Time to neuter or spay your pet
If you’ve had a new arrival in your home this Christmas, then the New Year is a good time to think about neutering your pet as part of responsible ownership. Even if your pet is not a newbie, it’s worth considering the key reasons why vets recommend neutering (male) and spaying (female).
- Health
Spayed pets live longer as they are less at risk of uterine infections and breast cancer which is 90% fatal for cats and 50% for dogs. Early spaying offers the best protection. Similarly, neutering male pets helps to prevent testicular cancer. It is a fallacy that pets will become overweight; proper diets and regular exercise will keep them in shape regardless of whether or not they are spayed/neutered.
- Responsibility
While the idea of allowing your pet a litter of its own one day may be appealing, remember that you are unlikely to keep more than one and will then have the responsibility for homing the rest. Every year millions of unwanted animals have to be put to sleep with stray unwanted pets causing significant problems in some areas, preying on wildlife and getting into rubbish.
Rabbits reproduce faster than cats and dogs, with breeding hard to control.
- Behavioural
Neutered cats and dogs focus their attention on their human families, where intact males mark their territory with urine and escape to find females, often at risk to themselves and getting into fights with other contenders for the female’s attention. Early neutering can (though not always) combat potential aggression issues. Unspayed females will also be prone to stray when they are on heat and their temperament can change with hormonal fluctuations. In the case of cats, they may yowl and urinate, possibly in the house, when in season, and can stain soft furnishings with blood.
- Financial
The cost of having your pet spayed (female) or neutered (male) is much less than caring for a new litter or dealing with the treatment of fighting injuries.
Bitches can be spayed before their first season (from around 6months of age), although the majority are spayed 3-4 months after their first season. For male dogs, castration is recommended from 10 months (earlier in some circumstances), while giant breeds are better castrated at a later age. Kittens, male and female, are generally neutered at 5 months. Female rabbits are generally ready to be neutered around 16 weeks old or on reaching 1kg in weight and males when their testicles have descended.
The operation is a routine procedure and your pet is unlikely to need to stay in overnight. The recovery time is usually less than 2 weeks, during which time your pet should be kept quiet and indoors as far as possible. In order to stop your pet from licking the wound, which could potentially cause an infection, a plastic collar or medical pet shirt is provided.
Factsheets about spaying or neutering your pet can be downloaded from Kingsway Vets website at https://cravenfarmvets.co.uk/pets/factsheets/