Neutering

Neutering in Dogs

There are many reasons that we feel at Vale Vets that’s it’s nicer to neuter. Listed below is a few points why we feel its very beneficial for your pet in the short and long term.

We recognise that some clients do wrestle with the decision whether to neuter their pet or not so please feel free to contact us if you have any questions regarding the neutering process. Additional information can also be found in our Lifelearn section of our website. Visit our re-homing section if you are interested in helping any of the many dogs already looking for a good home.

A few points on why we think at Vale Vets it’s nicer to neuter…

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What are the behaviour benefits for dogs?

  • May encourage calmer, more predictable behaviour making your dog a more suitable family pet.
  • May help reduce aggressive and unwanted sexual behaviour, preventing fighting, mounting and destructive behaviour. Dogs that are neutered are also less likely to mark territory or stray.
  • Reduces the likelihood of strange behaviour in bitches coming into season (for about three weeks, twice a year)
  • Prevents male dogs desperately attempting to escape and seek out a local bitch in season.

What are the health benefits for dogs?

  • Removes the significant health risks associated with pregnency as well as the possibility of potential fatal womb infections - Pyometra
  • Avoids the mess and inconvenience of seasons.
  • Reduces or removes the risks of some cancers in both male and female dogs – Including testicular and mammary cancers.

Neutering in Cats

Neutering your cat not only prevents unwanted pregnancies occurring and adding to the thousands of unwanted cats and kittens already looking for a home but also curbs unwanted behavioural patterns associated with sexual maturity and reduces the risk of certain diseases. Please visit our re-homing section if think you are able to help any of the many cats and kittens already looking for a good home.  

What are the reasons for neutering female cats?

  • Population control. It is important to neuter a female cat before she can have kittens herself. This happens very quickly depending on breed, time of year born and individual development. The first season usually occurs around six months but can be earlier. Queens can have up to three litters in a year.
  • Control of nuisance. Female cats will ‘call’ (come into season and be receptive to the male cat) regularly, about every three weeks during sexually active times of the year if they do not get pregnant. Having entire female cats in an area will attract entire males with the attendant problems of spraying, fighting and caterwauling.
  • Welfare issues. Unwanted kittens may not be cared for and are likely to suffer from various infectious diseases such as cat ‘flu or worse. There are unlikely to be enough new homes available for them.
  • Health issues. Female cats which are not neutered are more likely to suffer from pyometra (infection of the womb) later in life and with mammary tumours. Queens with infectious diseases may pass these on to their kittens. Pregnancy and birth are also not without risk.
  • Wildlife issues. Cats with kittens will hunt more actively and if they are not being fed will need to catch more wildlife to feed their kittens.

What are the reasons for neutering male cats?

  • Control of nuisance. Unneutered male cats are likely to stray over a large area, will mark their territory with a very pungent spray and are much more likely to fight - with attendant noise nuisance.
  • Health issues. Fighting males are much more likely to spread diseases such as FIV (Feline aids) and FeLV (Leukemia) to other cats. They are also likely to suffer from fight injuries such as abscesses. Because they wander over a large area they are also at greater risk of suffering road traffic accidents.
  • Pet issues. Unneutered male cats will wander from home and may not return. They may also spray inside the home and may be aggressive to their owners. Therefore it is desirable to neuter kittens early enough to ensure that the above problems are prevented. Most people do not want to live with an unneutered male cat.
  • Population control. Obviously male cats do not have kittens themselves and it only takes one male in an area to make lots of female cats pregnant, so neutering a female cat makes a great deal more difference to limiting numbers, but it all helps!
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