What does spay or neuter surgery entail?
A spay surgery is performed on female cats and dogs and involves removal of the uterus and both ovaries (i.e. ovariohysterectomy). In males, neutering involves the removal of both testicles from the scrotum (i.e. orchidectomy). Both procedures require your pet to be put under general anesthesia, and your pet will need a few days to recover from the procedure. Generally, your pet will be feeling better after the first 24 hours, but females will need to be rested for a few more days while they heal.
Why should I spay or neuter my pet?
Spaying and neutering are very important to the overall health and well-being of your pet. Females, if left unspayed, are prone to developing uterine infections (pyometra) and mammary tumors (breast cancer), and males, if unneutered, can develop testicular or prostate cancers, or prostate enlargement. Spaying and neutering also help manage the pet population by avoiding unwanted litters. Even pets that are kept mostly indoors can occasionally escape, and it takes only a single “interaction” with another unaltered animal to create an unplanned pregnancy.
Will my pet’s behavior change after the surgery?
Spaying and neutering do not normally change your pet’s fundamental personality. It does, however, may decrease unwanted characteristic behaviors such as mounting, marking/spraying, and aggression in males. In females, behaviors associated with her heat cycle will diminish, such as yowling, pacing, restlessness, and urine marking. Your pet will be less likely to wander from home looking for a mate which decreases the chances of injury from traffic or fights with other animals.
What is the cost of spaying and neutering?
At Edmonton West Animal Hospital, we provide this surgery at a very competitive rate to our pet owners. We believe that this surgery is a very important part of your pet’s overall health, and it is our goal to make this surgery accessible to as many owners as possible. The cost of NOT spaying or neutering your pet is much higher; conditions like pyometra, mammary tumors, prostate enlargement, and cancer are complex, and often result in emergencies that require extensive veterinary care and/or surgery.
Please give us a call or text us today for a quote, or to book your pet in! We are open 365 days a year for your convenience.
