Getting Your Pet Spayed or Neutered
At Chinook Pet Clinic, we recognize the importance of spaying and neutering your cats and dogs. By having your pet spayed or neutered, you can avoid the potential expenses associated with caring for unplanned litters or treating health issues that may arise due to reproductive complications.
Additionally, these routine surgeries can help control the pet population, reducing the number of stray cats and dogs in the Lethbridge community.
Your furry friend's health is our top priority. We take precautions to ensure a safe and successful surgery, including pre-operative blood work, pain medication, and monitoring both during and after surgery. We do everything we can to ensure that your companion is comfortable and pain-free from start to finish.
Neutering (Males)
Neutering, or orchiectomy, is a surgical procedure performed to remove the testicles from male pets, preventing them from fathering litters of kittens or puppies.
Cats: Neutering your cat can help to curb undesirable behaviours such as spraying, roaming and aggression toward other cats.
Dogs: Neutering your dog may help to reduce animal aggression, 'humping' and attempts at escaping your home or yard.
Spaying (Females)
Spaying, technically known as an ovariohysterectomy, is performed to remove a female pet's reproductive organs. This surgery prevents your dog or cat from becoming pregnant
Cats: Spaying your cat may help prevent your kitty from escaping your home, roaming, yowling and urinating inappropriately.
Dogs: Having your female dog spayed ends their heat cycle and helps prevent pyometra (womb infection) and mammary tumours.
When to Spay or Neuter Your Pet
No one understands your pet's health better than a veterinarian. Although we provide general spay and neuter age guidelines below, it is always best to consult your companion's veterinarian for advice.
Cats
Kittens can be spayed or neutered as young as six to eight weeks of age, however standard spay and neuter surgeries are typically performed when the kitten is between five and six months old.
That said, it's important to note that a healthy adult cat of any age can be spayed or neutered.
Dogs
Traditionally puppies have been spayed or neutered at around six months old. However, some veterinarians have concluded that it is better to wait until the dog has reached sexual maturity before performing these reproductive surgeries.
Speak to your veterinarian to determine the best time to have your dog spayed or neutered.
Benefits of Spaying & Neutering
Tens of thousands of dogs and cats are taken in by Canadian humane societies and SPCAs every year, with countless more cared for by private rescue agencies.
Reducing the number of unwanted dogs and cats filling Canadian shelters is one of the primary benefits of spaying and neutering pets. Additionally, reducing the number of homeless kitties in your area could help to preserve your community's biodiversity and wildlife population, as cats are prey on birds, butterflies, moths, and small mammals.
Spaying & Neutering FAQs
Considering having your four-legged friend spayed or neutered but still have questions? Please take a few minutes to read through the answers to these frequently asked questions about spay and neuter surgeries at our Lethbridge animal hospital.
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How long will it take for my pet to recover from surgery?
These common procedures are typically day surgeries, allowing dogs and cats to return home in the evening following their procedure.
Your pet's activity will need to be restricted for approximately 10 days, and a protective collar may need to be worn by your pet to prevent them from licking the incision.
Your veterinarian may also request that you bring your companion in for a follow-up appointment.
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Will my pet feel anything during the procedure?
No, your pet will be under general anesthesia, and will not feel anything during the procedure. Our team will continually monitor the health of your pet throughout the procedure, to ensure that your furry family member remains comfortable.
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Will my pet gain weight after the procedure?
Your puppy or kitten will continue to grow to their full adult weight after the spay or neuter procedure, and this naturally includes some weight gain.
However, an adult dog or cat will not put on excess weight as a result of being spayed or neutered.
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How much will it cost to get my pet fixed?
The cost of your pet's spay or neuter surgery depends on a wide variety of factors, including the size of your pet and their overall state of health, as well as where you live in the country. To get an accurate estimate of the cost of your pet's reproductive surgery contact our Lethbridge animal hospital today.
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Will my pet need to stay in the hospital overnight?
In some rare cases, it may be necessary to keep a dog or cat overnight following spay and neuter surgeries, but typically these procedures are day surgeries. This means that you will drop your pet off to us in the morning at a pre-arranged time and then pick them up once our veterinarians have decided that your pet is sufficiently recovered and ready to head home.
When you come to our animal hospital to pick up your pet following surgery we will be sure to provide you with detailed instructions for at-home post-op care.