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Every Patient that undergoes surgery will have an Intravenous Catheter (IV) and fluids, Pain medications, and full vital (heart rate, respiratory rate, etc) monitor as part of our safety protocol for pets under anesthesia.
A long-term benefit of spaying and neutering is improved health for both cats and dogs. Spaying females prior to their first heat cycle nearly eliminates the risk of breast cancer and totally prevents uterine infections and uterine cancer.
Neutering males prevents testicular cancer and enlargement of the prostate gland, and greatly reduces their risk for peri-anal tumors.
Spaying (female) Pets:
We Highly Reccommend spaying female dogs and cats. Spaying of dogs and cats can prevent mammary cancer, uterine infections (pyometra, metritis), reproductive cancers (ovaries, cervix etc.) and prevents unwanted pregnancies, the attraction of males and heat signs. Spaying dogs before their first heat almost completely eliminates the chance of developing mammary cancers. In Cats mammary cancers are very malignant, but in dogs they tend mostly to just be aggressive locally early on. Dogs in heat attract male dogs, and bleed from their vaginas for around 9 days, before their true heat begins, when they allow breeding. In cats they tend to have very variable cycles that are seasonal, and they tend to be very vocal and excessively affectionate during their heat periods.
Neutering (male) Pets:
We Highly Recommend neutering Male dogs and cats. Neutering of dogs and cats is mainly done to prevent over population of our pet animals, however there are some behavioral and medical reasons to consider for this procedure. In dogs, when they are unneutered, they can develop prostates and prostatic cancers, anal tumors, prepuce infections, transmissible venereal tumors and uncommonly testicular tumors. Only the anal sac tumors may have more of an increased incidence post neuter. Dogs tend to roam less (‘run away’), hump less people’s legs. and inter-male aggression at dog parks is lessened..
In cats the problem is mainly urine spraying around the house when kept unneutered, 90% of spraying tom cats stop once neutered. Male cats also tend to be much more territorial leading to cat fighting and associated cat abscesses and cellulitis. Viral transmission of AIDS and Feline leukemia is higher in intact male cats. These intact males transfer these viruses when they get into fights with any outdoor cat.
Generally we follow the recommendation of the humane societies and recommend neutering for these medical/ behavioral reasons and to prevent pet overpopulation. We encourage you to adopt a pet from the humane society to help decrease pet euthanasia and to discourage buying from sources that may buy from puppy mills. Animals are generally treated very inhumanely at puppy mills – poor hygiene, parasite infestations and viral diseases. Thousands of healthy pets are euthanized each year at humane societies due to over-crowding and not enough people available for adoption.
There is a tendency for some pets to gain weight after spaying and neutering. It is strongly recommended that you decrease the amount of food given after neutering and be more vigilant of early signs of gaining too many pounds. (The ribs should be easily felt but not seen, not too much shoulder fat and there should be a good waste indentation. In cats the ribs and the abdominal fat are important to look at).
One of the most important causes of heart and kidney disease of dogs and cats is dental tartar and periodontal disease. By the age of 3 yrs old 75% of dogs and cats have some periodontal disease. Millions of bacteria live in the dental calculi(tartar) and enter the blood stream from the unhealthy gums and spread to the major organs of the body. Annual dental cleaning cannot be over-emphasized to minimize the chance of these potential diseases and prolong the life span of the dogs and cats. After annual cleaning, regular brushing with dog or cat toothpaste is essential to prevent periodontal disease and improve the quality of your pet's life. Prescription and over the counter products we recommend to be used a home are listed on www.vohc.org. We recommend that owners use at least one (or multiple) teeth care product on a continued bases to help decrease the build up of tartar.
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