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NEUTERING |
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What is neutering? Neutering is surgical procedure which removes the reproductive organs from an animal making it impossible for them to bear offspring. In male animals this usually involves castration (complete removal of the testicles) and in females this usually involves removing the ovaries and womb (ovariohysterectomy) - this is more commonly called spaying.
What are the benefits of neutering?
Male animals: first and foremost, neutering means that the animal will not be able to father any offspring should be come into contact with a female of the same species. However a lot of behavioural problems can be due to excessive "male-like" characteristics caused by testosterone, and so castration can also be useful for treating dogs with aggressive tendencies, inappropriate sexual behaviour and roaming.
As the number of cats in general population is forever increasing, there simply isn't enough territory to go round. Entire male cats tend to roam over greater distances and are a lot more territorial than their castrated counterparts. This means that they tend to get involved in many more cat-fights and this can cause other problems such as cat-bite abscesses, and irate owners of cats who may have inadvertently wandered into the wrong territory.
Female animals: again the main benefit from having a female animal spayed is the fact that she will be unable to conceive and give birth to unwanted offspring. Spaying animals also stops them having their regular seasons, so with dogs this means that they won't bleed from the vagina, and with cats this means that they won't go "calling" (which can be very noisy and very inconvenient at 4 am!) With both dogs and cats, having the animal spayed will reduce the number of unwanted male suitors who may turn up unannounced.
With female dogs there are health benefits too. Having them spayed before there second or third season will reduced the risk of that animal developing certain type of mammary (breast) cancer. In both dogs and cats, by removing the womb you are preventing a relatively common disorder (in older entire females) called Pyometra. Pyometra is literally an infection of the womb which can be life threatening.
Are
there any negative sides to neutering? One of the biggest problems encountered with neutering (especially in female animals) is weight gain. Now the actual act of neutering doesn't make the animal put on a lot of weight, it is rather the decrease in metabolism that takes place after the procedure. This means that what was the correct amount of food given before neutering, suddenly becomes excessive afterwards. So by feeding the animal a smaller amount after neutering should allow you to manage its weight successfully. Other problems can be hair coat change (mainly male dogs, and often the Spaniel breeds) and sometimes personality change (often for the better!). Also it has to be remembered that any form of neutering is a surgical procedure - therefore the risks associated with any form of surgery have to be considered. These are mainly risk of infection, haemorrhage, swelling and anaesthetic problems. As most neutering occurs in young and healthy animals, these risks are about as low as they can be. It also has to be noted that neutering is a permanent procedure, so you have to be sure that you do not want to breed from him or her.
Are there any non-surgical or
non-permanent alternatives? With male dogs there is a form of "chemical castration" that can be given as an injection and lasts around 3-4 weeks. This anti-testosterone drug will often help alleviate some of the undesirable effects of testosterone such as excessive roaming, inappropriate sexual behaviour and certain behavioural problems (e.g. aggression). This drug however will not completely prevent the dog from fathering offspring. Female dogs and cats can also be given injections that will temporarily stop them coming into season or stop their season should it start, and regular injections are needed to stop the animal coming back into season. The benefit of this "contraceptive" injection is that once the injections stop, the animal will still be able to breed and reproduce. However there are also considerable risks associated with this injections and so you will need to talk to your vet about whether it is the right method of breeding management for your female dog or cat.
What is the recovery period after the
operation? The neutering procedures are usually performed on a "day patient" patient - with the animal coming in first thing in the morning and going home late afternoon/early evening on the same day. Most animals will be a bit sore and groggy for 24-48 hours after the operation but usually the recovery period is very short. Dogs (male and female) and female cats should be encouraged to take things easy for 10-14 days as we want the wounds to heal nicely and we don't want them putting excessive pressure on their stitches by running around and going for long walks. Once the stitches are removed about 10 days after the procedure, your pet will be able to return back to normal life again.
What age should my pet be
neutered? Male dogs can be castrated at any age from around 6-7 months onwards. If castration is being used for behavioural modification is better to get it done as soon as a problem is identified. This is because certain unwanted hormonal traits soon become learnt habits and therefore won't be affected by castration. Female dogs can have their first season between about 6-15 months old - it varies with breeds. If you have decided that you don't want to breed from your bitch it is best to have her spayed about 3 months after her first season. Male and Female cats can be neutered at around 6 months old. Female cats are able to become pregnant at a surprisingly young age so it is important to get it done as soon as possible.
What about neutering in
other species, e.g Rabbits? Other species can be neutered and much of the information given in the above sections applies to these animals too. Rabbits and Ginuea-pigs can be castrated and spayed in the same way as dogs and this is often essential if you are going to keep males and females together. These animals can be very prolific and it won't be long until you have a population explosion on your hands! Neutering is also important in controlling types of aggression (eg fighting) with these animals. Cost The price of neutering will vary depending on what each animals requirements are. Please telephone the surgery for accurate pricing information.
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