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Dog Spaying and Neutering

Did you know that one unspayed female and all of the subsequent offspring can lead to up to 67,000 more dogs in 6 years! Spaying (female) or neutering (male) your dog not only prevents numerous health and behaviour concerns, but it also helps to minimize the overwhelming issue of pet overpopulation faced in almost every community. Ever wonder what’s involved in your pet’s visit for their spay or neuter? Give us a call; we’d love to talk to you about it!

What does neutering/spaying a dog do?


Spaying or Neutering is the surgical removal of reproductive organs. Removing these organs ensures the pet cannot either impregnate another dog or become pregnant themselves. It can also deter or diminish unwanted behaviours associated with sexual maturity if done at a young enough age.

Why is it important to neuter/spaying my dog?


There are too many dogs to count who are either homeless, in shelters, or euthanized yearly due to pet over-population. Spaying or neutering your pet ensures you are not contributing to this very large, heartbreaking issue. By having this type of surgery performed early enough before sexual maturity you also protect your pet from certain illnesses such as tumours of the reproductive organs and the life-threatening infection, “pyometra”, which can be fatal if not caught and treated soon enough.

How old should a dog be before neutering/spaying?


Currently the general recommendation is to have your dog spayed or neutered before the onset of puberty/sexual maturity. The accepted time frame for this is around 6-7 months of age. There are some veterinarians now who are advocating for larger breed dogs to have this elective surgery performed at a later time (around 1-1.5 years old). Please speak with your veterinarian to determine the best time to have this surgery performed.

How much does it cost to neuter/spay a dog?


There are some factors to consider when looking at the cost of spaying or neutering your dog. Straightforward, non-complicated surgeries have a standard cost. Considerations that result in added surgical/anesthetic time and therefore impact the cost of surgery include age/body condition of the pet, if one or both testicle is “hidden” (has not descended into the scrotum yet), and concurrent needs such as repair of an umbilical hernia. All of our pets undergoing procedures requiring anesthesia receive a complete physical exam before anesthetics being administered. Intravenous fluid therapy, hands-on and equipment-based monitoring during surgery, as well as preventive and post-operative pain control, is included with your dog’s spay/neuter. We strongly advise that your pet has pre-anesthetic testing performed in our in-house lab, regardless of age. This testing allows us to do an “internal exam” by assessing organ and blood cell health the morning of surgery. These tests are one more step we can take to make your dog’s anesthesia/surgery as safe as possible. We are happy to speak with you about your pet’s surgical estimate. Please call Harbour Cities Veterinary Hospital for more information.

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