Spaying and Neutering

The thought of having your pet undergo surgery can be quite scary, but rest assured that our veterinarians have years of experience and are capable of giving the best care to your pet. Our hospital routinely conducts spaying and neutering surgeries for our patients.

What is spaying or neutering?

Both spaying and neutering are considered to be major surgery. Spaying is the removal of ovaries and the uterus – it is the animal equivalent of hysterectomies in humans. Neutering involves the removal of the pet’s testicles.

When should I neuter or spay my pet?

It is recommended that cats and dogs are spayed or neutered around 6-months-of-age. In females, it is important to have the surgery before their first heat as it greatly reduces their risks of uterine infection, ovarian cancer and other illnesses.

Why should you consider spaying or neutering your pet?

The most obvious reason to consider spaying or neutering your pet is to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
The surgery can help decrease or prevent different cancers and diseases in your pet. Testicular cancer, pyometra and breast cancer (which usually develop later in a pet’s life) are prevented with spaying or neutering procedures.Neutered pets usually display less aggressive behaviours. This could mean dogs are less likely to get into fights and bite/attack people. Neutered cats, on the other hand, have less motivation to mark their property and so they get into fewer fights.

Spaying ends the heat cycle in pets and this could mean they become less aggressive, spray or urinate less and they are less likely to try to escape to mate.

Spaying or neutering also gives the opportunity to conduct other important operations at the same time. Procedures such as teeth cleaning, hernia repair, microchipping and baby teeth removal can be conducted in conjunction with spays/neuters. Give us a call at 604-858-6560 to schedule your pet’s spaying or neutering surgery.

What is surgery like for pets?

Prior to surgery, our veterinarians will do a health examination and blood work to catch any underlying health issues in your pet. Our hospital follows strict protocols during surgery. For example, we constantly monitor our patients’ vital signs to keep them safe. Spaying and neutering does require anesthesia for pets. Pets are usually given a sedative before the surgery to relax and reduce pain.

When your pets come out of surgery, they will experience pain, which is why our veterinarians will provide pain control medication after the surgery and for home recovery as well.