Neutering and Keyhole Spays
As well as being key in helping to control the growing population of unwanted pets, our safe and caring pet neutering procedures come with many pet health and behavioural benefits.
We understand that the decision to spay a female or neuter a male pet is a significant one. We also understand that the idea of surgery for your beloved furry companion can be uncomfortable. However, our team of experienced veterinary surgeons excels in conducting this routine procedure with minimal discomfort, in a warm and caring environment.
Pet neutering guide
The benefits of neutering for male pets
Neutering is a standard surgical procedure performed to remove the testicles of male dogs and cats. The procedure leads to a decrease in testosterone which reduces undesirable behaviours and helps prevent many potential health issues in later life.
Undesirable behaviours of un-neutered boys
Dogs can become capable of breeding as early as six months old, and cats as early as four months. Un-neutered dogs are more prone to aggression, engaging in fights, mounting furniture and people, marking territory indoors, and attempting to escape in search of a mate. For un-neutered cats you can add nightly ‘Yowling’ to that list.
Neutering reduces or prevents these undesirable behaviours and if it’s done early, it can prevent behaviours becoming habits.
The benefits of spaying for female pets
A spay is a routine, elective surgery for female pets where the ovaries and the uterus are removed. We do this using minimally invasive keyhole surgery, substantially reducing discomfort and minimising the recovery time.
Undesirable behaviours of un-spayed girls
As well as preventing un-wanted pregnancies, spaying impacts your pet’s hormone levels, resulting in increased calmness and decreased susceptibility to certain health risks. Bitches can become capable of breeding as early as six months old, and cats as early as four months. Early spaying eliminates heat cycles, curtails undesirable behaviour and provides protection against a number of health issues later in life, including certain types of cancer and potentially fatal infections in the uterus.
More about keyhole spaying
At Elizavet, we recommend keyhole (laparoscopic) spaying for its minimally invasive approach and smaller incisions compared to traditional methods. This technique reduces discomfort and speeds up recovery.
Traditional spaying involves a 2–5 cm incision with 10–14 days of lead restriction, while keyhole surgery uses two incisions under 1 cm and typically requires only 3 days of limited activity.
When is it too late to neuter or spay my pet?
There is no defined age that is considered “too late” for a spay/neuter. Nevertheless, as with humans, surgeries may pose greater challenges on older bodies. If you think your otherwise healthy senior needs to be neutered, it’s best to book a consultation. Our friendly vets will assist you in evaluating the advantages and disadvantages so we can make an informed decision together.
