Neutering
Spaying and neutering should be the first choice for most owners. Apart from population control, there is evidence that early neutering is often better for the health of the individual animal
When should I neuter my Pet?
- Small Breed Dogs: 5-6 months for both male and female
- Large Breed Dogs: Approx 9 months in both male and females- this is to ensure that the dog is skeletally mature
- Giant Breed Dogs: It is currently believed that it is beneficial to delay spaying/neutering until one year old to allow them to become more skeletally mature before neutering and may help reduce the likelihood of osteosarcoma.
What are the Health Benefits of Neutering Early
Female Dogs
Male Dogs
- Eliminates the risk of unwanted pregnancy and Dystocia
- Eliminates the risk of pyometra (occurs in 23% of intact females and kills approx 1%)
- Eliminates pseudo pregnancies
- Eliminates the risk of ovarian and uterine tumors
- Dramatically reduces the incidence of mammary cancer (the risk of a neutered dog developing mammary tumors drops from 70% to 0.5% if neutered before her first heat)
Male Dogs
- Eliminates the risk of testicular cancer (2nd most prevalent cancer in male dogs)
- Dramatically reduces the risk of prostate conditions eg benign prostatic hyperplasia-starts at 1-2 years of age and affects 95% of dogs by the age of nine
- Reduces the risk of perineum conditions such as perianal adenomas and fistulaes
- Reduces behavioural problems associated with entire dogs such as aggression, roaming, humping and territorial marking
What happens when my pet goes for Surgery?
For more information about the surgery and what to expect click here