A Guide to Canine Spaying and Neutering
If you recently adopted a dog or puppy, you may be wondering if spaying or neutering your new pet is necessary. Bringing your dog to a veterinary clinic to be spayed or neutered will provide a number of benefits both for you and your pet.
- Benefits of Spaying or Neutering Your Dog
Having your female dog spayed or your male dog neutered will prevent your pet from reproducing. This is important for dog owners who do not want to care for unexpected litters or contribute to the problem of pet overpopulation. Spaying or neutering your dog can also provide health benefits, such as the prevention of uterine or testicular cancer. Spaying or neutering dogs can also help prevent unwanted behaviors, such as marking territory inside your home, roaming to find mates, and attracting other dogs.
- Spay and Neuter Procedures
Blood tests are performed to ensure that a dog is in good health before general anesthesia is administered to sedate the dog. For female dogs, an incision is made in the abdomen, through which the veterinarian removes the uterus and ovaries. A veterinarian neuters a male dog by making an incision in the scrotum and removing the testicles. We recommend intravenous catheter and fluids during surgery to insure better anesthesia and hydration.
- Recovery After Spaying or Neutering
Your dog will be very groggy after surgery, so it is important to allow him or her to rest on a comfortable bed. The incision that was made to complete the surgery will be closed with sutures that must be kept clean. Your pet may try to pull out these sutures, so a dish-like collar that blocks his or her access to the stitches may be required. After being spayed, female dogs can return to normal activities and be bathed 14 days after surgery, while male dogs can become active and be bathed five to seven days after being neutered.
You can learn more about spaying or neutering your dog by speaking to the veterinarians at Barrett Station Veterinary Clinic. To learn more about these procedures or to schedule an appointment for your dog, call our clinic in St. Louis today at (314) 822-2882.
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