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Spaying and Neutering
Cedarmount is a participating practice in the Dog's Trust Free/Subsidised neutering scheme for those on means-tested benefits - please telephone for details.
Neutered pets often live longer, and make better companions.Most of the objections put forward against neutering are unfounded worries. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call us! In Tom cats Neutering will:
- stop development of that awful Tom cat scent in the urine
- reduce territorial fighting (and thus reduce risk of contracting Feline Aids (FIV))
- reduce territorial urine spraying/marking
- reduce tendency to wander far from home (so reducing risks of car accidents)
- reduce numbers of unwanted kittens
In Queen cats Neutering will:
- stop your cat having unwanted litters of kittens - something whe will do if not spayed
- reduce unwanted attention (and resultant smell) from entire Tom cats in the area
- stop her "calling" - that distressing wail known as caterwauling!
In Dogs Neutering will:
- Stop or reduce male sex-hormone driven behaviours
- Reduce wandering/roaming/straying (also reducing car accidents)
- Reduce the chances of a dog bite
- Reduce inter-dog aggression
- Reduce territoriality
- Reduce prostatic disease something very common in older entire male dogs)
- Remove the risk of testicular cancer (especially common in retained testicles)
- Alter the conformation of the dog - he will be less muscly, but will only be fat if you overfeed him!!
In Bitches
Neutering at 5-6 months of age, just before the first season, has been, and continues to be, our practice policy - it is now becoming common practice worldwide, with many respected veterinary associations (eg.AVMA) recommending pre-pubertal spaying as young as 8 weeks of age!”
Early neutering will:
- Dramatically reduce (by 700%) the risk of breast cancer, which remains a big killer of entire bitches
- Stop unwanted heats/seasons - the inconvenience of three weeks of bleeding per vagina, and attractiveness to male dogs.
- Reduce the risk of false pregnancies, a common and distressing condition.
- Remove the risk of a pyometra - a life-threatening womb infection very common in older or middle-aged entire bitches.
- Reduce the number of unwanted puppies (NI still has far more stray dogs unnecessarily put to sleep than any other region in the UK).
- Increase the likelihood of obesity - it is important that neutered bitches are fed slightly less (approx. 10%) than entire bitches. They only get fat if you overfeed them!!
- Increase the chances of a urinary leakage problem - this occurs in entire bitches too, and can be managed by drops, tablets, or in very rare, extreme cases, by a surgical procedure - set against the benefits, most vets believe this risk is an acceptable one. We have all had to put bitches to sleep because of breast cancer - this is especially distressing, as these deaths are so easily preventable.
In Male Rabbits Neutering will:
- Reduce aggression
- Make him more amenable to handling - less likely to bite!
- Allow him to be kept in mixed rabbit company without inter-male aggression, or unwanted baby rabbits appearing!
In Female Rabbits Neutering will:
- Stop the development of cancer of the womb - something which develops in 80% of all un-spayed does - and which is usually fatal because it is very advanced at the time of diagnosis, and therefore cannot be removed surgically.
- Reduce aggression
- Stop the development of false pregnancy states - responsible for PMS behaviour in entire female rabbits!
- Makes them better pets.
- Stops development of pyometra - a womb infection which can cause fatal peritonitis in rabbits.
Timing of neutering
This is something which is under review nationally. We currently adhere where possible to the following guidelines, but may drop the age of neutering in line with that done in the major cities in the UK and USA (see Cat group link).
| Pet Category | Age of Neutering | Special Circumstances |
| Queens | 5-6 months | Ideally not when on heat |
| Toms | 5-6 months | Earlier if displaying territorial behaviours |
| Bitches | 5-6 months (before first heat) | If had a heat, then either 3 weeks or 4 months after the end of the heat. |
| Dogs | 6 months | Any age as treatment for some testosterone-responsive diseases, neutering after already adult is unlikely to stop learned behaviours |
| Male Rabbits | From 4 months | Can often be done under local anaesthesia, which makes this procedure very, very safe. |
| Female rabbits | From 4 months | Much less risky if done before she gets too fat!! |
All animals which are neutered at Cedarmount will be given strong pain relief by injection, and this can be topped up with oral pain killers as necessary. You will be given appropriate advice when you collect your pet after the operation. In the majority of cases, the use of modern anaesthesia, pain relief, and the application of gentle tissue handling during the procedures, facilitates discharge home on the same day as the operation. Occasional animals will require an overnight stay - but nearly all are done as day procedures.
We send all animals home with an Elizabethan collar to assist in minimising any interference with the surgical wound. We are proud of our surgery - most wounds have no skin sutures, utilising a combination of dissolving buried sutures, and flexible tissue adhesives. This greatly reduces the animals desire to lick the wound. No-one wants to have to resuture a wound - it is your responsibility to stop any animal removing the sutures - please use the collar provided if you think he/she is/may lick excessively at wound***.
*** If, in the unlikely event an animal does work at a wound sufficiently badly to open it, immediately place the collar on, and call for advice. Most are not emergencies and can be left to the next available appointment to be assessed. The exception to this would be in a situation where a body cavity were opened, or where the animal is in pain. Thankfully, such cases are extremely rare. If in doubt, call for advice. Telephone advice is always free!