Primary Care

Spays and Neuters

Our hospital routinely performs spays and neuters, the surgical sterilization of female and male dogs and cats. Spaying involves removal of the uterus and ovaries of female dogs and cats and is called ovariohysterectomy. Neutering involves removal of the testicles of male dogs and cats and is called castration.

Both procedures are performed under general anesthesia and both involve a surgical incision. Pain management medications are used routinely in this hospital to insure your pet's comfort.

These surgeries are performed most commonly at or around six months of age. However, many veterinarians recommend and perform this procedure at a much younger age. Ask our staff about spaying or neutering your pet to help prevent unwanted sexual behavior and pregnancies and to decrease or eliminate the possibility of certain disease conditions later in life. 

There are many important reasons to spay or neuter your dog or cat:

  • Unspayed females are at higher risk for mammary tumors and uterine infection (pyometra)
  • Female dogs and cats never completely stop going into heat, so there are potential problems of pregnancy at an advanced age
  • Uncastrated males can develop behavior problems that make them less desirable companions:
    * Urinating in the house or spraying on the furniture
    * Mounting people or objects
    * Aggressive tendencies

    By spaying and neutering our pets, we can all help to reduce the overpopulation of dogs and cats.