Desexing

Desexing Your Pet

Desexing is an important decision and, from our professional point of view, a significant surgical procedure that requires a high level of care and skill.

Desexing involves removing part of your pet’s reproductive system. This procedure is performed in our fully equipped, sterile operating theatre under the complete care of our operating veterinarian and supporting veterinary nurses.

There are many benefits to having your dog or cat desexed, with evidence suggesting that desexed pets live longer and have fewer diseases then undesexed pets. The benefits extend beyond just preventing unwanted pregnancies.

Pets who have been desexed or sterilised are less likely to get diseases and certain illnesses such as mammary cancer and uterine infections in females and prostate problems and peri-anal tumours in males.

There are also behavioural benefits such as preventing male cats from spraying and preventing male dogs attempting to escape their homes to reach nearby females on heat. Entire male dogs will go to extraordinary lengths to pursue a nearby female dog on heat, increasing chances of motor vehicle accidents, dog fights and lost pets.

Under the WA Cat Act 2011, all cats over six months must be sterilised. This law aims to provide better management of the unwanted impact of cats on the community and the environment, and encourages responsible cat ownership.

Pets can be desexed at any age including during their more mature years. We recommend to desex most pets around 6 months of age before they sexually mature. We can desex a female pet whilst they are in heat/ season, however, this makes the surgery potentially more complicated and does incur a surcharge.

Desexing

DESEXING

Desexing / neutering or sterilising your pet is a surgical procedure that prevents them from being able to reproduce. In male pets surgical removal oåf the testicles is commonly referred to as “castration”, and in female pets removal of the ovaries and uterus is referred to as “spaying”.

This is the most frequent surgery performed by our vets, and generally your pet is home by the evening of surgery.
The most common age to desex your pet is around 6 months of age, however they are never too old to be desexed.
There are many benefits to desexing your pet before 6 months. They include:

Preventing unwanted litters, which can be very costly, and may add to the already overwhelming number of stray animals that are put down each year
Prevention of testicular cancer and prostate disease in males, and it can help prevent pyometra (infection of the uterus) and mammary tumours (breast cancer) in females
Stopping the “heat” cycle in females
Decreasing aggression towards humans and other animals, especially in males
Reducing the risk of anal growths called anal adenomas in male dogs
Reduces prepucial discharge in male dogs
Being less prone to wander, especially in males
Living a longer and healthier life
Reduction of council registration fees

DESEXING

Preventing unwanted litters, which can be very costly, and may add to the already overwhelming number of stray animals that are put down each year
Prevention of testicular cancer and prostate disease in males, and it can help prevent pyometra (infection of the uterus) and mammary tumours (breast cancer) in females
Stopping the “heat” cycle in females
Decreasing aggression towards humans and other animals, especially in males
Reducing the risk of anal growths called anal adenomas in male dogs
Reduces prepucial discharge in male dogs
Being less prone to wander, especially in males
Living a longer and healthier life
Reduction of council registration fees

COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT DESEXING?

Will desexing affect my pet’s personality?
Your pet will retain their pre-operation personality, possibly with the added bonus of being calmer and less aggressive.

Should my female have one litter first?
No – it is actually better for her not to have any litters before being spayed.Her risk of developing breast cancer increases if she is allowed to go through her first heat.

Will it cause my pet to become fat?
Your pet’s metabolism may be slowed due to hormonal changes after desexing,however this is easily managed with adjusting feeding and ensuring adequate exercise. There is no reason a desexed pet cannot be maintained at a normal weight.

Is desexing painful?
As with all surgery, there is some tenderness immediately after the procedure, but most pets will recover very quickly. We administer pain relief prior to surgery and after surgery too.Your pet will be discharged with a short course of pain relief medication to take at home for the first few days after the surgery. In many cases, your pet will likely need some encouragement to take it easy!

Will my dog lose its “guard dog”instinct?
No, your dog will be just as protective of their territory as before the surgery.

Comfort Pack
This is a value-priced option which enables client’s to further increase the safety of the procedure being undertaken and includes the following:

Intravenous (IV) fluids
The fluids support the body by assisting organs to flush out the anaesthetic drugs which achieves a more rapid and smoother recovery. In addition, having an existing IV line during surgery enables the attending veterinarian to administer emergency treatment faster should an unforeseen problem occur.

Elizabethan Collar (“bucket”) & Wound Guard (“bitterant spray”) to deter your pet from licking and/or chewing at their surgery site.

Please advise the reception staff at the time of admission if you would like your pet to have the comfort pack option added to their treatment plan.

Desexing your kitten

Desexing is generally recommended at around 6 months of age. Not only does it prevent unwanted litters, but it reduces the risk of certain diseases and cancers, such as prostate and mammary gland tumours and pyometra (an infection of the uterus).

Desexing your kitten before he or she reaches sexual maturity (from 4 to 6 months of age) will prevent unwanted pregnancies as well as reduce roaming behaviour and territorial marking. Not only that, but female cats who are desexed before their second heat have a significantly reduced risk of mammary cancer and uterine infection.

It's important to talk to your vet when considering the time of desexing to weigh up the various pros and cons.

Some breeders even require you to desex your kitten as a condition of sale, or insist you let them know if you plan to breed your cat. If you do plan to breed your cat, there is a lot to consider and we recommend booking an appointment with one of our expert vets to discuss the steps.

Book an appointment >

Desexing your kitten

It's important to talk to your vet when considering the time of desexing to weigh up the various pros and cons.

Book an appointment >

Desexing your puppy

Desexing is generally recommended at around 6 months of age. Not only does it prevent any unwanted litters, but it reduces the risk of certain diseases and cancers, such as prostate and mammary gland tumours and pyometra (an infection of the uterus).

For large breed dogs greater than 20kg, there's evidence to suggest that delaying desexing until maturity (over 12 months of age) may help protect against certain medical conditions.

Desexing your puppy before he or she reaches sexual maturity (from 4 to 6 months of age) will prevent unwanted pregnancies as well as reducing roaming behaviour and territorial marking. Not only that, but female dogs who are desexed before their second heat have a signiﬁcantly reduced risk of mammary cancer and uterine infection.

It's important to talk to your vet when considering the time of desexing to weigh up the various pros and cons. Some breeders even require you to desex your puppy as a condition of sale, or insist you let them know if you plan to breed your dog. If you do plan to breed your dog, there's lots to consider and we recommend booking an appointment with one of our expert vets to discuss next steps.

Desexing your puppy

For large breed dogs greater than 20kg, there's evidence to suggest that delaying desexing until maturity (over 12 months of age) may help protect against certain medical conditions.