Spaying and Neutering

Having your dog spayed (female) or neutered (male) is an important part of responsible pet ownership. Spaying or neutering your dog at an appropriate age can help prevent serious medical problems such as uterine infections and cancer. Behaviours such as marking, wandering and aggression can decrease if your dog is spayed or neutered at an early age. Overpopulation is also a huge concern where we can see the majority of animal shelters being at maximum capacity of dogs. Contact a staff member at Lomsnes Veterinary Hospital if you have any questions about spaying and neutering your dog.

What does neutering/spaying a dog do?

Spaying involves having an ovariohysterectomy (removing the uterus and ovaries) surgery performed through an incision in the abdomen. This surgical procedure tries to ensure that female dogs do not get pregnant or have a heat cycle. Neutering is another surgical procedure where both testicles are removed through an incision just above the scrotum. This decreases the male’s testosterone levels and, helps correct behaviour concerns like aggression, marking, or wandering.

Why is it important to neuter/spay my dog?

Spaying or neutering your dog is recommended around 6 months of age. Spaying should be done before your dog’s first heat cycle to prevent mammary tumours from developing. Neutering your dog around 6 months of age prevents unwanted behaviour such as marking, aggression, and wandering. Spaying and neutering also prevent unwanted litters, overpopulation and dogs from ending up in the shelters. If you have any questions regarding getting your dog spayed or neutered contact us.

How old should a dog be before neutering/spaying?

We strongly believe that it is in the best interest of your dog if they are spayed or neutered around 6 months of age. If they are spayed or neutered around 6 months of age they have a lesser chance of developing unwanted behaviour due to hormonal influences such as mounting, marking and aggression. Spaying or neutering them early prevents these behaviours from developing and becoming a habit.

How much does it cost to neuter/spay a dog?

Spaying or neutering your dog involves them staying with us for the day. Once they are in our care one of our veterinarians performs a pre-surgical exam to ensure that your dog is in good health prior to the surgery. It is also at this time that pre-anesthetic blood work may be completed and evaluated. Your dog is then placed on intravenous fluid therapy to prevent dehydration and to help maintain blood pressure while under anesthesia. It also helps in the recovery from the surgery postoperatively. The surgery is then performed by one of our veterinarians and a Registered Veterinary Technologist who is present to monitor your dog’s vital sign and anesthesia. Warm-air blankets are used to keep them warm while under anesthesia and post-surgery until they are comfortable. There is also the option to have an identification tattoo or microchip implantation done while under anesthesia, a nail trim will also be performed. All surgical patients are given an injection of a pain medication before and after their surgery. They also go home with a few days of pain medication and anti-inflammatories.

Once your dog has recovered we will contact you and give you an update on how they did during surgery and afterwards. When you pick your dog up a dedicated staff member will go through a take-home instructions package which includes what to expect after the surgery, any medications to go home, and an Elizabethan collar to prevent your dog from licking their incision. The cost of having your dog spayed or neutered varies. Please contact our staff members to inquire about having your dog spayed or neutered.