Desexing

Desexing or neutering your pet is a surgical procedure that prevents them from being able to reproduce. In male pets it is commonly referred to as “castration”, and in female pets as “speying”. This is the most frequent surgery performed by our vets, and generally your pet is home the same day as surgery.

The most common age to desex your pet is between 4 and 6 months, however they can be done sooner. Some larger breeds may be done older than 6 months of age. We advise checking with your vet first to ensure this is safe for your pet. Your pets will never be "too old" to be desexed.

There are many benefits to desexing your pet before 6 months. These 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
  • Being less prone to wander, especially in males
  • Living a longer and healthier life
  • Reduction of council registration fees
FAQs about desexing:

What to do before and after surgery.

 

Before surgery:

  • Make a booking for your pets operation.
  • If your pet is a dog, wash them the day before surgery as they are unable to be washed after until the stitches are removed.  The normal time frame for stitches in place is 10 days.  
  • Do not give your pet food after 10pm the night before the operation and do not give them any water after 8am on the day of surgery.  This is to ensure they do not vomit while under general anaesthesia, which poses a risk to their ability to breathe. 
  • A blood test may be performed prior to surgery to check their organs functioning capacity.  Our team will discuss this with you prior to surgery.  
  • The vet will perform a thorough physical examination before administering a sedative, which helps to calm them  and give some on board pain relief before they are anaesthetised. 
  •  All pets will be given intravenous fluid therapy to support their organ function and mainatin adequate blood pressure during surgery. These fluids also aid in a speedier recovery from their procedure.
  • To ensure your pet is as comfortable as possible, all pets receive pain relief prior to desexing and take home pain relief for a few days after the procedure.

After Surgery:

  • Keep your pet restrained and quiet as the effects of anaesthetic can take some time to wear off completely. 
  • Keeping them quiet is also essential to minimise tension on the incision site and allow the wound to heal.
  • Food and water should be limited to small portions only on the night after surgery.  After that, they are fine to be on their regular portion (unless otherwise advised). 
  • Follow any dietary instructions that the vet has provided.
  • Ensure all post-surgical medications are administered as per the label instructions. 
  • Ensure your pet’s rest area is clean to avoid infection.
  • Prevent your pet from licking or chewing their surgical wound. We sell special cone-shaped collars to assist with this problem, and they come in a variety of sizes. Remember, a single chew can remove the careful stitching which can result in disastrous effects.
  • Check the incision site at least twice daily for any signs of infection or disruption (eg. bleeding, swelling, redness or discharge). Contact the vet immediately if these symptoms appear. Do not wait to see if they will spontaneously resolve. 
  • Ensure you return to us 10 days post surgery for your pet's routine post-operative check-up and removal of stitches.  Depending on how the site has healed, the stitches may need to stay in for longer.

 

If you have any concerns before or after your pet has been desexed, please call us immediately to discuss.