“Here at Paragon Veterinary Group we advise routine neutering of dogs, cats and rabbits, unless they are to be bred from or if they have specific medical concerns,” says Karen Macdonald, Head Veterinary Nurse.
Neutering not only prevents unwanted pregnancies but also has many health benefits.
In female dogs this includes preventing pyometra which is an infection of the uterus which can be fatal, and reducing the incidence of mammary tumours.
In male dogs the health benefits are preventing testicular cancer and reducing the incidence of cancer of the prostate and anus.
In some cases, neutering can improve behaviour in dogs, but we advise speaking to our vets first regarding each individual case.
Neutering can also prevent straying, roaming and fighting in male cats and stop female cats being vocal.
The operation itself is routine with dogs on restricted exercise for 10- 14 days afterwards.
Your pet will be admitted in the morning by one of our vets and will be with us for the day until we are happy that they have fully recovered.
We will then arrange an appointment with you and go through post-operative instructions. We will then book you in for a free post-op check with one of our nurses in three to five days.
Neutering is routinely discounted by veterinary practices as they believe in the beneficial effects of the procedure.
Even though we usually recommend neutering when pets are young it is still worth considering neutering older pets as it can prevent unnecessary disease later on in life.
One question we often get asked by clients is, will my pet gain weight after neutering? The change in hormones can affect metabolism. We can offer a consultation with one of our nurses regarding your pet’s diet, and tips to help prevent this.
There are diets which are formulated especially for pets which have been neutered. We recommend Royal Canin Life Stage diets which include, for example, ‘Neutered Adult Small Dog.’ This diet not only helps prevent weight gain but helps with tartar control and digestive tolerance. There are also versions designed specifically for medium and large breed dogs, and also for cats.
Each animal is individual and we thoroughly welcome our clients contacting us to speak to one of our vets or nurses with any questions or concerns that they might have, and to discuss what might be best for your individual pet.