Spaying and neutering are an important part of curbing the overpopulation of dogs and cats. It also helps minimize the amount of cats and dogs in shelters that never find homes. The procedure can also help to prevent or eliminate negative behaviours such as urine marking and the desire to roam in search of a mate.
What does neutering/spaying a dog or cat do?
Spaying and neutering removes your dog or cat’s reproductive organs. Spaying female dogs and cats is a vital part of the prevention of mammary tumours and eliminating the possibility of uterine diseases, which can be fatal. Neutering male dogs can help prevent health issues like testicular cancer or curb unwanted behaviours like aggression or roaming. If you have questions about the procedures, please contact us at 306-373-3500.
How old should a dog or cat be before neutering/spaying?
The age we recommend spaying and neutering varies depending on the sex of your dog/cat. For large-breed male dogs, we often wait until 10-12 months of age to allow time to reach sexual maturity. For small to medium-breed males and female dogs, we perform the surgery at six months of age. Cats should be spayed or neutered at 5.5 to 6 months of age. Ideally, female cats should be spayed before their first heat cycle which happens at six months of age for most cats.
What is the procedure to spay/neuter?
Both procedures require surgeries where your dog or cat goes under general anesthesia. For male dogs or cats, we perform minor surgery to completely remove the testicles. For female cats, we need to make an incision into the abdomen to remove the ovaries and uterus, which is a more in-depth procedure. We provide pre-anesthetic blood work, intravenous fluids and pain medication included in the cost of spaying. We also provide pain control for dogs and cats. Our goal is to ensure they’re as comfortable as possible during and after their surgery. Both procedures will require your cat or dog to be hospitalized, and they will be released later the same afternoon.
