For non-breeders of animals we believe neutering is essential.
Female Cat and Dog Neutering (Spaying)
We recommend that all female dogs and cats that are not intended to be bred from are neutered (spayed) from 6 months of age but when they are fully grown so for giant dog such as a Mastiff this can be around 18 months. To see if your dog is ready to be neutered please book in with one of our Nurses for a free 15 minute, pre-neutering health check.
Queen cats come into season at around 6 months and are highly successful at strolling the neighbourhood to find a mate and coming home pregnant!
Bitches often present later in life with reproductive problems (eg breast cancer or pyometra – pus in the womb) many of which are removed or drastically reduced by early neutering. It has been showed that spaying bitches before their first season (ie. At 6 months of age) reduces the risk of breast cancer later in life.
Did you know?
- Neutered bitches live, on average, 2 years longer than those that are not!
- It is a common misconception that female pets will be better after a litter of pups or kittens – this is not correct.
Laparoscopic Bitch Spays
Laparoscopic bitch spays or 'keyhole' spays, are becoming increasingly popular. The 'keyhole' technique is far less traumatic, with greater precision and fewer complications compared to a traditional spay. The overall result is a faster and more comfortable recovery.
The procedure involves the use of specialised 'keyhole' cameras and instruments, designed to be minimally invasive. The surgery is viewed by the surgeon on a large TV monitor connected to the camera. This gives the surgeon a magnified view of all the internal structures of the abdomen.
Laparoscopic spays use long armed instruments and cameras to access the ovaries within the abdominal cavity via small incisions, instead of the traditional routine spay requiring the surgeon to exteriorise the ovaries to operate. This allows better visualisation of the internal organs and offers the benefit of reduced postoperative pain, rapid return to normal activity, and reduced postoperative complications.
While we have to still clip the same amount of hair on the abdomen as a routine spay, the three incisions created are very small (5-10 mm), thus we see far less post-operative swelling and wound breakdown in our bouncier patients!
Due to the size of our equipment, we can only offer this service to dogs over 5 kg. We highly recommend this service to large deep chested dogs, as this conformation creates additional challenges for the surgeon using the traditional method. For further information please contact us on 01275 847400 and we would be happy to talk through the individual requirements for your dog.
Male Dog Neutering
Male dogs can make good pets either castrated or entire. Castrating a dog will have no effect on his character. Dogs that show early signs of aggression should be considered for castration although this will not guarantee correction of the behavioural problem.
Did you know?
All guide dogs and other working dogs are castrated
Male Cat Neutering
Tom cats that are not pedigree stud cats should all be castrated. The stray cat population in Britain is growing rapidly. Castrated male cats also:
- Neutered tom cats smell less
- Neutered tom cats fight less
- Neutered tom cats roam less
As a result they pick up less infections, for example, Feline Aids and leukaemia and reduce the risk of road traffic accidents through roaming. Castrating a cat will have no effect on his character.