In South Australia, it is now law that all cats and dogs born after 1 July 2018 are desexed – either by the age of six months or within 28 days of taking possession of your new pet. There are a few exceptions to this law, including animals registered for breeding, working livestock dogs and a small number of medical reasons.
While having surgery performed on your puppy or kitten may seem a little confronting at first, desexing is a very common and safe procedure, with minimal risks involved.
At Cameron Veterinary Services, we offer desexing for cats and dogs of both sexes performed by our highly qualified veterinarians.
Benefits of desexing
The main aim of desexing is to prevent unwanted pregnancies in female cats and dogs. But there are also a number of other benefits – for both male and female pets - by having them desexed.
By being spayed, female pets will no longer come into heat, and the risk of ovarian and uterine cancer is also prevented. Desexing male pets also avoids a number of reproductive cancers, can improve aggressive behaviour, and reduces their desire to mount you and the furniture! Male cats will also be less likely to wander and be involved in fights or accidents.
When should my pet be desexed?
While it is recommended that most dogs and cats be desexed between 4-6 months of age, this can vary depending on their sex and breed.
For cats, it is best to have your cat desexed before they have reached a fertile age (typically when they are 4-5 months old) to avoid any early unwanted pregnancies.
For dogs, larger breeds may need to wait a little longer to achieve their full bone growth before being desexed.
Your vet will discuss their recommendations for desexing your dog or cat so you can make a decision together on the most appropriate time.
What does the procedure involve?
Desexing is a surgical day procedure performed under general anaesthetic.
For male pets, desexing involves the removal of the testicles via an incision in the front of the scrotum. For female pets, the ovaries and the uterus are removed through a small incision in the middle of their belly.
Prior to their surgery, your dog or cat will need to fast overnight before being brought to the clinic the morning of the procedure. Follow surgery, they will be kept for a number of hours for close observation by our nursing staff and provided with necessary pain relief.
In most cases, your pet will be able to return home later the same day. We will schedule a follow-up appointment in 10-14 days to check on their wound and remove any non-dissolvable sutures.
