Spaying and Neutering

Spaying or neutering has numerous advantages for your cat or dog, yourself and your community.

What are the benefits of spaying/neutering?

Here are a few reasons why you should spay or neuter your pet:

• It increases life expectancy. Did you know that animals who are spayed or neutered live an average of two years longer? (A benefit for you too!)
• It protects against certain kinds of cancer (mammary tumours, uterine and testicular cancer) and other diseases.
• Your female pet will no longer go into heat. These episodes can be hard for your pet and for you and your family to deal with.
• Spaying can eliminate certain behavioural problems. Spayed/neutered animals are less likely to roam, reducing the risk of them running away, getting hit by a car or fighting with other animals.
• It helps control the animal population. Thousands of animals are euthanized each year or become strays because they do not have a home.

What happens during the procedure?

Your pet will be safe and comfortable during their stay with us. Someone from our team of expert veterinarians and qualified veterinary technicians will be with them the whole time. Your veterinarian will be able to answer all your questions and can administer safe medications according to a protocol tailored to your pet’s needs.

The sterilization procedure is different for males and females. For females, the process is called spaying and involves an ovariohysterectomy, i.e., the ovaries and uterus are removed. For males, the process is called neutering and involves castration, i.e., the testicles are removed. The surgery is quick and complications are rare.

Afterwards, our technicians will monitor your pet as they wake up, gently and comfortably, in our warm infant incubator (if the size of your pet allows). Before you take your cat or dog home, someone from our animal health team will discuss aftercare and answer all of your questions.