Desexing

Dog spay (desexing)

Dog spaying is a surgical procedure called an ovariohysterectomy, where the female dog’s ovaries and uterus are removed through an incision in her midline while she is under general anaesthetic. This procedure prevents her from getting ovarian and uterine cancer, as well as a serious infection of the uterus called pyometra.

Cat spay (desexing)

Cat spaying is a surgical procedure called an ovariohysterectomy, where the female cat’s ovaries and uterus are removed through an incision in her midline while she is under general anaesthetic. This procedure prevents her from getting ovarian and uterine cancer, as well as a serious infection of the uterus called pyometra. Spaying your female cat:

• Helps prevent unwanted litters and limits the feral cat population and its impact on the environment

• Limits the spread of genetic abnormalities that professional breeders try to control

• Prevents your cat developing uterine cancer and infection (pyometra)

• Significantly reduces the risk of hormone-induced diseases

• Prevents or reduces hormone-mediated behavioural issues

Cat castration (desexing)

The surgery involves the removal of his testicles while he is under general anaesthetic. This surgery prevents testicular cancer and behavioural problems such as urine marking. The benefits of cat castration include:

• Castration helps prevent urine spraying, which is a normal sexual behaviour of uncastrated male tomcats. Anyone who has smelled tomcat urine will agree that spraying is definitely an unwanted behaviour!

• Decreased aggression, due to lower testosterone levels, is one of the most important behavioural advantages of castration. Desexed adult cats tend to be less aggressive towards other cats, reducing the risk of cat-fight injuries and abscesses.

• Desexed cats are much less likely to react when they sense a female in heat. Male cats can sense females in heat through pheromones, which attract males from great distances.

Dog castration (desexing)

This involves the removal of his testicles through an incision just in front of his scrotum while he is under anaesthetic. Castration prevents testicular cancer and behavioural problems such as aggression. The benefits of dog castration include:

• Eliminating the risk of testicular cancer: desexing removes the testes and eliminates the risk of your dog developing testicular cancer, a common and life-threatening cancer in older male dogs.

• Reducing prostate problems: without desexing, your male dog’s prostate will gradually enlarge as he gets older. Prostate enlargement is uncomfortable, can make urination difficult, and can become infected without treatment. Desexing also reduces the risk of prostate cancer (but does not eliminate it completely).