When you spay or neuter your dog or cat it’s one of the best things you can do to make them a healthier and happier pet. It’s the most common surgical procedure that the veterinarians at Blairs Ferry Pet Hospital perform, a routine, safe, and painless medical procedure with a fast recovery time.
Why Should You Spay Or Neuter Your Pet?
One good reason is to help alleviate the overpopulation of pets. Each year in the U.S. millions of healthy dogs and cats are euthanized in animal shelters because of homelessness and abandonment. Shelters are overwhelmed with animals, unable to find good homes for all of them, and have to put them to sleep. Spaying and neutering help to keep the population down.
There are also several health benefits for your pet from having the procedure done, as well as some benefits for you.
Benefits Of Spay Or Neuter
In general, pets should be spayed or neutered at about eight weeks for cats and six months for dogs, though your vet will decide the right time for your pet. Neutering is the removal of the male testicles, while spaying is the removal of the female reproductive organs. Some of the benefits to be realized are:
- Females – They will no longer go into periods of heat or menstruate, and they are less at risk from reproductive organ and breast cancers. The howling and crying that female cats commonly do during the heat cycle will also be eliminated.
- Males – The risk of testicular cancer is completely eliminated and the risk of prostate problems greatly reduced. They’ll display less aggression, be less likely to try to roam outside away from home, and less prone to urinating on furniture and carpets to mark their territory.
The Procedure
Your veterinarian will advise you not to give your pet anything but water after about 10 PM on the night before the spay or neuter procedure. When your pet arrives at the hospital, they’ll be put under general sedation and a catheter will be inserted, then the surgery will be performed. Afterward, they’ll spend a couple of hours in the recovery room before they’ll be ready to go home. They should rest, stay inside, and avoid exertion for a couple of weeks, and a special collar may be required to prevent them from licking and scratching at their sutures.
When you’re ready for spay or neuter services in Cedar Rapids, IA, contact the Blairs Ferry Pet Hospital at 319-393-3027 or online to schedule an appointment.
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