Neutering

Why should you neuter your pet?

Pennine Vets recommends that you neuter your cat, dog or rabbit for a number of reasons dependent on the species and sex of your pet. Please contact the surgery for more information or see our price list.

Cat - Male (Castration)

Uncastrated male cats have a strong pungent smelling urine and will spread this throughout your house. They are also larger, more aggressive and will often get into fights. Uncastrated males are more likely to wander and be involved in road traffic accidents.A castrated male cat is often the friendliest cat to own. The operation can be done from 6 months old.

Cat - Female (Spay)

Female cats mature at about 6 - 8 months old and will come onto heat every 3 weeks. During this they will "call", a very load and distinctive mating cry that will happen all through the day and night for about 5 days. Your cat will also try to escape out of the house and if she finds a male, will usually become pregnant. A single female cat can breed so quickly that she can be responsible for up to 1 million other cats during her lifetime. There are too many unwanted kittens abandoned each year and many stray cats needing a home. The operation can be done from 6 months old.

Dog - Male (Castration)

Castrating a male dog is not cruel, they do not need to feel a "whole dog" and they do not need to mate once in their lifetime. An uncastrated, entire male dog is at a high risk of developing prostate problems in later life, will be more aggressive, more difficult to handle and bigger. He is also more likely to escape from your garden and wander the streets. If you are wanting a friendly, easy to handle family pet, our advice is to castrate your dog before one year old, although it is advised at any age. The operation can be done from 6 months old.

Dog - Female (Bitch Spay)

A female dog (bitch) does not need to be mated and have one litter of pups. This is an old wives tale. There are too many unwanted puppies in the UK and many thousands are killed each year as they cannot find a home. There are also very good medical reasons. If you spay your dog before she has had 2 seasons, you will vastly reduce the chance of her developing mammary (breast) cancer in later life. Spaying at any age will also stop the dog from having seasons and prevent the bleeding, smell and attractiveness to males that happens during a season. An unspayed dog is also at risk of a pyometra, an often fatal infection of the uterus (womb) that requires expensive, emergency surgery to cure. If your dog has had a phantom (false) pregnancy during her life, the risk of a pyometra is increased and spaying is always recommended. The operation can be done from 6 months old (before the first season) or at any age, two to four months after the last season has finished. This is to make the surgery as safe as possible.

Rabbit - Female (Spay)

A female rabbit can be quite aggressive & destructive, particularly in spring. This can turn a docile children's pet into a difficult animal to look after. Rabbits also breed very quickly and can have several litters during a year with 6 - 8 in most litters. Spaying will prevent both of these problems. The other major reason to spay a rabbit is by age 5, approx. 85% of female rabbits develop cancer of the uterus (womb) and this is often fatal despite treatment. Most old rabbits that we see are male for this reason. Spaying at any age will prevent this but is best done from 5 months old.

Rabbit - Male (Castration)

A castrated male rabbit is generally a friendly rabbit to own and castrated males usually live happily together. When kept in mixed groups, and to avoid owning a lot more rabbits, it is best to neuter the female for medical reasons. However, if cost is a problem, it is cheaper to castrate the male first and then spay the female at a later date.