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D E S E X I N G

DOG/PUPPY DESEXING

Having your pet spayed (ovariohysterectomy) or neutered (castrated) is an inexpensive and realistic method of pet population control. The number of unwanted adult and young animals that are euthanized each year in Auckland is astounding. Aside from the pet overpopulation problem, neutering a male dog and spaying a female helps prevent (and even eliminates) medical problems associated with hormonal imbalances.

Dog neuter

Male and female dogs reach sexual maturity around 8-9 months of age. Often, male dogs reach maturity slightly later than females. Sometimes confusion exists between sexual maturity and normal puppy behavior. Normal puppy behavior is often exhibited when he (or she) straddles the leg(s) of an individual. This behavior has nothing to do with sexual maturity and is performed by both male and female puppies.

Having your male dog neutered makes him a better pet. Instead of roaming, he will spend more time at home. Non-neutered male dogs often exhibit aggressive behavior, especially if a non-spayed female is in the vicinity. Dog fights between two non-neutered dogs are not uncommon. Usually one of the dogs ends up severely injured.

An aggressive dog may bite a human. Often, non-spayed and non-neutered dogs are significantly more aggressive than spayed and neutered animals. Some  people receive serious injuries resulting from dog bites

The optimal time to neuter a dog is when they are a good size for general anaesthesia and before undesirable behaviours develop.

Dog spay

Female dogs come on heat when they reach sexual maturity. A bloody discharge is seen around her external genital area. This bloody discharge is significant and can last up to 10-14 days. Along with the discharge, the external genitals become swollen. This is the first phase of her heat cycle and is called "estrus." During the last few days of the estrus phase, the bitch is receptive to the male and can get pregnant. Similar to cats, the gestation period lasts about 2 months. At the end of the 2-month gestation period, puppies (puppies not puppy!!) are born. A typical litter size averages between 3-10 puppies.

Aside from having puppies, non-spayed females are more susceptible to mammary gland tumors and uterine infections. Pyometras (infections of the uterus) are extremely common in non-spayed bitches and almost always require emergency surgery. Mammary tumors get large and multiply quickly if left untreated. Their incidence increase with each heat up to the 4^th heat meaning that after 4 heats 20% of  bitches will develop mammary tumours and half these are cancerous. Having your dog spayed early can eliminate both of these conditions.

.Dog neuters and spays are generally performed when animals are 5-6 months of age.

Pets need to be fasted before the general anaesthetic they are to receive and we will give you specific instructions for this LINK to PRE AND POST surgical care.

Even though a spay is considered routine surgery, there is nothing routine about any abdominal surgery performed under general anesthesia. It is a major although frequently performed surgery especially in older and  obese patients .

Pre-Surgical and Post-Surgical Considerations

Your pet should be current with her vaccinations.

No food should be given 12-18 hours before the surgery and no water should be given 2-4 hours before the surgery.

Your dog's activities must  be restricted for 7 days at least after the surgery.

Sutures often need to be removed 10-14 days post-surgically. Ask a veterinary nurse about suture removal.

Call the veterinary hospital if you notice any problems such as reddening, swelling, stitches missing  or discharge from the surgical site immediately or have questions regarding your dog's health.

We always aim for good pain control LINK in our patients that have any procedure /illness. If the pain relief that has been administered /prescribed is not sufficient then also contact us promptly.

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CAT/KITTEN DESEXING

Desexing services

Having your pet spayed (ovariohysterectomy) or neutered (castrated) is an inexpensive and realistic method of pet population control. The number of unwanted adult and young animals that are euthanized each year in Auckland is astounding. Aside from the pet overpopulation problem, neutering a male animal and spaying a female helps prevent (and even eliminates) many medical problems.

Cat neuter

Male cats are almost impossible to keep as pets unless they are neutered. When they reach sexual maturity (around 7-9 months of age - even earlier for some cats), their kitten lifestyle dramatically changes. A non-neutered adult male cat becomes extremely territorial. His life predominately consists of patrolling and defending his territory. Even though his immediate territory may consist of the building and grounds where he lives, he may also consider the female cat, that lives 2 blocks away, as his territory. He defends his territory against intrusion by other animals, particularly other cats.

There is nothing more ferocious than a fight between two non-neutered male cats. Unless your male cat is neutered, you may be spending a good deal of time and money at the veterinary hospital, having him treated for injuries and probably eventually treating him for Feline AIDS.

Male cats often spray urine. This behavior is instinctive and has nothing to do with litter box training. Neutered males may spray urine when under stress or as sign of stress but a local tomcat will consider a large chunk of Auckland as his territory and therefore spray all the time in order to identify ("mark") their territory.

These unacceptable behavior traits will probably never be seen if your kitten is neutered at an early age. If your adult cat is neutered promptly, most of these problems will disappear.

Cat spay

A non-spayed adult female cat is a kitten machine. Female cats have their first estrous cycles around 6-9 months of age. During the springtime, a few kittens can actually go into heat when they are 4-6 months old.

Detection of estrous is usually quite easy. Most owners think that there is something wrong with their cat. The cat becomes extremely affectionate, wants to be caressed, and rolls about on her back. She is very vocal and meows incessantly. No vaginal bleeding usually occurs (some cats may have very limited bleeding, but this is very rare) like in dogs, however non-neutered male cats are still attracted by their scent. Your neighbors will definitely comment about the nightly musical serenade performed by the large variety of male cats that patrol your house.

If your non-spayed female cat is bred, kittens will arrive in 2 months (kittens, not kitten). The average litter size is 6-8 kittens. More kittens will arrive again in a few more months as female cats have estrous cycles year round and soon after having a litter!

Surgery to have your kitten or cat desexed is best carried out at about 5 months of age. This is usually before these behaviours are shown and they are a good size for a general anaesthetic which is needed for these surgeries. We prefer to have cats and kittens in the hospital the evening before surgery so we can make sure they are fasted properly .In our admission form we will ask you for permission to do a routine blood test so we can find any disorders that will delay anaesthetic recovery and aid in selection of the best and safest pain control drugs for your pet. It is also a good time to test kittens and start vaccination for Feline Aids  which we can do at the same time .

Pre and Post Operation considerations

CLICK HERE for more information on pre and post op instructions

CLICK HERE for more information on Pain management

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