Spaying and Neutering for Pets

Having your pet spayed or neutered is a must for all responsible pet parents. As you may know, these minimally invasive procedures help prevent overpopulation which lessens the burden on animal shelters not just here in our community but overall. Plus, the procedures have been proven to cause several health benefits for our furry family members (e.g. lowered risk for ovarian, testicular and other cancers, improved behaviour, and more).

Why is it so important to get my pet fixed?

These procedures are so important because they help to control overpopulation and unwanted breeding – which puts immense strain on animal rescue shelters. Plus, spaying and neutering actually have several health benefits. They have been shown to prevent certain medical issues, such as certain forms of cancer (e.g. ovarian and prostate) and improve the patient’s health and behaviour (e.g. decreased aggression).

What does neutering/spaying do to a pet?

Spaying or neutering is performed by a veterinarian under anesthetics. During this time the veterinarian will remove the patient’s reproductive organ. This prevents your pet from reproducing. Spaying is done on female pets while neutering is the version for male pets.

When should my pet be fixed?

Our veterinarians recommend that dogs are spayed or neutered around the age of 5 to 6 months. This way males don’t start exhibiting any learned behaviour issues and females don’t go through their first heat or reproductive cycle. If you are just welcoming a furry friend into your home, or if time has passed and you just have not been able to get the chance to have them fixed, do not worry! Spays and neuters can still be safely performed on fully grown pets.

How much does it cost to spay or neuter a dog?

Spaying and neutering costs depend on different factors including weight and age. This can be discussed during a required examination with your veterinarian, to make sure your pet is safe to go under anesthetic. For further information, please don’t hesitate to contact our hospital.