Pet Neutering

We can neuter many types of pet

DOGS
Females are Spayed (dressed, sprayed, snipped, neutered) males are Castrated. (neutered, snipped, chopped)

The Bitch - Spaying a bitch stops seasons and so avoids unwanted pups. We remove the womb and ovaries (ovariohysterectomy). A spayed bitch cannot have a false pregnancy, which often follows a season and can give you an unwell dog for a few weeks. Womb conditions are prevented. For example, unspayed bitches often develop a Pyometra, when older. This is when the womb enlarges greatly and becomes full of pus, with an emergency operation needed on an ill dog. If a bitch is spayed before her seasons start (usually done at 6 months), she will avoid mammary tumours in later life. A spayed bitch does not come into season every 6 months, when, for 3 weeks other dogs are frequently a nuisance, with bleeding in the house, which can be messy too.

Parkside recommends spaying a bitch before any seasons start, at 6 months of age, with a very few exceptions, which we would advise.  If you bitch is adult and is cycling, then wait till one  month after a season and spay some time over the next 3-4 months. We would not spay if a false pregnancy was present, or if a bitch was in season.

There are some  disadvantages. You must feed slightly less, otherwise you will see gradual weight gain. This is easily avoided, but you must be strict with yourself! Spaniels and setters can experince coat changes afterwards, when the smoothe top coat becomes fluffy due to longer undercoat and they loose their sleek appearance, although their coat health is unaffected. Urinary incontinenece may be seen in a very few spayed bitches when older. (This can also happen in unspayed bitches.) This is treatable. Spaying will NOT change a dog's nature. The boistrous dog is still boistrous and the friendly one is still the same too! It is not a training tool

Male Dogs. We castrate dogs at 6 months of age, but it can be done at any time. This avoids all sexual behaviour. This can be running away, excessive marking and it reduces territorial aggression. Males become more tollerant of other dogs as they feel they are less of a threat. They will remain just a lively and friendly and this will not make an over-exuberant dog better trained! You do that yourself! Coat changes in setters and spaniels are the same as for the bitch. Prostate problems in older dogs are avoided by castration. We may advise waiting till 1 year old with some larger breeds, so that their secondary male characteristics, will develop. These are mainly the dog's head and shoulder shape, which makes them look more masculine.

CATS
They are neutered to prevent unwated kittens. The advantages of the bitch are the same for cats. Male cats develop VERY pungent urine if left entire and they will roam, looking for queens and in so doing, enter other cats' territory, get into fights and develop frequent cat-bite abscesses. All pet cats are best neutered. We do this at 6 months of age. Female cats who come into season are very vocal, roll around the floor and some people are worried that they are ill when this is seen for the first time - not an uncommon phone call!

OTHER PETS.
We spay and castrate Rabbits, castrate Chinchillas and do vasectomies on Ferrets - but that's another story! - all to prevent unwanted offspring and this allows more than one to live together, without indescriminate breeding, which is always best for the pet.