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Spay & Neuter

You can’t help but feel sorry for your pet when they have to undergo their spay or neuter surgery, and you might wonder if it’s really necessary. After all, your dog rarely goes outside, and you certainly don’t plan to breed them. What’s the point?

In fact, there are many reasons to have pets spayed and neutered that do not involve preventing unwanted pregnancies. Here in Hugo, our veterinarians have spayed and neutered countless cats and dogs, and are happy to explain why these procedures are so important.

That being said, we do make exceptions for pets experiencing chronic health problems or congenital defects that make performing surgery dangerous. There will always be special cases in which spaying and neutering should not be performed, but overall, we recommend it for a majority of our patients.

Why Are Pet Spay & Neuter Surgeries Necessary:

Having your cat or dog spayed/neutered does not only prevent pregnancies, but potentially dangerous health conditions that could turn up later in their life, and unruly behaviors triggered by their hormones. These include:

  • Females
    • Going into heat
    • Spotting
    • Barking constantly
    • Roaming out of the house/yard
    • Pyometra (severely infected uterus)
    • Uterine cancer
    • Breast cancer
  • Males
    • Aggression
    • Marking/urinating in the house
    • Barking constantly
    • Roaming out of the house/yard
    • Prostatitis (enlarged prostate)
    • Perianal adenoma
    • Testicular cancer

At What Age Should My Pet Be Spayed or Neutered:

The age at which your cat or dog should be spayed/neutered can vary, depending on their breed, size, and overall health. For cats and small- to medium-sized dogs, the average age is about 6 months. For larger breed dogs, we may prefer to wait until they’re 7-8 months old. We can usually ascertain the age at which they should be spayed/neutered once we’ve conducted a nose-to-tail examination, administered vaccines, and evaluated their full medical history.

Are Spay and Neuter Surgeries Safe:

As with human surgeries, all pet surgeries come with a degree of risk. However, pet spay and neuter surgeries are widely performed, and at P.A.W.S. Pet Hospital in Hugo, we abide by AAHA’s strict standards of excellence to ensure that all pet surgeries are as safe as possible. If you have concerns about your pet’s spay/neuter surgery and recovery, we encourage you to reach out to us. We understand how stressful it can be to put your pet through surgery, even if that surgery is routine. Please call us at any time during our office hours if you have questions!