Desexing

Desexing (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 Dr Teresa and her team, and generally your pet is home by the evening of surgery.

The most common age to desex your pet is between 4 and 6 months, however they are never too old to be desexed. We recommend female cats be desexed at 4 months of age as this is when they start to come into heat and can become pregnant. Male cats, male and female dogs we start desexing at 5 months of age. We do not require pets to be vaccinated prior to de sexing (although we do recommend it).

There are many benefits to desexing your pet. They include:

• Preventing unwanted litters, which can be very costly, and may add to the already overwhelming number of stray animals that are euthanised 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
• Reduction of council registration fees

What to do before and after surgery

Before surgery:

• Make a booking for your pet's operation.
• If your pet is a dog, you can wash them the day before surgery as they are then unable to be washed after until the stitches are removed.
• You can give you pet an evening meal as normal the day prior to surgery, but do not leave food out overnight. Water should be freely available to your pet until admission into the clinic.
• A pre-anaesthetic blood test may be performed prior to surgery to check vital organ function.
• The vet will perform a thorough physical examination before administering an anaesthetic.
•  An intravenous catheter will be inserted and intravenous fluid therapy given during the anaesthetic. 
• To ensure your pet is as comfortable as possible, all pets receive pain relief as part of the desexing procedure, and we can prescribe additional medication for you to administer at home for a few days after the procedure if required by your pet.

After Surgery:

• Keep your pet inside and quiet for the night after the procedure as the effects of anaesthetic can take some time to wear off completely.
• Keeping your pet quiet is also essential to allow the wound to heal.
• Food should be limited to small portions only on the night of surgery. Follow any dietary instructions that the vet has provided.
• Ensure all post-surgical medications (if any) are administered as per the label instructions.
• Ensure your pet’s rest area is clean to avoid infection.
• Check the surgical wound at least twice daily for any signs of infection or disruption (e.g. bleeding, swelling, redness or discharge). Contact the vet immediately if any of these occur. Do not wait to see if they will spontaneously resolve.
• Prevent your pet from licking or chewing the wound.  A single chew can remove the careful stitching with disastrous effects. Your pet will be fitted with an Elizabethan collar prior to discharge, and we recommend this stays on until the stitches are removed by us. 
• Ensure you return to us on time for routine post-operative check-ups and removal of stitches.