When you adopt your first pet, it’s quite common to have a lot of questions. Often, your pet’s initial veterinary check up is the first time you will have the opportunity to introduce your pet to their veterinarian and to ask any questions you might have about caring for your new pet. Often there are so many questions about the future care of your pet. You will find that there isn’t enough time to ask them all.
A common question topic at these appointments is regarding the next big step in our little puppy or kitten’s life after first vaccinations, neutering. In theory, everyone understands that neutering your pet is important but that doesn’t mean we all know the answers about it. And some of the answers may vary from cat to dog, and from male to female. Therefore, today we are going to review some of the top questions owners ask about neutering their female animals.
Question No.1: What is involved in neutering a female animal?
Neutering of the female cat or dog is termed “spaying.” In both species, the procedure requires putting the pet under a general anesthetic to perform the surgery. The surgery itself involves surgically removing the pet’s ovaries, uterus and cervix. Once these tissues are removed, the pet will no longer be able to conceive and will cease to cycle.
Question No. 2: At what age should I have my pet spayed?
While appearing to be a straightforward question, it is one that is actually up for debate in some veterinary communities. Traditionally, the age of six months was considered the optimal time to spay an animal. Yet with increasing veterinary research, researchers have found no ill effects from earlier neutering. Therefore, it is no uncommon nowadays to find rescue animals neutered at ages younger than six months.
Therefore, this is a good discussion to have with your veterinary surgeon. Six months is a perfectly respectable age for having your pet neutered, but if your veterinary surgeon advocates an earlier age, this is acceptable as well. If your pet is going to be at risk of pregnancy before six months, it might be worth considering an earlier neutering date. Your veterinary surgeon can advise you what is most appropriate for your individual pet.
Questions No. 3: Why should I get my pet spayed?
We spend our lives with our uteruses intact, so why should we be removing our pets? It is a valid question. Still, there are a number of reasons neutering our pets is an important part of good pet care.
Unwanted Litters: The first reason for spaying to consider is the risk of unwanted litters. Pet overpopulation is a huge problem all over the world and every year more healthy animals are being put to sleep just because they lack a home. You wouldn’t want that kind of fate to befall your pet, so surely you don’t want their offspring to end up homeless and in a shelter either. Therefore, if you aren’t ready for your pet to rapidly increase the population of cats or dogs in your house, spaying your pet is the smart and responsible thing to do.
Pyometra: Pyometra is an infection of the uterus where the uterus becomes filled with pus. This disease is very serious and if left untreated can lead to rupture of the uterus and death of the animal. It is most often seen in older unspayed dogs, but pyometras can occur in any species. These cases require urgent treatment via emergency spay to remove the infection laden tissue. Spaying a pet when it is young and healthy will prevent the occurrence of pyometras and avoid the trauma of racing your elderly pet in for an emergency surgery.
Breast cancer: Studies in dogs have found that spaying before the onset of their first season decreases the future likelihood of developing breast cancer. This includes the terrible malignant kind of breast tumors. It is found that after the first season, this benefit decreases significantly and drops dramatically again after the second season. Therefore, to gain this health benefit, early decisions about spaying are required.
Hopefully, this has answered some of your questions about neutering. If there is a question you would like covered, please let me know. And remember that no Internet based information can replace veterinary advice from a veterinary surgeon regarding your individual pet. While I am happy to give you a general understanding and answer questions you may have, if you have a specific question regarding you pet’s health, please seek advice from a veterinary surgeon in person.