation, and in some cases can seem excessive in comparison to the size of the incision, however this is due to seepage of blood under the skin edges. Please contact your regular veterinary provider if you see any of the following at the wound:
- Continuous seepage or a large quantity of blood.
- Intermittent blood seepage
- Any swellings, excessive redness of the skin or discharge.