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There are many benefits to spaying your dog or cat. A spay procedure is a surgery called an ovariohysterectomy. This means both of the ovaries and uterus is removed.

The original reason for spaying your dog or cat was population control. It was a way to ensure that dogs did not have puppies or cats have kittens. Over several decades it has become known that spaying has many health advantages to your pet.

Every time your cat or dog goes into heat there is a surge of a hormone know as estrogen. These peaks in estrogen stimulate the growth of breast cancer. Every time your pet goes into heat, the circulating estrogen increases and the likelihood of your pet developing breast cancer increases. By the time a dog is 12 years of age 100% of dogs show cancerous changes at the cell level in their breast tissue. The best time to get your pet spayed is before they go into their first heat. This has the biggest protective factor in lowering breast cancer risk. At Martindale Animal Clinic, we recommend spaying your dog or cat between 4 and 6 months of age.

Spaying eliminates the risk of the development of pyometra (severe, life threatening uterine infection). Dogs and cats are at significant risk of this disease starting at six years of age. So if your pet is seven or eight (or older) it is still in their best interest to be spayed.

Dogs and cats also get reproductive diseases such as ovarian cysts and endometriosis. Both of these conditions are painful. Spaying eliminates the risk of these occurring.

A spay procedure involves one day in the hospital (there is no overnight stay). The stitches are internal and dissolving so there are no stitches to come out afterwards. The procedure only needs to be done once but the benefits last a life time.

If you have questions about this procedure please call one of our knowledgeable team at Martindale Animal Clinic.