Information about desexing at Animal Care Cranbourne
Why should I have my cat or dog desexed?
We suggest desexing of all dogs and cats kept for non-breeding purposes. Besides the obvious reasons of permanently preventing unwanted litters of puppies and kittens, sterilization has many other health benefits. In male dogs, castration reduces the likelihood of prostate disease, testicular cancer and aggression towards other dogs. In male cats, castration reduces urine spraying and odour and aggression towards other cats. In female dogs and cats, spaying prevents the development of womb infections (pyometra) and reduces the risk of breast cancer.
What does the procedure involve?
In the case of male animals both testicles are removed via a skin incision. In male cats these are two skin incisions made in the scrotum, which are generally left open to heal naturally. In male dogs there is usually a single skin incision made just in front of the scrotum, which is stitched closed.
In female cats and dogs an incision is made through the skin of the belly. The belly cavity (abdomen) is entered through a deeper incision in the muscle. The ovaries and uterus are removed through this incision, which is then stitched closed. In some cats an alternative approach is used through the left flank area.
I would like to have my pet desexed. How do I make a booking and what do I need to do beforehand?
We perform desexing during weekdays (Monday to Friday) - a booking is required. In order to make a booking you will need to phone our reception staff on (03) 59953444 and make an appointment. They will confirm the price of desexing at this time. Full payment of the cost of the procedure is expected prior to discharge of your pet. We require that your pet is up to date with vaccinations prior to desexing. This ensures the safety of your pet and others in the hospital.
Pets need to be fasted from 8.00pm on the evening prior to their surgery. This means that all food should be removed from your pet’s vicinity. They can have water overnight and up to the time of admission.
I would like to have my pet desexed. What happens when I arrive at the clinic?
Pets are admitted between 8.30am and 9.00 during the week. Your pet is later examined by the veterinarian who decides upon the safest type of anaesthetic to use. Your pet is then scheduled for surgery. Prior to surgery the hair is clipped off the belly area and the skin is sterilized. Surgery is performed by the veterinarian in conjunction with a veterinary nurse. Each animal is given intravenous fluids to help support blood pressure together with morphine type pain relief.
How do I care for my pet, once they come home?
Your pet may be a little less active than normal with a slightly reduced appetite for the first 1 – 2 days after surgery. It is important to keep them in a warm, secure area during this time, preferably inside. Please feed them as normal. Please do not wash or bathe your pet until the skin stitches are removed. This is generally 10 – 14 days after surgery.
It is important to prevent your pet from biting or licking at the stitches. When your animal has been hospitalized in here after surgery, we will observe them for signs of wound irritation and if necessary fit them with an Elizabethan collar (like a bucket over the head). If you observe your pet worrying the wound at home, please obtain an Elizabethan collar from us. Please check the wound daily. If it becomes swollen, seems to be sore or has any discharge, then please contact us to schedule an appointment for a recheck.
Exercise should be restricted until the skin stitches are removed. In particular activities that involved jumping up should be avoided as this puts a lot of tension on the wound, can result in the internal stitches breaking and require further surgery to correct. Dogs may be walked on a leash for up to 10 minutes twice daily.
Top of pageWhat are the risks associated with surgery?
The main risks associated with surgery are the risks associated with the anaesthetic and the risks associated with the procedure. Most of the animals coming in for desexing are young and healthy and in the lowest anaesthetic risk category. In addition the anaesthetic is closely monitored throughout the procedure. Although we cannot eliminate all risk, we minimize it as much as we are able.
The main risk associated with surgery is haemorrhage (bleeding) during the procedure. This is because we need to cut through some large blood vessels in order to perform the operation. Generally we are aware of bleeding during the procedure and can correct it, but occasionally bleeding can occur post operatively.
The day after surgery, there is often some bruising and tenderness associated with the wounds for which we can give pain relief in hospital that generally lasts 24 - 48 hours. If you feel your pet is experiencing pain at home, then please get in contact with us.
After surgery we can have problems with infection, reactions to stitch material, breakage of the internal stitches and removal of the stitches by your pet. Although we perform all our surgery under sterile conditions we cannot guarantee against the development of wound infections. We do not routinely give antibiotics after surgery, but these may be required (at a cost) if an infection develops. Reactions to stitch material do occur and can cause some swelling of the wound. Generally this swelling gradually decreases over a period of 1 – 2 weeks and we just need to monitor the situation. Breakage of the internal stitch material in the muscle layer of female dogs and cats happens very occasionally but can be a very serious problem. If the internal stitches break it can allow the intestines to pass thorough the skin wound with disastrous consequences. Usually this problem develops from overactivity immediately after the surgery. Please follow the advice regarding activity to prevent this from happening!
What problems can develop after desexing?
Desexing tends to reduce the metabolic rate, which means desexed animals are more prone to obesity unless measures are taken to avoid this. Once the stitches have been removed we generally recommend a slight (10 – 20%) reduction in the amount of food being fed to help compensate for this. We recommend regular “weigh-ins” to make sure your pet is not gaining weight and can give advice if this seems to be occurring.
Some female dogs become urinary incontinent after desexing and will “leak” urine particularly when they are lying down. Normally this happens later on in life although sometimes it can happen soon after desexing. In general this problem can be managed with medication, although in a few cases surgery may be required.
What is the best age for desexing?
In most cases it is best to perform desexing before puberty. This generally occurs at about 6 months of age (although it can happen between 4 and 9). We generally recommend desexing between 4 and 6 months of age once all vaccinations have been completed. We have a reduced desexing fee for animals less than 12 months of age because it is generally a quicker procedure.
My pet is in heat. Can it be desexed?
In general we prefer not to desex female animals that are in heat. This is because the uterus has an increased blood supply, is more fragile and there is a higher risk of haemorrhage. It is better to wait 2 – 3 weeks until after the heat has finished before booking them in for desexing.
My pet has recently had kittens/puppies. When can I have her desexed?
We usually recommend desexing once the puppies or kittens have been weaned, the milk has dried up and the breasts have returned to normal size.
I have been told my pet has a retained testicle. What does this mean?
The testicles develop inside the body close to the kidneys and descend through the groin area and into the scrotum soon after birth. Occasionally a testicle becomes “lost” along this route. If the testicle remains outside the scrotum there is a much higher risk of it becoming cancerous. Generally if the testicles have not descended into the scrotum by the age of six months, then they are highly unlikely to do so and surgery is necessary. In most cases two (and occasionally three) separate incisions are required to remove both testicles, resulting in an extended surgical time and unfortunately greater cost!
We hope this information leaflet has answered your questions regarding desexing at Animal Care Cranbourne. If you have any further questions, then please do not hesitate to contact us.
Top of page