Spay and neuter procedures are common surgeries provided by Dupont Veterinary Clinic for the benefit of your pet. Spays and neuters are outpatient procedures. Your pet would come in the morning and go home in the afternoon.
Advantages of Spaying or Neutering
There are many reasons to spay or neuter your pet. Topmost advantages include:
- Preventing unwanted litters of kittens and puppies
- Avoiding annoying behavior of a cat in heat
- Eliminating the mess of a dog in heat
- Prevention of health problems later in life
Ideally, dogs and cats should be spayed or neutered before they go into heat—typically at 5-6 months. Please call us today to schedule this routine surgical procedure. You and your pet will benefit!
How a Spay or Neuter is Performed
- Your pet will be given a thorough physical exam by one of our veterinarians.
- A pre-anesthetic blood panel will be performed to be sure your dog or cat is an ideal surgical candidate.
- Anesthesia is administered first by an injectable induction agent, then maintained by a modern gas anesthetic such as Isoflurane or Sevoflurane.
- Shaving and an antiseptic surgical scrub is performed.
- A sterile surgical pack is opened while the surgeon performs a sterile scrub and prep procedure followed by gowning and gloving.
- Your pet is placed on the surgical table and surgical lights are aimed at the sterile field.
- An anesthetic monitor is used to monitor heart rate, oxygen saturation of the blood, and other parameters.
- Fluids are administered to your pet. This provides fluid and blood pressure support and also provides an emergency port in the unlikely event of an emergency.
- For females and spays, the abdomen is opened, the uterus and ovaries are exposed, the arteries to these structures are tied off with suture, and the organs are removed. The abdominal muscles are closed with sterile suture followed by closure of the subcutaneous tissue and the skin.
- For males and neuters, a small incision is made in the skin just in front of the testicles. The testicles are then slipped up and removed through the incision. The incision is then closed with several layers of suture below the skin.
- Post-op anesthesia recovery consists of removing your pet from gas anesthesia, monitoring vital signs, and keeping them warm with blankets or warming pads.
- Pain medications are administered to reduce your pet’s discomfort.
Frequently Asked Questions
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From the time your dog or cat is anesthetized until they are recovered, the time involved is approximately 45 minutes, although this may vary.
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Yes. Pre-anesthetic blood work is used to find the 1 in 50 pets that might have unforeseen health problems. This information is needed to assess concerns and minimize anesthetic risk.
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Spay and neuter surgery is relatively inexpensive, especially when you consider the advantages to the alternative. The cost is significantly less than raising a litter of puppies or kittens for a year. Dupont Veterinary Clinic rates are actually discounted below clinic operating costs in order to help reduce the pet overpopulation problem. At the same time, we offer the safe, reliable care you have come to expect from us.
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Yes. Your pet should receive medication to control post-op surgical pain. An oral medication will be prescribed.
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Your pet may have a slight predisposition to gain weight after a spay or neuter is performed. Of course as an animal reaches maturity, they have a tendency to become less active and gain weight too. Regardless, exercise and a quality diet in appropriate quantities is warranted.
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No. Your cat or dog will no longer go through heat cycles.