What is desexing?

Desexing (surgical sterilization) includes surgical procedures to remove the reproductive organs of your pets. It is an important tool to reduce unwanted companion animals in the community. It also has many behavioral and health benefits.

What is the best time to desex my pets?

Desexing is recommended from 5 months old for females and before 1 year old for males at the time of surgery. Sometimes there are benefits to desex earlier (can be performed from early as 8 weeks) or later, your veterinarian will be able to recommend the best desexing age for your pet.

What are the positive benefits of desexing?

Benefits include:

1. Eliminate the risk of uterine infections in females 25-66% of female dogs can be expected to develop pyometra (severe bacterial infection of the uterus) by 10 years of age if they are not desexed
2. Greatly reduce the chance of mammary tumor development in females if desexing is performed early. 80% and 50% of those tumors are malignant in unsprayed cats and dogs respectively. According to the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS), the risk of an intact female dogs developing a mammary tumor is 0.5% if spayed before their first heat cycle (approximately 6 months old age), 8% after their first heat cycle, and 26% after their second heat cycle. Cats spayed before 6 months of age have a 7-time reduced risk of mammary tumor development. Spaying at any age reduces the risk of mammary tumors by 40% to 60% in cats
3. Eliminate the risk of tumors associated with testes, ovaries and uterus
4. Prevent benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and associated diseases such as prostatitis, perineal herniation, prostatic cysts. 50% of all intact dogs develop BPH by 5 years of age
5. Reduce urine marking in the house, which is a common behavioural problem in intact male cats and dogs
6. Eliminate all diseases associated with pregnancy and parturition
7. Reduce injuries related to roaming and aggressive behaviour such as cat/dog fight wounds and traffic accidents

How do I take care for my pet after desexing?

It is generally a day procedure. Your pet will be asked to put on an Elizabethan collar for 10 days after the procedure to prevent excessive licking and biting of the surgical site. The owner will be advised to monitor any sudden swelling and discharge at the wound site daily. Keep the wound clean and dry. Don’t bath your pets or let them swim. Exercise should be controlled and limited during the recovery period.

Please contact our primary care veterinarians at CityU VMC about desexing procedures or simply chat with one of our veterinarians during your consultation.

Contact our veterinarians in the primary care team at CityU VMC for consultation.