Spay and Neuter for Dogs and Cats in Palos Heights
Spaying and neutering your pets is important for their health and for reducing pet overpopulation. Each year, millions of unwanted dogs and cats are put into shelters, a large portion of which will never be adopted. Spaying and neutering dogs and cats prevents animals from being able to reproduce. In turn, this decreases the stray animal population and makes it easier for shelter animals to find forever homes.
Dog and cat spay and neuter surgery is a common outpatient procedure typically performed on cats and dogs at about six months of age. This age can vary by animal, so our veterinarians will discuss a timeline for spay or neuter surgery for your pet at their first wellness exam.
The Benefits of Dog and Cat Spaying or Neutering
Pets which have been spayed or neutered often live longer than their counterparts who have not been. Additionally, these procedures bring a number of health and behavioral benefits including:
- A reduced desire to roam
- An elimination of the heat cycle in females
- Reduced or eliminated risk of mammary gland tumors and ovarian and uterine cancers in females
- Reduced or eliminated risk of destructive spraying and marking in males
- Eliminated risk of developing testicular cancer in males
- A reduced risk of developing prostate disease in males
Spay and Neuter Surgery and Recovery
As with all our surgical procedures, Palos Animal Hospital adheres to AAHA surgical guidelines for spay and neuter surgeries. We perform a complete physical exam and pre-anesthetic blood work to ensure your pet is healthy before undergoing surgery. While under anesthesia, your pet’s vital signs will be continually monitored while fluids and pain medication are continuously administered from a carefully placed IV catheter.
After surgery your pet is allowed to go home with you. Make sure to keep their environment calm for the first 24 hours. Once the 24-hour recovery period has passed, try to limit strenuous activity and do not let them lick or chew at their stitches. Always check surgical sutures daily for signs of infection.
Spaying and neutering both directly and indirectly benefit companion animals. If you have any questions about these procedures or would like to schedule your pet’s appointment, give us a call at (708) 448-6600.
