Benefits of neutering your pet

Here is some information to answer all your questions on neutering your pet, and hopefully put to rest some of the myths surrounding the procedure. There are many advantages to neutering your pet and most are directly related to the overall health of the animal. A pet owner must also remember that every animal is an individual and so changes that appear in one may not appear in the other. Here I will also outline what happens when your pet is left in for a neuter surgery. Neuter is a general term and the word spaying applies to females and castration is used for the males.You may neuter your male or female cat after 5 months. The general time for dogs is after 6 months although larger breeds will be a little later as they take longer to reach their full size.

Advantages of spaying a FEMALE dog (bitch)

• Pyometra (nasty, potentially fatal infection of the womb)Mammary tumors, common in un-neutered femalesOvarian & uterine tumors – (spaying eliminates this)Unwanted pupsDecrease in possible UTI’sNo mess – no heat cycles and blood spotting

Disadvantages

• Spaying can slightly reduce the metabolism in some bitches by about 10%. All this means is that you may reduce the amount of food she gets and keep an eye on her weight. 

Advantages of castrating a MALE dog

• Stops roaming and injuries related to roaming and trying to get to femalesProstate problems – these are very common in older unneutered malesCalming – can make dogs relax in their surroundings and they don’t have to be constantly trying to get to females or fighting for mating rightsDecrease in UTI’sMay decrease aggression levels in some dogs

Disadvantages

• Working or security / guard dogs can lose a slight bit of their ‘drive’. This is a possibility and not a guarantee. Talk to us if you are unsure whether to go ahead.

 

Procedure for your neuter;

An appointment is necessary to book in your pet for neutering and you can do this by calling us on 045 521 507 and we will suggest a time and date that suits you. Alternatively you may call into the clinic and arrange a date with one of our nurses. For the dog that is!A time and date will be arranged such as Tuesday morning if you could bring your pet in from 9am to 9.30. We will then ask you to sign a consent form for the procedure and therefore the anaesthetic. We will take your pet in and give it a nice comfy bed. We weigh the dog and make sure its heart is healthy and give it a full general anaesthetic so it doesn’t feel any of the procedure. In a bitch spay we remove the womb and the ovaries in what’s technically referred to as an ovariohysterectomy. In a male dog the testicles are taken away. These are fully surgically removed and the dog is closed up.Our team gives your pet its full requirement in terms of pain medication during the procedure so the dog wakes up comfortable. Our excellent nurses then clean and dress the wound and the dog is moved to our intensive care unit to wake up gently in a heated, peaceful, dark environment.The dog will be fitted with a buster collar (lampshade) over its head, and this needs to stay on until the dog has returned for its stitches to come out in 10-14 days. This is all included in the price of the surgery. This is important it remains on the dog as when the wound heals it becomes itchy, and even a good docile dog can go at its stitches as it is their natural reaction. This can cause contamination of the wound and worse, it can re-open as the animal can tear out the stitches. It is not a good idea to let any pet lick it’s spay wound.Once we are happy the dog is fully awake we will call you to let you know everything went well and give you a collection time when we are happy for you to pick up your pet. We will then go through any questions you may have and go through aftercare instructions.It is a very routine procedure and not one to be put off! All too often we get womb infections and tumors that can be fatal because the owner was ‘waiting for the right time to neuter’. Regardless of health benefits there are just not enough good homes to go around and thousands of animals are put down each year in pounds and dog homes. So do the responsible thing and neuter your pet.

Common Myths

It is untrue that letting your bitch have a first ‘heat’ is good for her. In fact this opens the possibility of a womb infection (pyometra). The same is said for letting her have a first litter of pups. Neither is necessary.It does vary with individual dogs but it can have a calming effect on some as they do not have to deal with the hormones relating to the heat cycle and for males vying for dominance and mating rights with females not to mention trying to get at a fertile bitch.As mentioned above, weight can be watched after the procedure. Having said this, if they are getting the correct amount of food and exercise, this shouldn’t be a problem! Come and speak to one of our nurses if you have any questions and we will be happy to inform you everything you need to know.