Desexing Dogs and Cats

 

Desexing of dogs and cats are procedures that are carried out on a daily basis at the clinic. Pets come to the clinic in the morning, stay with us for the day and go home the same afternoon. They will need to be starved overnight - no breakfast on the morning of surgery, to reduce the risk of anaesthesia. Dogs are given pain relief injections at the clinic and sent home with further oral pain relief to be given at home. Cats are given pain relief injections at the time of surgery. Full home-care instructions are given to you when your pets are sent home, and we are always happy to answer any questions you may have. We encourage owners to book a free post-operative check-up a few days after surgery to ensure that all is going well and that pain levels are well managed. 

 

Below is some further information about desexing:

Advantages of Desexing

• Preventing Unwanted Pregnancies
  • Breeding can be stressful and expensive, especially if the female ends up needing help to give birth, needs an emergency caesarean section (surgery) or if the mother or puppies / kittens become unwell.
  • It can be hard to find good homes for puppies and kittens.
  • Pregnancy and puppy / kitten rearing can be physically and emotionally difficult for some female animals.
  • Female cats can become pregnant again almost immediately after giving birth so they can produce a huge number of kittens every year.
  • If you are considering breeding your animal, we strongly recommend that you talk with an experienced breeder to gain a full understanding of the hard work and financial cost that is involved.
• Prevent cancer
  • Females: uterine, ovarian and mammary cancers can be prevented by early desexing (before her first season).
  • Males: desexing dramatically reduces or removes the chance of prostate cancer and testicular tumours.
• Prevent problematic sexual behaviours
  • Females: early desexing prevents sexual behaviours associated with coming "on heat", as well as preventing menstrual bleeding in dogs.
  • Males: early desexing can help prevent aggression, problem urination, escaping / roaming to find on heat females, and “riding” objects and people.
• Prevent other diseases
  • Females: desexing removes the risk of a pyometra - a life threatening uterine infection which generally requires emergency surgery.
  • Males: desexing greatly reduces the risk of the prostate becoming enlarged in male dogs. An enlarged prostate can lead to life threatening constipation or prostate infection. Desexing also tends to reduce roaming and fighting behaviours which in turn can reduce problems such as wounds and infections from fighting injuries.
• Discount on council registration
  • The local council offers a discount on dog registration for dogs that are desexed.

 

Potential Disadvantages of Desexing

• Both females and males can put on weight more easily once desexed, so it is a good idea to reduce their food intake by about 1/5th after desexing - the advantage of this is you will save money on pet food!
• Desexed dogs and cats may grow slightly taller than non-desexed animals.
• A small percentage of female dogs may develop occasional urine leakage as they get older. It is thought this may be more common in desexed dogs. This may require medication.

 

What age should I get my pet desexed?

We recommend desexing dogs at four to six months old. This is because the benefits of desexing are greater if we desex them before they reach sexual maturity. 

We recommend desexing cats once they weigh over 1 kilogram, or are at least 10 weeks of age. Kittens of this young age recover quickly from the procedure, and the benefits of desexing are greater if we desex them early.

Dogs and cats that have been used for breeding should be desexed as soon as they are no longer being used for breeding.

 

What is involved in desexing surgery? 

Females: Surgery involves opening the abdomen and removing the ovaries and uterus. The wound is then closed in multiple layers of stitches.

Surgery for females is more complex so it requires a longer anaesthetic and longer surgery time. For this reason, recovery from surgery is generally slower for females than males; however, most pets are generally feeling well within 24 hours of surgery. Free wound checks are available post-surgery and stitches are removed 10-14 days after surgery.

Males: In dogs, the skin is opened above the scrotum, the testicles are pushed forward and then surgically removed. The wound is then closed in multiple layers of stitches. In cats, the skin of the scrotum is opened over each testicle and the testicles are then surgically removed. The wound is then left open to drain any resulting fluid - this wound closes by itself very quickly. There are no stitches to be removed.