What is spaying or neutering?
Neutering is the surgical removal of the testicles, while spaying is the removal of the ovaries and uterus. At Eagle Ridge Animal and Bird Hospital, we are happy to provide spay and neuter services to cats, dogs, rabbits, ferrets, and other small mammals.
Why should you spay or neuter your pets?
Spaying and neutering helps prevent more pets from being added to the already large population of animals in shelters looking for homes. When your pet is in intact (not spayed or neutered), they will be driven to reproduce. Females will come in to heat, and both sexes may exhibit behaviours related to breeding such as territorialism, roaming, aggression, and urine marking. Spaying and neutering improves these behavioural issues. There are also health benefits: spaying and neutering greatly reduces or eliminates the risk of breast cancer, uterine and ovarian cancer and infection, prostate enlargement, and testicular cancer.
Spaying or neutering is usually recommended at 6 months of age.
Your pet is examined on the day of the surgery to ensure that they are healthy enough to undergo the procedure. Pre-anesthetic blood testing is recommended to screen for potential health problems. You should fast your pet the night before surgery (water is ok), and drop them off at our clinic between 7:30 – 9:00 am on the day of surgery. Your pet will usually be able to go home on the same day. All animals undergoing spay and neuter surgery are provided with pain control both during and after the surgery.