Quality, professional veterinary care, tailored for you and your pet.

JULIE INNES VETS, HAMILTON

Neutering is one of the most common procedures we carry out, for many more reasons than just preventing unwanted pregnancies

FEMALE  DOGS

Female dogs are neutered (or spayed/ dressed) for a variety of reasons

 

- To prevent them  coming into season- many owners find their bitches’ seasons messy and troublesome

- To prevent unwanted pregnancies- sadly, there are still many unwanted puppies around

- To prevent a serious and potentially fatal condition known as pyometra. This is where the womb fills up with pus, and the bitch becomes very unwell. Treatment of this condition usually requires an emergency hysterectomy, which can be a major ordeal in an older, unwell animal. Statistics suggest thst as many as 1 in 4 unneutered bitches will develop this condition

- To minimise the risk of mammary (breast) cancer in the bitch. Bitches who are neutered relatively early on in    life are far far less likely to develop malignant mammary tumours, and are obviously protected against cancer of the womb or ovaries too.

 

 

We can neuter bitches from 6 months old, but not if they are in, or close to, a season, as the increased blood supply makes the operation more dangerous. In larger breeds we advise waiting until they have had a season, to allow for proper growth.  The operation  involves a general anaesthetic and we remove both the uterus (womb) and ovaries. Your pet will usually be with us for the day, then go home to you at night, having had injections of antibiotics and painkillers. We like to check them over (free of charge) a couple of days later , and their stitches are usually underneath and don’t require removal.

 

 

MALE  DOGS

It is generally a good idea to get male dogs neutered too. Again, there are many reasons

 

- To prevent unwanted pregnancies. Even the most well-behaved male dogs can find a way to escape when      there is a nearby bitch in season!

- To prevent straying- statistics show that a huge proportion of road traffic accidents involve un-neutered         male dogs.

- To prevent hormone -related conditions. There is a far bigger prevalence of bleeding tumours around the        anus (anal adenomas) in un-neutered male dogs, and neutered males are protected against testicular cancer

- To prevent unwanted behaviour- neutering can alleviate certain types of male behaviour, but is not a magic    cure!! Speak to the vet or nurse first if you have behavioural concerns with your dog

 

We can neuter male dogs from about 6 months old, although more recent research suggests it is better to wait until they are fully grown (12-24 months, depending on breed). The operation involves a general anaesthetic and we remove both the testicles. Your dog will stay in for the day and will go home to you in the evening, having had pain relief by injection. He will have a check up (free of charge) a couple of days later, and will often have dissolving stitches that don’t require removal

 

There are some myths surrounding neutering that put people off, so lets try to dispel  a couple of them

 

- “He/She will get fat”

- It is true that your dog may need less food than before neutering, but all the Guide Dogs for the Blind are       neutered, and you will rarely see a fat one! Dogs only get fat if you feed them more calories than they            require!

- “It will change his/ her nature”

- all it will do is take away some hormones- not your dog’s intrinsic personality!

 Bear in mind that your puppy didn’t have these hormones before he or she reached puberty- was there such a lack of personality then?!

 

If, however,  you decide you don’t want to neuter your dog, we will respect that decision.

 

 

FEMALE  CATS

Most female cats are neutered from about 4-5 months old. Reasons for neutering include

- To stop the “calling”- female cats in season can be very very vocal! You could also find yourself with a            garden full of tom cats! Female cats can come into season every couple of weeks throughout the spring and   summer, so it can seem as though they are calling all the time

- To prevent unwanted pregnancies. This is actually even more important in cats, as they are “reflex                  ovulators”,in other words they usually get pregnant every time they are mated

- To prevent pyometra (womb infection, as in bitches)

- To prevent cancer of the mammary glands and reproductive tract

 

The neutering operation in a female cat involves a general anaesthetic, and we remove the uterus (womb) and ovaries. Your cat will come in in the morning and go home in the evening of the same day, having received pain relief and antibiotics. We like to see them back for a (free of charge) check up a couple of days later. Stitches are often dissolving ones which don’t need to be removed. If there are stitches which need to be removed, we will do so after 10 days.

 

 

MALE  CATS

Most pet tom cats are neutered, for the following reasons,

- To prevent unwanted pregnancies- as detailed above, cats get pregnant nearly every time they are mated,     so an un-neutered tom can soon become the daddy to literally hundreds of unwanted kittens

- To prevent fighting- un-neutered tom cats can be very aggressive toward one another, resulting in some        nasty wounds and abscesses

- To prevent straying- and subsequent road traffic accidents

- To prevent unwanted male cat behaviours, like urine marking and spraying, which are common in entire          toms

 

 

FEMALE  RABBITS

There is increasing evidence that female rabbits are very prone to cancer of the uterus (womb), and many rabbit  experts now advise preventative neutering. We are experienced at rabbit neutering and are happy to perform this procedure. With rabbits, the biggest worry has traditionally been the anaesthetic risk, but newer anaesthetics have reduced this risk drastically.  Neutering female rabbits has become a far more common procedure over the last few years- talk to your vet or nurse for more information.

 

The operation itself involves a general anaesthetic, followed by removal of the uterus (womb) and ovaries. Pain relief , antibiotics and supportive care are provided, and you will usually get your bunny home that evening, although occasionally we keep them  in overnight if they are still sleepy

 

 

MALE  RABBITS

The most common reason for neutering male rabbits is that they are sharing a hutch with a female, or fighting with a fellow male! It can be done from 12 weeks onwards, depending on the size of the rabbit, and the presence or absence of testicles!

 

The operation involves a general anaesthetic and we remove both testicles via a skin incision. Pain relief, antibiotics and supportive care are given, and most rabbits go home on the evening of their operation, unless they are still a bit sleepy, when we might keep them overnight. As with female rabbit neutering, the anaesthetic was historically more of a concern than the procedure itself, but more modern anaesthetics have greatly reduced this risk.

 

 

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