Desexing

Desexing or neutering your pet is a surgical procedure that prevents them from being able to reproduce. In male pets it is commonly referred to as “castration”, and in female pets as “speying”. This is the most frequent surgery performed by our veterinarians, and generally your pet is home by the evening of surgery.

Depending on the breed, behaviour, musculoskeletal development of the dog, will determine what the best age will be to desex your dog.

Cats, male or female, can be desexed as long as they are over 1 kg. Cats are required to be desexed by 16 weeks of age to comply with council regulations to prevent an annual breeding permit fee.

There are many benefits to desexing your pet before. They include:

  • Preventing unwanted litters, which can be very costly, and may add to the already overwhelming number of stray animals that are put down each year
  • Prevention of testicular cancer and prostate disease in males, and it can help prevent pyometra (infection of the uterus) and mammary tumours (breast cancer) in females
  • Stopping the “heat” cycle in females 
  • Decreasing aggression towards humans and other animals, especially in males
  • Being less prone to wander, especially in males
  • Reduction of council registration fees

What to do before and after surgery

Prior to Surgery:

  • Make a booking for your pets operation.
  • If your pet is a dog, you can wash them the day before surgery as they are then unable to be washed after until the stitches are removed.
  • You can give you pet an evening meal as normal the day prior to surgery, but do not leave food out overnight. No food should be fed after 10pm. Water should be freely available to your pet until 8 am on the day of surgery.
  • Drop off at the clinic at 8am - 9.30am (unless other arrangements have been booked)

Desexing is a day surgery and your pet will not need to stay overnight, unless the veterinarian advises you. Give us a call in the afternoon at 3pm-4pm and the veterinary staff will give you an update how the surgery went and what time you can pick up your pet.

Additional services:

  • Rapid recovery package; this includes fluids and pre-general anaesthetic bloods. The bloods will give up an idea if there is any underlying health problems and if there is any reason why we shouldn't put your animal under anaesthetic. The fluids give them a smoother and quicker recovery. This is highly recommended for older patients.
    • There is also the options for just fluid therapy or just bloods.
  • The vet will perform a thorough physical examination before administering an anaesthetic.
  • To ensure your pet is as comfortable as possible, all pets receive pain relief as part of the desexing procedure, and there is the option for additional pain relief to go home with.

After Surgery:

  • Keep your pet restrained and quiet as the effects of anaesthetic can take some time to wear off completely.
  • Keeping them quiet is also essential to allow the wound to heal.
  • Food should be limited to small portions only on the night of surgery.
  • Ensure your pet’s rest area is clean to avoid infection.
  • Check the surgical wound at least twice daily for any signs of infection or disruption (e.g. bleeding, swelling, redness or discharge). Contact us immediately if any of these occur. Do not wait to see if they will spontaneously resolve.
  • Prevent your pet from licking or chewing the wound. Special cone-shaped collars assist with this problem. A single chew can remove the careful stitching with disastrous effects.
  • Ensure you return to us on time for routine post-operative check-ups and FREE removal of stitches.
  • No baths or swimming until sutures are removed.
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