Benefits Of Spaying Or Neutering Your Pet

Every year, our hospital has the good fortune of caring for hundreds of new puppies and kittens.

During the first few months of their lives, we ask you to bring them to us for several check ups to make sure they are healthy, to be properly vaccinated, to provide education on preventative health tips, and to answer the numerous questions you may have regarding the care of your new puppy or kitten. One of the more frequent questions we encounter involves concerns regarding whether or not to spay or neuter a pet.

OUR RECOMMENDATIONS:

We recommend having your pet’s surgery done between 4 and 6 months of age. We recommend that every pet not being used for breeding be either spayed or neutered. Many humane associations currently do routine spays and neuters as early as 1 month of age, so that the animals can be adopted out with out placing the burden of pursuing the surgery on the new family. We prefer to wait until your pet has finished most of its vaccination boosters before doing the surgery. However, we do not recommend waiting to do the surgery until after an animal has been through a heat, or shown signs of adult behavior.

WHY IS THE TIMING IMPORTANT?

It is important not to wait too long to do the surgeries. Female dogs that undergo even just one heat are more prone to developing mammary gland cancer as older dogs. Female dogs and cats that are intact run the risk of life threatening infections in their uterus after each heat. Some even go through false pregnancies that can be very difficult on their systems.

We recommend neutering male puppies before they reach puberty to help prevent certain behavioral problems like marking, dominance aggression, and roaming. Male cats should be neutered before they begin spraying, usually at 7 – 9 months of age.

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS TO THE SURGERY?

1. Cancer prevention: Spaying your dog before its first heat will decrease the likelihood of developing cancer in her mammary glands as an adult. Neutering you dog will help prevent testicular cancer and perianal cancer.

2. Pyometra Prevention: Pyometra is a serious infection of the uterus. It occurs in dogs and cats, after a heat. It is a life threatening condition, that often requires emergency surgery and prolonged hospital stays as a treatment. Since a spay involves a full ovariohysterectomy, (removal of both ovaries and the uterus), surgery done as a kitten or puppy protects her from this condition.

3. Pregnancy Prevention: For both the experienced and inexperienced breeder, dealing with a pregnant pet, and newborn puppies or kittens can become a huge, and expensive commitment. One out of every five litters runs into some sort of complication. Some animals require emergency or scheduled c-sections. Some develop serious post-partum side effects such as infection, hypocalcemia, endotoxemia and mastitis. Some litters are poor doers and need to be hand reared.

4. Prostate Problem Prevention: Dogs that are not neutered will eventually develop problems with their prostate glands. Some will develop painful infections of the prostate, called prostatitis. The most common problem in older un-neutered dogs though, is benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH. The hormone testosterone causes the prostate to become larger with time. Once it becomes too big to remain in the pelvic canal, it will begin to pinch the rectum and bladder, and lead to your dog having discomfort or straining when trying to defecate or urinate. Neutering corrects the problem, but it can take several months for the prostate to shrink down to a more comfortable size.

5. Fight Prevention: Some dogs and cats have more of a potential to develop dominance or territorial aggression if they are not spay and neutered. This leads to more problems with roaming and fights. Cats that get into a lot of fights are more at risk to contract the deadly FELV or FIV viruses. All animals that get into fights are more at risk for abscesses, lacerations, and rabies.

6. Perineal Herniation: Intact male dogs can develop weakened muscle walls in their rectums that allow stool to store up in pouches. These dogs will initially strain to defecate, but eventually develop infections as they become progressively unable to defecate normally. These hernia ions are only seen in intact males, and are preventable with castration.

As a rule, animals that are spay and neutered have less frequent visits to the hospital because of the preventative health benefits, and the decreased tendency to roam, fight, or have behavioral problems.

WILL MY PET BECOME LAZY AND OVERWEIGHT AFTER THE SURGERY?

Usually not. Most of the pets we care for have their surgery as puppies or kittens. You are unlikely to notice any change in their demeanor or activity level. Dogs with a tendency to be protective will still be protective of the household. Dogs that have a tendency to be playful or energetic will remain so. Neutering just makes it more likely that the energy your pet shows as a pup will be more manageable as an adult dog.

Animals have their surgeries when they are a few years older, ARE more prone to weight gain. We can usually prevent this gain by placing animals on a short-term diet for the first few months after their surgery.

ETHICAL CONCERNS:

One of the major reasons to spay or neuter your pet is to control the population of unwanted pets. It is estimated that 22 million unwanted pets are euthanised in this country EVERY YEAR. While you may want your family or pet to have the puppy or kitten experience, it is important to remember that every good home you find for one of yours, is one more at the pound that loses a life.

The humane associations in Rhode Island require adopted pets to be neutered or spay. We recommend all animals that are not actively, and responsibly being bred, be neutered or spay.

ECONOMIC CONCERNS:

Because we feel very strongly about preventative spays and neuters, we try to make the surgery as affordable as possible to make it easier on the caretakers. The cost for a routine spay or neuter is marked down considerably for this reason and special discounts are made for animals adopted from humane associations. Ovariohysterectomies or castrations not done as a preventative measure are charged for appropriately. This cost is often several hundred more dollars than the routine procedure, because the medical care must also being charged for, not just the surgery time.

In addition, animals that are to be bred require nutritional supplements and care to keep them healthy through gestation. Then, once the pups or kittens are born, there is the cost of their first visit, deworming, and first booster. All and all, a decision to breed a pet should not be taken lightly, as it has the potential for a lot of time, effort, and investment on the part of the caretaker.

SURGICAL CONSCERNS:

If you are considering having your pet spay or neutered, be sure to ask questions about pain management and anesthetic protocols. Costs of routine spays and neuters vary drastically depending on the types of anesthetic used, the anesthetic monitoring done, and the fluids and pain management provided. Some clinics will charge extra for nail trims, baby tooth extraction, or ear cleaning while under anesthesia. Make sure you understand what you are being charged for, what is “included” in the cost of the procedure, and what your veterinarian is doing to keep your pet as safe and pain free as possible during his or her procedure.

Young animals generally do very well under anesthesia, but sometimes they are born with underlying conditions that do not show up during a physical exam. These conditions can effect their anesthetic outcome, so blood tests that check for infectious disease and organ dysfunction are recommended.

Also, some animals can have reactions to anesthetics, or develop complications during surgery, like bleeding. For this reason, ALL animals under anesthetic should be on IV fluids to support their cardiovascular system and have their blood pressure, respiration, and heart rhythm monitored for any problems.

For More Information

Canine Spay FAQ

Feline Spay FAQ

Canine Castration FAQ

Feline Castration FAQ

Is Anesthesia Safe?

Time To Neuter???

Ideally, your dog or cat should be spay or neutered before their first heat, or before they begin urine marking.  Generally it is best to do the procedure before they are 6 months old.  Pets should be appropriately vaccinated, otherwise healthy, and have had a complete physical exam and evaluation by your veterinarian within 2 months of your pet's surgery.  To schedule a pre-surgical examination, please call your veterinarian for an appointment, or email us through the Contact Us page.  Remember, we only check email weekly!!!!