Spaying - What Is It & Why?

In honour of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month - we thought it only felt right to bring awareness to Spaying your pets and the health issues that could occur if you choose not to. Not only are rescue's overflowing with unwanted kittens and puppies, more and more female cats and dogs endure unnecessary suffering which can easily be prevented with Spaying.

We spoke to Veterinary Surgeon - Claire Murrary BVSc MRCVS on the matter of Spaying and all of the benefits of doing this for your pet.

"Spaying is a surgical procedure that is the act of removing some or all of the reproductive organs from a female dog (bitch) or cat (queen).

Why do we do it?

* To prevent unwanted litters of kittens and puppies

* To prevent the difficulty of managing a bitch or queen in season

* To eliminate the chance of a pyometra (which is a potential fatal infection of the uterus)

* To minimise the chance of mammary tumours (cancer)

We typically neuter cats when they are 4 months old and recommend spaying a bitch after her first or second season once she is fully grown.

Neutering is carried out by a veterinary surgeon whilst the patient is fully anaesthetised with lots of pain relief given before and after the procedure. A queen typically has an incision on her side through which both the ovaries and uterus are removed.

Traditionally, bitches are spayed with a midline incision on their abdomen (tummy) and both the ovaries and uterus are removed. Certain practices offer a keyhole (laparoscopy/lap spay) approach. They have smaller incisions, only the ovaries are removed and they have a quicker recovery time. This is a good option for larger or very bouncy dogs!! 

Talk to your vet for more information.