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| Frequently Asked Questions |
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| What is involved in spaying my female cat or dog? |
| Ovariohysterectomy is the proper medical term for the "spaying" or "neutering" of the female animal. The surgical procedure consists of the complete removal of the uterus and both ovaries. If the ovaries are not removed, the troublesome heat periods will still occur even though pregnancy is impossible. Although it is a commonly performed procedure, ovariohysterectomy is a major procedure involving general anesthesia and abdominal surgery. Although there is some discomfort following surgery, the recovery is rapid in most cases. |
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| What are the advantages? |
| • Pregnancy is impossible, so there will not be any unwanted puppies or kittens.
• There will be no more heat periods.
• Pyometra (uterine infections), a serious disease of intact females can’t occur.
• There is less chance of mammary cancer in a spayed female. |
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| Will it make my pet fat and lazy? |
| No, obesity is due to excessive caloric intake. Weight can be controlled with diet. |
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| Will it change her personality? |
| No. A dog and cat's personality does not fully develop until they are 1-2 years of age. If there is a personality change, it would have occurred without the surgery. |
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| Should my pet have a litter first? |
| No, it makes no difference whether your dog or cat has a litter. In fact, if a dog goes through one or more "heat" cycles, her chance of mammary cancer greatly increases. |
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| Would it be a good idea for the children to see a litter born? |
| There is a common feeling about this: but children can be taught about reproduction in many ways. It can be fun to see puppies or kittens born, but many puppies or kittens are homeless and are put to sleep every year. It would be better for the children to realize the reason for spaying their pet is to prevent more unwanted animals from being euthanized. |
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| At what age should I spay my puppy or kitten? |
| Puppies should be spayed at 4 to 6 months of age.
Kittens should be spayed at 4 to 6 months of age. |
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| What is involved in neutering my male dog and what are the advantages? |
| Castration (orchidectomy) is a surgical procedure involving the removal of both testes. We may elect to perform this surgery in order to eliminate the sex drive and the ability to reproduce. After castration, many male dogs do not roam or stray from home as much as before. This does not mean that all dogs will respond in this fashion. This procedure should not be looked upon as a replacement for obedience training by the owners.
In older dogs orchidectomy may be necessary due to disease processes involving the testes or the prostate. The surgery is a safe procedure and recovery is generally uneventful and aftercare is minimal.
The operation is performed under general anesthesia and the testicles are removed through one small incision make just in front of the scrotum. Recovery from anesthesia is quite rapid and the patient is ready to go home later the same day. |
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| At what age should I neuter my dog? |
| Male dogs should be neutered at 4 to 6 months of age. |
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| What is involved in neutering my male cat and what are the advantages? |
| Castration is the term applied to the procedure of surgically removing the testicles. When castration is performed before sexual maturity at 4-6 month of age, it reduces the sex instinct. This tends to eliminate the fighting and night prowling so common in the male cat. Castration also eliminates the very strong, objectionable urine odor of the intact male cat. Castration at 4-6 months of age does not lead to urinary problems later on in life.
Castration of sexually mature cats tends to stop them from fighting with other males, but established behavior patterns of night prowling and fighting may still continue.
Remember that cats are night hunters by nature and while castration will stop the tendency to compete for female cats, it usually will not diminish the cat’s natural tendency to hunt.
The operation is performed under general anesthesia. The testicles are removed through two small incisions in the scrotum. The incisions are left open to heal, so there are not any sutures to remove. Recovery from anesthesia is quite rapid and the cat is ready to go home later the same day. Healing is usually prompt and complications are very rare. |
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| At what age should I neuter my male cat? |
| Male cats should be neuter at 4 to 6 months of age—-the sooner the better to prevent spraying. |
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