Spay and Neuter
Frequently Asked Questions

1.  Is it a good idea to let my pet have at least one litter?
No, there is no advantage to letting your pet have one litter. However there are plenty of advantages to having you pet spayed or neutered. These advantages include decreasing the chances of breast tumors later in life, decreasing the chance of cystic ovaries and uterine infections later in life, decreasing the desire to roam the neighborhood, decreasing the incidence of testicular cancer later in life, helping prevent spraying and marking, and also decreases the surplus of unwanted puppies and kittens.

2. At what age can I have my pet spayed or neutered?
We recommend spaying or neutering between 5 & 6 months of age.

3.  What is the pre-anesthetic blood screening?
This is a blood test that is run prior to surgery.  Anesthetic drugs are eliminated from the body by the liver and kidneys.  The blood screen measures how well those organs are functioning and checks that red and white blood cell counts are normal.   This information allows the doctor to choose the safest drugs for your pet's individual condition. The pre-anesthetic blood screening is done to increase the safety margin during surgery and assess the ability to heal following surgery.  Another benefit of doing pre-operative bloodwork is to establish what are normal levels for an individual pet.  This information can be very, very useful if your pet becomes ill at a later date.

4. How does my pet benefit from IV fluids? 
IV fluids accomplish three things: 1. Help maintain blood pressure during anesthesia (a possible side effect of anesthesia is low blood pressure.) This helps protect the organs from damage caused by a low blood flow.  2. It gives us an instant access to a vein in the event of an adverse reaction allowing us to quickly administer potentially life saving medications.  3. IV fluids help your pet maintain their hydration during the procedure. 

"Sam" receiving IV fluids following a mass removal and dental.

A "neuter" is a complete male castration where both testicles are removed.  The procedure is external meaning that we do not have to enter the abdomen.  There are also advantages to having your pet neutered such as decreased desire to roam the neighborhood, decreased incidence of prostate cancer and it also may prevent spraying and marking.

6.  What else happens on the day of the surgery?
Your pet is given an examination prior to the surgery to assure the pet is healthy prior to the surgery.  An intravenous catheter is placed to keep your pet hydrated and to administer the anesthetics (or other medications) during the procedure.  Injectable medications are also given to assure your pet is comfortable and calm before and after the procedure.  During the procedure all patients are attached to monitors that measure how much oxygen they are receiving, their heart rate and blood pressure.  A licensed technician assists the doctor during surgery to monitor your pet and make adjustments to the anesthesia as directed by the doctor.  Please see our Follow a Surgery page to see the process in pictures.

Meet naughty Gracie.  Gracie removed her sutures twice following a surgery inspite of wearing a collar.  This is the e-collar her dad made for her that finally allowed the incision to heal.