Spaying and Neutering

Spaying and Neutering


Spays and neuters are performed under general anesthesia. A spay, also known as an ovariohysterectomy, removes the reproductive organs (uterus and ovaries) from a female animal. A neuter is the removal of the testicles from a male animal. It is one of the most important steps you can take to ensure the lifelong health of your dog.
 

Prior to a surgical procedure, your pet will receive a physical examination and consultation with the veterinarian. Anesthetic protocols are carefully considered for every pet and every effort will be taken to keep your pet safe and comfortable. Your pet's heart rate, temperature, blood oxygen level, and EKG will be carefully monitored throughout the surgery and recovery. Pain management is a priority for every spay and neuter.
 

Spaying and neutering reduces behaviors such as roaming, marking, and aggression. Most dogs reach sexual maturity at 6 months of age.
 

Males may start behaviors such as humping and lifting their leg to urinate. Neutering male dogs can reduce prostate enlargement and eliminate testicular cancer. Prostate disease is common in older and intact male dogs, and may be life threatening. An enlarged prostate can affect a dog's ability to urinate and defecate. Bacterial infections of the prostate must be treated with a long coarse of heavy antibiotics and neutering. Prostate cancer has few treatment options and a poor prognosis.
 

Heat cycles may vary for each individual dog, but most female dogs will experience heat cycles every 6 months. The only way to prevent pregnancy is to perform the spay procedure. Dogs are fertile for approximately 14-21 days, with active bleeding for 5-7 days. During this time dogs will also have vaginal swelling, discharge, or mammary swelling. Spaying female dogs is important because it will also eliminate the risk of uterine infections. A pyometra is a severe bacterial infection of the uterus. It can be a life-threatening condition and emergency surgery must be performed.
 

It is recommended to perform spaying and neutering at 8-10 months of age, or after the first heat cycle for females. It is important for future bone and joint health that a pet’s hormones remain intact until the long bones stop growing and the adult size is reached. There is no evidence that spaying and neutering will change the personality of your puppy, or cause your dog to become overweight. Spaying and neutering is generally a simple and safe out-patient procedure, recovery for young dogs is quick and easy, requiring 10 to 14 days to heal.
 

Your veterinarian will provide you with all the spaying and neutering information and protocols for your individual pet’s needs during your vaccine booster appointments. In addition to spaying and neutering, while under anesthesia it is the ideal time to also remove dewclaws, repair umbilical hernias, or implant a microchip.