“Spaying” refers to your female dog or cat undergoing surgery to remove her uterus and
ovaries (ovariohysterectomy). This will prevent her from going into estrus (or “heat”)
cycle and removes the risk of her becoming pregnant. Over 3 million dogs and cats are
euthanized each year in shelters due to overpopulation, so spaying your dog or cat will
help ensure she is not part of this problem. We recommend having your dog or cat spayed
between 5-6 months of age, prior to her first heat cycle. This makes the surgery safer, less
expensive and also increases the health benefits to your pet.
These are some of the health benefits to having your pet spayed:
1) Spay early to reduce her risk of developing mammary cancer.
One in four un-spayed, older female dogs will be affected by mammary cancer. Spaying your female
dog prior to her first heat cycle (usually occurs in dogs between 7-9 months of age) will decrease her
risk of developing mammary cancer later in life to less then 1%, this increases to 7% after her first heat
cycle and 25% after her second. Any dog, even those who already have mammary tumors will benefit
from being spayed however, by reducing the influence of estrogen.
Mammary cancer in cats is the third most common type of cancer seen in cats, 90% of these tumors are
malignant and can be fatal. Spaying prior 6 months of age will reduce the incidence of mammary
cancer by 91%. Though spaying later in life is still helpful to preventing mammary cancer, the most
benefit is gained by having her spayed prior to ever going through a heat cycle.
2) Remove her risk of developing pyometra (uterine infection).
Pyometra is an infection of the uterus that occurs in approximately 25% of older un-spayed female
dogs, it is less common in cats, but does occur. This infection is very serious and can lead to kidney
failure and even death. The usual treatment is emergency surgery to remove the infected uterus.
3) Removes her risk of pregnancy and c-section.
Pregnancy is also a risk, especially for an inexperienced pet owner. Older dogs or cats having their
first litter, small breeds, and dogs with only one puppy are at a higher risk for requiring an emergency
c-section. Breeding your pet, intentionally or not, can be very time consuming and costly.
4) Behavior benefits.
While spaying your dog or cat will not change her temperament, it can reduce the risk of hormonally
related aggression among female dogs. Spaying your cat will remove the very annoying, yowling “in
heat” behavior. Spaying your female dog or cat will also allow her to have a more active social life as
you will not have to keep her home when she is in heat, or in the case of a cat keep her strictly indoors.
As you can see there are many benefits to spaying your pet. Please let us know if you
have any questions or concerns regarding this surgical procedure.
“Castration” or “neutering” refers to your male dog or cat undergoing surgery to remove
his testicles so that he cannot reproduce. Over 3 million dogs and cats are euthanized
each year in shelters due to overpopulation, so castrating your dog or cat will help ensure
he is not part of this problem. We recommend having your dog neutered between 6-9
months of age and your cat by 5-6 months of age. This makes the surgery safer, less
expensive and also increases the health benefits to your pet.
1) Neuter behavior benefits.
Neutered dogs and cats make better pets in general. They are less distracted by other animals and more
likely to focus on their owners, they are also more reliable to train. Neutering reduces the desire to roam,
making it less likely your dog or cat will be hit by a car or fight with other animals. With cats you will also
have less of the yowling behavior and less trying to escape outdoors in search of females in heat.
Neutering your male dog or cat prior to sexual maturity will help decrease testosterone-related marking
behaviors and make house or litterbox training easier. You will also reduce the incidence of aggression and
territorial behavior towards other pets. Once some of these behaviors have developed, they can be difficult
to correct. Neutering will also allow him to have a more active social life as you will not have to keep him
away from other intact dogs or in the case of a cat keep him strictly indoors.
2) Reduce the risk of testicular cancer or prostate problems.
Neutering your dog removes the risk of testicular cancer. Testicular cancer is the second most common
form of cancer in intact male dogs, and is more common in dogs with a retained testicle (cryptorchids).
The risk of developing prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is decreased by about 80% by neutering your dog.
We also see less perineal hernias, perianal tumors and prostatitis in dogs who are neutered at a young
age.
According to some studies there are certain problems that have a higher reported
incidence in castrated dogs and cats. These are typically breed specific and there is a lack
of conclusive evidence to support that there is an adverse effect on dogs or cats when
castrated after 6 months of age and there are many benefits to neutering your pet. Please
let us know if you have any questions or concerns regarding this surgical procedure.