What’s the difference between spaying and neutering a pet?

The difference is spaying is performed on females and neutering is performed on males. It’s as simple as that!

Need another example?

Spaying and neutering is all about the (sex of the species). When males get ‘fixed’ they are neutered, when females get ‘fixed’ they are spayed.

Should I spay or neuter my dog?

Yes, it is a very responsible thing for you to do for your community and for the health of your dog.

Spaying and neutering alleviates pet overpopulation. By spaying or neutering your dog you will be reducing the chance of your female dog developing mammary tumors and it will also eliminate any risk of her developing uterine cancer.  If you neuter your male dog before he turns 6 months of age, this can protect your male dog from developing testicular cancer along with reducing the risk of prostate cancer. It will also assist in the reduction of territory marking (“leg lifting”) from your male dog.

How soon can I spay or neuter my dog?

For a female she should be spayed preferable before her first heat cycle. Puppies can be neutered or spayed as long as she or he is over 12 weeks of age. But, if you have an adult dog, you can still spay/neuter her or him as well.

Should I worry about what is removed during a spay surgery?

The spay surgery technically known as ovariohysterectomy is where the ovaries and the uterus are removed.

Should I worry about neuter surgery?

Neuter is where both testicles are removed and the skin that held the testicles will shrink and become unnoticeable.

Who performs Spay and Neuter surgeries and do you use anesthesia?

Every, spay and neuter surgery must be performed by a board certified Doctor of Veterinarian Medicine (DVM). And they must utilize anesthesia because spay and neuters are very painful and much too risky without the use of anesthesia. Normally most veterinarians “ DO NOT” perform pre-anesthetic blood work and they require the owners to bring a satisfactory report of pre-anesthetic blood work to the shelter on the day of your pets scheduled surgery if your pet is 7 years of age or older.

Will my dog’s personality change after the Spay or Neuter?

Just like children all dogs have their own personality. So spaying or neutering will not alter his or her personality. If you have your dog neutered before he starts marking his territory (“leg lifting”), you may not have to go through that stage of trying to break him of an annoying / smelly habit.  You may also notice if your male dog was very aggressive before he may appear to have a little less testosterone after the surgery. (But this is not guaranteed)

Neutering, comes from the Latin word neuter (of neither sex), the removal of an animal’s reproductive organ, either all of it or a considerably large part. The term is used in reference to males. And spaying is reserved for females. Colloquially, both terms are often referred to as “fixing”. While technically called castration for males. Neutering is the most common sterilizing method in animals.