Benefits of Desexing
Desexing is the only effective permanent method for preventing pregnancy in animals and provides important health benefits as well. Desexing surgery involves the removal of testicles of males, known as castration, or ‘neutering’, and the removal of ovaries and uterus of females, known as ovariohysterectomy or ‘spaying’.
Your pet will be desexed under general anaesthesia. As most animals undergoing desexing are young and healthy, complications are rare. In addition, the anaesthetic will be closely monitored throughout the procedure to ensure the safety of your pet.
✓ Reduction in risk of some malignant cancers in organs such as the testes, ovaries, cervix or uterus.
✓ Prevention of infection of the uterus, or ‘pyometra’, which is where the uterus fills with pus, common in older entire female dogs.
✓ Prevention of ‘false pregnancy syndrome’ in undesexed female dogs.
✓ Reduction in risk of some serious diseases, such as prostatic infection and perineal hernia in male dogs that haven’t been castrated.
✓ Reduction in territorial behaviours such as urine marking.
✓ Decrease in noisy calling behaviours.
✓ Reduction in anti-social behaviours.
✓ Decrease in wandering, which can lead to your pet being lost, harming native wildlife or being hit by a car.
✓ Prevention of costs associated with the assistance of birthing.
✓ Avoidance of costs associated with the serious medical diseases listed above.
✓ Desexing your pet also entitles you to a discount on your council pet registration fees, for the life of your animal.
Pre-Anaesthetic examination:
Your veterinarian or veterinary nurse will examine your pet to ensure they are physically well for their anaesthetic.
Pre-Medication
Your veterinarian will administer medication which provides pain relief for your pet’s surgery and reduces anxiety associated with being in hospital.
Anaesthetic
A general anaesthetic is important for surgical procedures to be completed safely on animals and eliminate any perception of pain.
Surgical Preparation
Prior to surgery, the hair around the surgical site is clipped and the skin in cleaned until sterile.
Surgical Procedure
In the case of male animals, both the testicles are removed via a skin incision. In female animals, an incision is made through the skin and the muscle of the belly. The reproductive organs are removed through this incision, which is then stitched closed.
Pain relief
Your veterinarian will administer an anti-inflammatory drug at the time of desexing to help minimise the discomfort from the procedure and reduce inflammation and swelling.
Tattoo
A permanent identification mark in your pet’s ear identifies that your pet has been desexed.
Additional procedures
It can be convenient while your pet is anaesthetised to complete other procedures which may be required.
These may include:
✓ Repair of umbilical hernias
✓ Removal of ‘baby’ or deciduous teeth
✓ Microchipping
✓ Dew claw removal
Recovery:
Your pet will continue to be monitored throughout the recovery process.
Generally, pets make a speedy recovery after routine surgery. At discharge, your veterinarian or veterinary nurse will provide detailed instructions on caring for your pet post-surgery.
Here is a basic list of things to consider:
✓ Your pet will need to be moderately contained while recovering from their surgery, so consider somewhere that is clean, safe & dry where they can be kept while recovering to reduce swelling and wound damage. Any excessive jumping, activity and excitement can increase the chances of these problems and may incur further costs for you if your pet needs antibiotics, re-suturing or treatment. It may also be recommended that you use an ‘elizabethan’ collar to minimise your pet biting or chewing at their surgical site.
✓ As your pet will have sutures, all bathing and swimming will be off limits until they are removed. This will limit the chance of infection.
✓ If you notice any swelling, redness or irritation around the surgical site, contact us immediately.
✓ Sutures will be removed in approximately ten days post-surgery. An appointment time will be necessary, so speak to our staff about booking an appropriate time that suits.
✓ “It’s better to have my pet the way nature intended”
Sexual hormones create behaviours in our pets that may be socially unacceptable, such as mating, urine marking and roaming. These are natural behaviours of entire animals and desexing may supress their desire for these behaviours.
✓ “My pet will gain weight after desexing”
Animals that are not desexed may have slightly higher nutritional requirements than animals that have been desexed. Managing their weight by feeding your pet an appropriate amount, combined with regular exercise, will stop your pet from becoming overweight, and additionally may save you money in food expenses.
✓ “It doesn’t matter when I get my pet desexed”
Many of the benefits to desexing are maximised when performed at a certain age. Your veterinarian will factor in general desexing advise, breed-related considerations, and your pet’s individual circumstances to provide the best advice for you.
✓ “Desexing will be too painful for my pet”
Animals experience minimal discomfort undergoing a desexing procedure. This is because medication to control pain and anaesthetic medications are used throughout the surgery, and additional pain relief is provided afterwards.