| NEUTERING
Neutering is performed for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, it is generally accepted that neutered animals are on the whole healthier; a number of medical conditions related to the reproductive system are common in older animals of both sexes, and neutering prevents these. Additionally, there may be behavioural or psychological benefits, and sometimes we recommend neutering for these reasons. For example, male cats often spray pungent smelling urine to mark their territory, which can be a serious problem if it is in your living room! Many male animals can be aggressive at times, and neutering reduces this. Females on heat can be noisy, restless, even distressed if not allowed out to mate. Lastly, neutering makes an animal easier to look after - for example they are less inclined to roam, more docile/affectionate, no mess during the oestrus cycle in bitches,Admissions procedure All neutering is carried out under general anaesthesia. Therefore dogs and cats must be deprived of food from about 6 o'clock the previous evening, and the water bowl removed first thing in the morning. Rabbits do not need to be starved as they are unable to vomit. Patients should be brought to the surgery between 8.15 and 9 am on the appointed day. Please bring cats and rabbits in secure baskets/cages. A consent form will have been prepared and the nurse will ask you to read and sign it. The form points out that all operations and anaesthetics carry small risks, which you accept. If you want to discuss any aspect of the operation, the nurse or a veterinary surgeon will be happy to help. You will probably be asked to telephone for a progress report at lunchtime; at this time we will arrange when your pet will be ready for collection. After admission, your pet will be weighed to enable the dose of anaesthetic to be accurately calculated. He/she will then be settled into a comfortable hygienic kennel until shortly before the operation. When the vet is ready for the patient, he/she is taken to the Preparation room, where the vet gives check over to make sure there are no unexpected problems. A pre-med (sedative) may be given, and then the patient is anaesthetised, and the operation performed in the operating theatre. Afterwards, patients are kept under close observation until they are able to walk. They are then returned to their kennels to complete their recovery. Neutering: Cats Tom Cats In male cats, surgery is quite minor. Under a general anaesthetic, the scrotum is incised and the testicles are removed. There is no need for sutures. Patients are discharged the same day. Queen Cats In female cats, the operation is a little more major. An incision is made in the left flank of the patient, and the ovaries and uterus are located and removed after ligating the blood vessels to prevent haemorrhage. The wound is sutured in several layers, and you will probably see between one and three skin stitches, which need to be removed after 10 days. Some pedigree cats are spayed via a midline incision in the belly. This prevents the patch of shaved fur being visible. In the "pointed" coat-colour breeds (eg Siamese), the fur initially grows back a dark colour, before being replaced at the next moult with normal coat colour. The operation is slightly more uncomfortable when performed this way, and takes a little longer, but some owners prefer it. Queens can be spayed during the early stages of pregnancy with no noticeable effects. Later on, the operation is a bit more major, necessitating a midline incision. Pregnancy up to about 7 weeks can be terminated like this, and although it can be a little traumatic at this stage for the cat, it may be better than allowing a 7 month-old kitten to give birth to and rear 4 or 5 kittens herself. Neutering: Dogs Castration in male dogs is relatively minor, although it is a bigger op than for cats. A single incision is made in front of the scrotum, the testicles are ligated and removed, and the incision sutured with one to three stitches which are removed 10 days later. This is a sensitive area in male dogs, and a few will lick incessantly at the operation site, causing problems. If this happens, a collar is used to protect to stitches until the incision has healed. Why should I have the dog castrated? There are several medical and social reasons for castration.
