Spaying is the removal of the uterus and the ovaries. Therefore, heat periods no longer occur. In many cases, despite your best effort, your pet can become pregnant. It is very hard to fight this instinct. spaying your pet prevents any chance unplanned litters.
Spaying Female Dogs
Spaying offers several advantages. The female’s heat periods result in about 2-3 weeks of vaginal bleeding. This can be quite annoying if your dog is kept indoors. Male dogs are attracted from blocks away and, in fact, seem to come out of the woodwork. They seem to go over, around, and through many doors or fences. Your dog will have a heat period about every 6 months.
It has been proven that as the female dog gets older, there is a significant incidence of breast cancer and uterine infections if she has not been spayed. Spaying before she has any heat periods will significantly reduce the chance of either. If you do not plan to breed your dog, we strongly recommend that she be spayed before her first heat period. This can be done anytime after she is 4 months old.
Spaying Female Cats
There are numerous reasons to spay your cat. A female cat that is in-heat can be quite a handful. If she is outdoors at all she is almost guaranteed to become pregnant. The female’s heat periods result in about 2-3 weeks of obnoxious behavior. This can be quite annoying if your cat is kept indoors. Male cats will do all they can to mate with an in-heat female. This can be quite a nuisance because you have to deal with both your female cat and the males that want to get to her. Quite often, cats will have heat periods about every 2-3 weeks until she they mate. There is mounting evidence to show that cats may have increased incidence of cancer and uterine infections when not spayed. By spaying your cat before her first heat, you can greatly reduce the chances of this happening. If you do not plan to breed your cat, we strongly recommend that she be spayed before her first heat period. This can be done anytime after she is 4 months old.
Again, it is never too late to have your pet spayed and there are tests that can be run to help take precautions before they go under anesthesia.