Desexing
Desexing or neutering your pet is a surgical procedure that prevents them from being able to reproduce. In male pets it is commonly referred to as “castration”, and in female pets as “spaying”.This is the most frequent surgery performed by our vets, and generally your pet is home by the evening of surgery.
Many pets are desexed as juveniles or young adults although dogs and cats are never too old for desexing.
There are many benefits to desexing your pet:
- Preventing unwanted litters, which can be very costly, and may add to the already overwhelming number of stray animals that are put down each year
- Prevention of testicular cancer and prostate disease in males
- Prevention of pyometra (infection of the uterus) and reduction in mammary tumours incidence (breast cancer) in females
- Stopping the “heat” cycle in females
- Decreasing aggression towards humans and other animals, especially in males
- Being less prone to wander, especially in males
- Reduction of council registration fees
FAQ's
Should I let my dog have a heat before desexing her?
Allowing female dogs to have a heat may be beneficial for bone and joint development in larger breed dogs, it may also help in prevention of urinary incontinnance. This is less critical for smaller dogs. Desexing between the first and second heat is likely to reduce the risk of mammary tumours in future years and prevents pyometra. Smaller dogs do not necessarily benefit from having a heat. We recommend discussing the age of desexing your dog with one of our vets.
What's the best age to desex male dogs?
Large breed dogs will benefit from desexing after they reach their mature size, this allows for better bone and joint development (this generally occurs after 12 months of age). Small breed dogs are not affected by age so much and can be desexed around 6 months of age.
What's involved in desexing?
All desexings are completed with surgical sterility under general anaesthesia. Males are desexed by removing the testicles and females are generally desexed via ovariohysterectomy (removal of the ovaries and the uterus)
Are there any other oprtions?
Chemical neutering is available for temporary/long term neutering via chemical implant. Please get in touch with our vets if you would like to discuss this