Early spaying of female dogs and cats can help protect them from some serious health problems later in life such as uterine infections and breast cancer. Neutering your male pet can also lessen its risk of developing benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate gland) and testicular cancer.
Spaying prevents uterine infections and decreases the incidence of breast tumors, which are malignant or cancerous in about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats. Spaying your pet before her first heat offers the best protection from these diseases.
SPAYING – THE NEGATIVE SIDE
Spaying may cause weight gain. Some pets may gain weight after spaying and as they get older. Just as with people, to loose weight we need to either diet or exercise. Cutting back on food intake or increasing your pets activity will help reduce weight gain.
Spayed and neutered dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives. Spaying female dogs and cats eliminates the possibility of uterine or ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the incidence of breast cancer. Neutering male dogs and cats reduces the incidence of prostate cancer.
An age of six to nine months of age may be appropriate for neutering or spaying a toy breed puppy or small breed puppy but a larger or giant breed may need to wait until they are near or over 12-18 months of age.
When should I spay my female dog? We recommend waiting until your dog is at least over 6 months and likely even older for larger dogs. The benefits are much more pronounced in larger dogs, but there is not a lot of difference for lap dogs.
Are there any dangers associated with the operation? Spaying is considered a major operation and requires general anesthesia. With any anesthetic the risk of serious complications, including death, is always possible. With modern anesthetics and monitoring equipment, the risk of a complication is very low.
We really have to say: First, do no harm.” Spaying and neutering are much less common in Europe. Alexandra Horowitz, a dog cognition researcher at Barnard College, says in her new book, “Our Dogs, Ourselves,” that their widespread use here is an indictment of Americans' too-casual approach to pet ownership.
Spaying females and neutering males is the only permanent, 100 percent effective method of birth control for dogs and cats. Besides spaying and neutering being the right thing to do to prevent unwanted puppies and kittens, these procedures also have important health benefits for your pet.
In a majority of cases, the benefits of spay and neuter include the reduction or elimination of unwanted behaviors, but it is not a quick fix to all behavior problems. In older pets, it may take a little longer to develop replacement behaviors for the undesirable behaviors they have practiced for so long.
Spaying and neutering are routine, affordable surgeries that can prevent thousands of animals from being born, only to suffer and struggle to survive on the streets, be abused by cruel or neglectful people, or be euthanized in animal shelters for lack of a loving home.
Female dogs can get much more life threatening conditions if they are not spayed. They can get an uterine infection, called pyometra, that requires emergency surgery. If this condition is untreated or surgery is not done as soon as possible, the infection gets into the bloodstream and becomes fatal.
Even though there won't be a change in your pet's energy level, the act of having a vet spay or neuter your pet will eliminate or reduce those behaviors that are attributed to their hormones. This includes heat cycles and the associated behaviors in female dogs.
Sterilization and other interventions have dramatically reduced pet overpopulation in the U.S. After being spayed or neutered, dogs lack sex-related hormones (like testosterone and estrogen) that are normally produced by the testicles and ovaries.
Spaying young females significantly increases the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer), a common cancer in larger breeds with a poor prognosis. #2: When female dogs are spayed before puberty, distinctly female disorders rise. The risk of recessed vulva, vaginal dermatitis, and vaginitis increases.
The difference between spay and neuter comes down to the gender of the animal. Both terms refer to the surgical sterilization of an animal, but sometimes neuter is used for both genders. Spaying involves removing the uterus and ovaries of a female animal, and neutering removes the testicles of a male animal.
It's best to avoid carrying a dog immediately after spaying surgery. The veterinary surgeon must cut through the dog's abdominal wall muscles during the procedure, making her entire torso very sensitive and tender. When you pick her up, you risk stretching her skin and abdominal muscles.
While a dog's fundamental personality will not change after a spay or neuter surgery, there are some changes you might observe, including: Behavioral changes are more pronounced among neutered males. They're less likely to hump people, other dogs, and inanimate objects (though many persist).
No bathing, swimming, or playing in deep snow. Check the incision twice daily until healed. A small amount of blood is normal immediately after surgery. Some redness and swelling of the incision is expected and normal.
Keep your pet confined where it will be quiet and warm. DO NOT place it on a bed or other high place. Keep your pet away from other animals and children for at least 12 hours. Offer water and food in very small amounts for the first 12 hours.
Is it Too Late? The recommended time to spay or neuter a dog is six to nine months. But if your dog is healthy, there is no specific age limit to having the procedure done.
How long does spaying surgery take? The procedure typically takes anywhere from 20 to 90 minutes to perform, depending on your pet's size and any unique medical considerations. In older pets or large-breed dogs, the procedure can take longer and may require two surgeons.
Recovery After Spaying Surgery
Most pets will start to feel better in 24 - 48 hours, but full recovery takes between 10 to 14 days. During this period you should aim to keep your pet calm and refrain from allowing them to jump, as this could cause the incision to reopen.
In the hands of a competent veterinarian, however, most senior dogs (generally, dogs are considered senior at approximately seven years of age) can be safely spayed or neutered. Age alone, without an overall assessment of the senior dog's health, should not be used to rule out the surgery.