There are several behavioural problems which can be prevented or alleviated by castration:
Isn't it cruel? NO! Removing the testicles removes the dog's libido and interest in all matters sexual, so his inability to perform will not worry him at all. How old should he be? Castration is best done at about 6-12 months of age, before any undesirable behaviour traits have been established. If preferred, it can be left until 12-18 months, when the adult character of the dog has had time to develop. Older dogs can also be done - there is no upper age limit. What alternatives are there? There is no real alternative to surgery for male dogs. There are drugs which can be used to reduce the effects of testosterone. These may be used as part of the therapeutic approach for some problems, but they are not as effective as removing the source of testosterone, and in the long term they are quite costly. Any side effects? Owners are often worried that the dog may put on weight or change his temperament as a result of being castrated. There is no evidence that castration will alter for the worse any aspect of a dog's mental or physical character. It will reduce his sense of status within the pack, leading to less conflict in the home. However, it rarely affects the dog’s desire to guard his home. Weight gain is a possible problem. If an animal eats more calories than it needs for daily exercise and keeping warm, the excess can either be burned off as waste heat or stored as fat. Which of these happens depends on the individual animal''s metabolism. Un-neutered dogs tend to burn off excess calories, but castration often alters this tendency. Consequently, an amount of food fed before neutering may well lead to obesity afterwards. We recommend reducing the daily food intake by a third immediately a dog is castrated. If he then loses weight, the amount fed can be increased. We all know it is easier to gain weight than to lose it! What happens when my dog is neutered?
What post-op care is needed? Your dog will need a warm quiet place to rest when he comes home. He must be encouraged to drink the same evening, but don't offer food unless he asks for it. If he is hungry, a light meal would be appropriate - scrambled eggs, boiled chicken or white fish. Don't give too much. Exercise should be restricted to the lead until stitches are removed (about 10 days). Bitches What is Spaying? Spaying is the surgical removal of both the ovaries and the uterus (womb). Why spay bitches? There are several medical and social reasons for spaying a bitch.
The first heat is usually around 9 months of age. If a heat has occurred, the best time to spay is about 3 months after its end, when activity in the reproductive organs is at a minimum. It is best not to operate during the 2 months after a season, and spaying during the season should be avoided at all costs. What alternatives are there? Heats can be controlled by tablets or injections but these are not without their long-term side-effects and are best used only in specific circumstances when one or two heats need to be suppressed and a future litter is hoped for. Any side effects? Owners are often worried that the bitch may put on weight or change her temperament as a result of being spayed. There is no evidence that spaying changes the temperament for the worse although dominant "bossy" bitches can be more difficult to retrain if spayed before the owner has had time to restore his or her control over the bitch. Retrain first then spay. There is no benefit to the bitch in "letting her have a litter" This is an old wives' tale! Weight gain is a possible problem. If an animal eats more calories than it needs for daily exercise and keeping warm, the excess can either be burned off as waste heat or stored as fat. Which happens depends on the individual animal's metabolism. Un-neutered bitches tend to burn off excess calories, but spaying often alters this tendency. Consequently, a given amount of food fed before neutering may well lead to obesity afterwards. We recommend reducing the daily food intake by a third immediately a bitch is spayed. If she then loses weight, the amount fed can be increased. We all know it is easier to gain weight than to lose it! Urinary incontinence is sometimes seen in older spayed bitches. It is far more common in overweight individuals. Usually it can be very successfully treated with medicine in the food. What happens when my dog is neutered?
What post-op care is needed? Your bitch will need a warm quiet place to rest when she comes home. She must be encouraged to drink the same evening, but don't offer food unless she asks for it. If she is hungry, a light meal would be appropriate - scrambled eggs, boiled chicken or white fish. Don't give too much. Exercise should be restricted to the lead until stitches are removed (about 10 days). Do not allow jumping onto furniture or going up & down stairs.
Female rabbits A common cause of death in old female rabbits is cancer of the womb. Spaying prevents this disease, and allows the doe to live a comfortable and happy life without the mood swings which often occur when she is in season. Does are spayed from about 4 months of age. An incision is made on the belly behind the umbilicus. The ovaries and uterus are removed after carefully ligating the blood vessels, and the incision sutured in two or three layers. Rabbit tissues are much more delicate than dogs and cats, and we take great care to minimise tissue trauma. We always give painkillers after this surgery. Stitches are removed from the skin incision after 10 days. |
Neutering dogs and cats and rabbits involves removing the ovaries and womb from females (spaying) and the testicles from males (castrating). The surgery is done usually at around 6 months of age - ie before puberty. (4 months in rabbits) At this age, the patient has grown sufficiently to cope well with the surgery, yet has not become hormonally active, so the surgery is less major.
Neutering: Rabbits