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Spaying Your Female

 

 
Spaying, also known as fixing and ovariohysterectomy, is the surgical removal of a female animal’s uterus and ovaries. Spaying is a routine veterinary procedure performed while the pet is anesthetized, and depending on the circumstances, may require a night of hospitalization. Most veterinarians recommend spaying around 6 months of age.

Why you should spay your pet:

One significant reason is to prevent pet overpopulation. There are far more cats and dogs in the United States than available homes. In Canada, over 120,000 cats are euthanized every year. Stray cats and dogs overburden animal shelters. Other reasons for spaying include the following:

revent unplanned and costly litters
Reduce the risk of mammary cancer
Reduce the risk of ovarian cancer
Eliminate the risk of pyometra, a life-threatening infection of the uterus that develops several weeks after a heat period and requires emergency surgical removal of the uterus
Eliminate the medical risks associated with giving birth:
Cesarean sections performed to save the mother and her offspring are expensive and carry risks. If the mother dies or refuses to nurse her offspring, the pet owner may have to feed and wean the babies by hand.

When to spay a pet:

Cats and dogs need to be in good health, at the right age for spaying, and up-to-date on all vaccinations. Cats should be tested for feline leukemia (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus(FIV)and dogs free of heartworms and intestinal parasites. Most spays are performed at about 6 months old and before the first heat. There is currently a move in the veterinary community toward early age spaying, between 8 and 16 weeks of age. Scientific studies suggest that performing an early age spaying is no riskier than performing the surgery at 6 months, provided the animal is healthy. The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies provides information on the controversies surrounding early age spaying. Spaying can also be performed on older pets. Depending on the pet’s age, the veterinarian may request certain presurgical tests (e.g., blood tests, urinalysis, x-rays) to make sure that the pet can be safely anesthetized. Many anesthetic drugs are metabolized in the liver and kidneys, so it’s essential that the liver and kidneys are functioning normally.

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