Veterinarian column: Spay and neuter surgery for dogs and cats

Advantages of performing birth control surgery

・Prevents unwanted breeding.

- Prevents ovarian and uterine diseases.

・Reduces the incidence of breast tumors.

The incidence of mammary gland tumors is 0.05 % if spayed before the first heat, 8% if spayed before the second, and 26% if spayed after the second, and the incidence increases with age. will also increase.

Advantages of performing castration surgery

・Prevents unwanted breeding.

・It is effective in preventing diseases related to male hormones, prostatic hypertrophy, perianal adenoma, and perineal hernia.

・Prevents problem behaviors such as spraying and aggression.

Disadvantages of spaying and neutering

- After spaying or neutering, your cat's caloric needs will decrease.
Therefore, if you continue to give the same amount of calories as you did before surgery, you are likely to become obese.
However, obesity can be prevented by properly managing your diet.

・Risks of general anesthesia.
No matter how healthy your child is, the risk of anesthesia is not zero.
A complete surgical examination will be performed to ensure safe general anesthesia.

- Risk of wound infection after surgery.
Be sure to take the prescribed antibiotics.

- Urinary incontinence is rarely observed in female dogs after spaying surgery.

When to spay and neuter

Ideally, surgery should be performed before sexual maturity.

In particular, the incidence of mammary gland tumors increases with age, so doing it before estrus can be effective in preventing it.

Sexual maturity varies between individuals, but dogs reach sexual maturity at 6 to 12 months, and cats reach sexual maturity at 6 to 9 months.
Anesthesia before the age of 3 months is risky because the body's functions are not yet fully developed.

Therefore, it is recommended that the surgery be performed between 3 and 6 months of age.
Generally, this is done around 6 months.

What are the risks of early spaying and neutering?

It was believed that premature surgery would result in stunted growth, urinary incontinence, urinary dysfunction, and decreased immune function, but studies have shown that early surgery has no effect on skeletal growth and may cause urinary problems and decreased immune function. It's been denied.

However, there are reports that early surgery in large and giant dogs increases joint disease and tumors.

At the veterinary hospital, you will be explained about spaying and neutering when you first adopt a pet.

That's because spaying and neutering has many benefits, such as controlling behavioral problems and preventing diseases.

However, surgery has disadvantages.

Be sure to check the pros and cons carefully and make sure you are satisfied with the surgery before proceeding with the surgery.