As dedicated pet owners, we do everything we can to keep our pets happy and healthy, whether it’s finding the best kind of food, providing them with a new favorite toy, or grooming them and exercise. Another way to keep our pets healthy is to sterilize them.
Dr. Brad Bennettclinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, says that in addition to stopping our pet’s ability to reproduce, these procedures also prevent diseases caused when the reproductive system is left intact.
The importance of spays and neuters
“We usually think of neutering male animals to control the population and unwanted behaviors like spraying in cats, but it can also prevent health problems like tumors or testicular torsion, a painful twisting condition that cuts blood supply and causes swelling of the testicle.’” Bennett said. “On the other hand, spaying females early may decrease their risk of uterine infections (also called pyometra) and mammary neoplasia, or tumors found in the mammary glands.”
The health benefits of sterilization may also increase over time.
“While it’s never too late to be spayed or neutered, dogs and cats may be at higher risk of illness the longer we wait,” Bennett explained. “For example, if a female dog is spayed before her first breeding cycle (or heat), she has less than a 0.5% chance of having mammary neoplasia. If we sterilize them between their first and second heat, they have an 8% chance. If we do it between their second and third innings, they have a 26-28% chance.
Spaying and neutering animals earlier in their lives can also reduce the risk of an animal exhibiting unwanted behaviors, which Bennett says is one of the main reasons people put animals up for adoption.
“If we can sterilize pets, chances are they won’t end up in an animal shelter,” he said.
Taking age and health into account
Most dogs and cats can be spayed or neutered around 6 months of age.
“We sterilize small and medium-sized cats and dogs, usually before the age of 6 months, because if we can perform the procedure before their first heat, they will not show certain behaviors that owners generally do not recognize as heat-related behaviors. cycles, such as irritability and aggression,” Bennett said. “If it’s a male cat or a small or medium-sized male dog, we neuter him usually at 6 months to avoid unwanted behavior including aggression, urine marking and humping.”
Large and giant dog breeds, however, need to be spayed or neutered later to avoid disrupting their growth pattern, which can lead to certain conditions related to their joints and bones.
“Hormones support continued bone growth in large dog breeds; If these bones can fully develop as they are supposed to, they should not have incongruities that could cause orthopedic diseases, such as cross tears (when the knee tissue connecting the lower leg to the upper leg leg tears and causes instability) or hip dysplasia (caused when the hip joint develops abnormally),” Bennett said. “In this case, we actually want to wait to sterilize large and giant dog breeds until after they have grown, which is between a year and 18 months.”
Although age is the main factor in determining whether a pet is spayed or neutered, there are other factors owners should consider to ensure their pet can handle the anesthesia required for surgery.
“We want pets to be healthy and, ideally, up to date on vaccinations and heartworm prevention,” Bennett explained. “A good physical examination and certain diagnostic tests, such as routine blood tests, will help ensure that animals can receive the anesthesia they need during surgery and that they can also recover quickly from surgery. ‘operation. Anesthesia does not usually affect dogs or cats differently, but we will monitor them and their vital signs, including blood pressure, pulse, and temperature.
Owners should be sure to consult their local veterinarian or animal shelter, as additional requirements may need to be met before spaying or neutering a pet.
Care monitoring
Once a pet has been spayed or neutered, it will need extra attention and rest time so its body can heal properly.
“When a pet undergoes surgery, a lot of movement can disrupt the healing process, so we recommend that owners keep their pet calm and quiet for 10 to 14 days after surgery,” Bennett said. “We also like to use e-collars, or cones, to prevent pets from licking or chewing their incisions, as this could lead to infections.
“Additionally, owners should reduce the amount of food they give their pet after surgery,” he continued. “Part of an animal’s caloric intake goes to the normal cycle of its reproductive system and when we suppress the system, all of a sudden it has more calories than it actually needs. So one of the things that happens after surgery is that dogs and cats gain weight, which can be very unhealthy. »
If cat or dog owners have any concerns about the process of spaying or neutering their pet, Bennett strongly encourages them to speak to their veterinarian for advice.
Making the decision to spay or neuter your pet may be one of the most important choices you make for them. This can also be one of the easiest decisions, because by doing so you can improve your pet’s health and longevity and ensure they live a long and happy life with you.
Pet Talk is a service of the Texas A&M University School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. The stories can be found on the web at vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk. Suggestions for future topics can be directed to vmbs-editor@tamu.edu.