Pet Spay and Neuter
At Alta Vista Animal Hospital, we strongly recommend spay & neuter for all pets to ensure they live a longer, healthier, and happier life with you.
Spay and Neuter
We provide spay and neuter services to help your pet live a healthy life. As a pet owner, choosing to spay or neuter your new pet is one of the most responsible decisions. Spaying and neutering pets are estimated to add years to your pet’s life by decreasing or eliminating their chances of getting certain cancers; it also helps reduce the number of animals in shelters and the number of euthanized pets each year.
With statistics indicating that nearly 4 million pets in the United States are put down annually, we believe spaying and neutering animals is a productive initiative. We hope to prolong pets’ lives and help the community prevent pet overpopulation by providing these services.
Reasons to spay or neuter your pet:
- Decrease aggressive behaviors in male pets
- Decrease the desire for pets to roam and find mates
- Decrease pet overpopulation and pet euthanasia
- Decrease the risk of mammary gland tumors
- Eliminate heat cycles, bleeding, and yelling for a mate
- Eliminate or reduce marking and spraying
- Reduce the risk of ovarian and uterine cancers
- Reduce the risk of prostate cancer and testicular cancer
What does spaying or neutering involve?
Both spaying and neutering are surgical procedures that prevent an animal from reproducing. Spaying and neutering are typically recommended for pets that are at least six months old and are not going to be used for breeding. Spaying is performed on female animals and involves surgically removing the uterus and ovaries to prevent pregnancy. Neutering is implemented on male animals and encompasses removing the testicles to eliminate fertility. While each of these surgeries sounds complex, they can usually be completed within a few hours and do not require an overnight hospital stay.
Your pet may experience increased discomfort in the days following surgery. Depending on your pet’s surgery, pain medication can be prescribed. These tips should be followed to ease your pet’s recovery:
- Do not allow your pet to run or jump for the next few days.
- Examine the incision daily to ensure proper healing.
- Keep your pet confined from others, and allow them to have a quiet resting place.
- Prevent your pet from licking the surgical site by keeping close watch or using an e-collar.
- Wait at least ten days after surgery to bathe your pet. Contact our office immediately if your pet’s incision has opened or if you notice excessive swelling, redness, or discharge.
If you have further questions about the spay and neuter procedures or would like to schedule the surgery for your pet, contact our office at your convenience.