Spay and neuter surgeries are routine procedures that we perform here at East Coast Vets. Spaying and neutering helps to control pet populations and can confer some specific health benefits on your dog or cat. It’s ultimately every owner’s decision whether or not to have their pet spayed or neutered. Here’s some information about spay and neuter procedures, as you consider them for your pet.
Why Spay and Neuter Pets?
Spaying and neutering confer slightly different benefits, depending on whether your pet is male or female. Here are some of the benefits conferred by the procedures.
Spaying Your Female Pets
- Hormone fluctuations eliminated
- Removes risk of uterine infection
- Removes risk of ovarian or uterine cancers
- Reduces risk of breast cancers
- Reduces separation anxiety suffered by female pets
Neutering Your Male Pets
- Reduced rate of prostate infection and testicular cancer
- Reduced aggression levels
- Reduced roaming behaviors
- Reduced territorial marking behaviors
The Spay and Neuter Procedures
If your pet is an adult, it can be spayed or neutered at any time. For kittens, it’s recommended that spaying or neutering happens at around eight weeks of age. For puppies, these surgeries can be safely performed when they’re between six and nine months of age.
Spaying and neutering are “day procedures.” You will drop your pet off at our clinic on the day of the appointment. We’ll call you once your pet has awakened from the anesthesia and their surgery is over, so you can come to pick them up.
During a spay procedure, the vet makes an incision on the pet’s belly. The ovaries or both the uterus and the ovaries are removed.
During a neuter procedure, an incision is made on the dog or cat’s scrotum. The testicles are then surgically removed.
Caring for Your Pet After Spaying/Neutering
Provide a space in your home where your pet can “hide” to rest and heal, such as a cardboard box or kennel. One risk after the procedure is that your pet will reopen the stitches on their surgery site. An Elizabethan collar can prevent them from licking or biting the incision site. You should watch for signs of swelling or redness (signs of infection) at the incision site. The incision should be kept dry for about ten days to facilitate healing (no baths!). Try to limit your pet’s activity levels for a couple of weeks to help them heal.
If you’re interested in spay and neuter procedures for your pet, call our office at 410-463-6451 to schedule an appointment.
