De-Sexing/Neutering your PetNeutering, or "de-sexing", is a term used to describe a surgical procedure to stop pets from reproducing. It involves both castration (removal of the testicles in males) and speying (removal of ovaries +- uterus in females). At Taranaki Vets we regularly neuter cats, dogs and even rabbits. These surgical procedures are considered "routine." There are many advantages associated with having the procedure performed including health and behavioural benefits for your pet, as well as population control in the community. Why Neuter?The health benefits include reducing the risk of developing certain cancers (mammary, ovarian and testicular). In female dogs it prevents pyometra (a life-threatening uterus infection). In male animals it removes the risk of prostate infection and enlargement of the prostate (prostatic hyperplasia). In cats it lessens the risk of contracting Feline Aids by reducing the desire to roam and fight. Entire female rabbits have a 60% chance of developing uterine cancer and this increases up to 80% as they get older. Research shows that neutered pets tend to live longer, because of the reasons mentioned above. The behavioural benefits include (as mentioned above) reducing their desire to roam so are less likely to get lost, get injured, or hit by a car. Neutering can reduce aggression so animals are less likely to fight. Fighting can lead to cat bite abscesses and spreading infectious diseases. Being neutered reduces the desire to “mark their territory” so animals are less likely to leave urine marks which can be very strong smelling and hard to remove. Pros and Cons for DogsWe understand that decisions around desexing your dog are complex. There are several pros and cons to desexing. Below is a summary of the recent literature surrounding the advantages and disadvantages of de-sexing. Pros of Desexing Males and Females
Males
Females
Cons of Desexing Males
Females
Male and Female
Breed Specific Considerations The pros and cons of desexing can vary by breed. There are some breeds that have been studied in more detail then others.
When to Neuter?For both male and female cats we recommend they are neutered around 5-6 months of age. Waiting until this age means the anaesthetic risk is lower and is still before puberty so prevents unwanted behaviours and unwanted pregnancies. One queen can have up to 3 litters a year with an average of 4 in each litter - over her lifetime, she could contribute 180 kittens to the cat population! The age of neutering for both female and male dogs has changed in recent years and is often size and breed specific. We generally recommend small/medium dogs (under 20kg) are neutered at 6 months of age, large breed (20-50kg) at 12 months of age and giant breeds (50kg+) over 12 months old. There are a few breed exceptions to this, including, Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Rottweilers, Vizslas and German Shepherds which have specific age recommendations. In female dogs we also need to consider when they last had a heat – the signs of this include swelling of the vulva and dripping blood from the vulva. To make the surgery as safe as possible we need to book their spey in at least 4 weeks from the end of their last heat (if they have had one).
Due to these considerations, it is best to discuss the ideal time to neuter your dog with your vet.
Our recommendations for rabbits are similar to cats, they can be neutered from 5-6 months of age. Neutering rabbits is not as common as cats and dogs, but has the same health and behavioural benefits. It is normally recommended if you have more than one rabbit at home especially a male and female, unless you want heaps of little bunnies running around. However, neutering also helps for same sex as it can assist them to co-habitat peacefully. Please note that rabbit anaesthetics are higher risk than cats or dogs so please discuss with your vet prior to booking surgery.
How to book your animal in and what to expect?To book your animal in to be neutered please contact your local clinic (Hawera, Stratford or Patea), and make an appointment for the next available surgery day. The night before surgery you will need to take food away from 8pm (except for rabbits). On the day of surgery you will need to drop them off in the morning, normally between 8-8.30am, they will have their procedure and a pick up time will be arranged at a time convenient to you (generally between 3-5pm).
At drop off a nurse will run through the consent paperwork with you and admit your pet. The surgical vet and nurse will then do a pre anaesthetic check which involves physically examining your pet to ensure that they are healthy for the surgery. Some animals due to age or other factors may be recommended to have pre-anaesthetic bloods done to check for abnormalities that may affect the safety of the anaesthetic e.g. kidney disease, liver disease, low blood cell counts or blood clotting issues. If the pre anaesthetic check is all normal your pet will then be settled into the hospital to await their turn on the surgery list.
When its your pets turn for surgery their anaesthetic will be constantly monitored by our qualified nursing staff, using state of the art monitoring equipment. Once the surgery is complete they will go back to the hospital to be monitored in recovery until they are ready to go home. When you pick them up the nurse will go through the post operative care instructions which vary depending on if they are male or female and a cat, dog or rabbit.
No matter what surgery they have had they all require rest and to be kept quiet for a few days – being kept inside and lead exercise only for dogs. You should offer small amounts of water and food the first night. Over the next day or two they should be back to eating and drinking normally. You will need to keep an eye on the surgical site and look for signs of redness, swelling or discharge. If they are licking at the area, they will need a buster collar or medishirt on to stop them affecting the healing process. You need to bring your pet back for a free revisit with a nurse 10-14 days after surgery to remove stitches and check they have healed adequately to go back to their normal activities. If you would like to book your pet in to be neutered or would like some more information, give your local Taranaki Vet Centre a call today! |