What is sterilisation?
Sterilisation is either spay or neuter. Spaying a dog/cat refers to the removal of a female dog/cat’s reproductive organs, while neutering refers to the procedure that’s done for males.
When a female dog/cat is spayed, the veterinarian removes her ovaries and uterus, this procedure is known as ovariohysterectomy. The veterinarian may also remove just the ovaries (ovariectomy). Both surgeries are equally safe and effective. Spaying renders a female dog no longer able to reproduce and eliminates her heat cycle. Furthermore, there are different methods of spaying such as laparoscopic, laser and traditional flank/midline spay. They each bring different benefits so always speak to your veterinarian on what is recommended for your dog/cat.
When neutering a dog/cat, both testicles and their associated structures are removed. This procedure is also known as castration. Neutering renders a male dog/cat unable to reproduce.
Benefits
They will live longer and healthier lives.
Sterilisation eliminates the risk of certain cancers such as ovarian (in females) and testicular (in males) cancer. Spayed dogs/cats will not develop pyometra, a life-threatening bacterial infection of the uterus. It also reduces the risk of other types of cancers such as pancreatic and mammary (in females) cancer. Based on the 2013 Pet Health Report(1) released by Banfield Pet Hospital, of a study done on 460,000 cats and 2.2 million dogs, it is found that
- Neutered male cats live 62 percent longer than unneutered ones.
- Spayed female cats live 39 percent longer than unspayed ones.
- Neutered male dogs live 18 percent longer than unneutered ones.
- Spayed female dogs live 24 percent longer than unsprayed ones.
They will be happier and better behaved.
In sterilised pets, certain hormones are prevented from being produced, thus removing many behavioural tendencies that are displayed by intact dogs/cats. Unwanted behaviours like vocalising, marking and mounting can be eliminated. They are less likely to want to leave home in search of a mate, which can risk them getting into fights with other animals, or getting hit by a car. Moreover, it can prevent disease transmission such as FIV/FeLV which will stay with an infected cat for life.
Spayed pets do not go into heat.
If they are not spayed, cats will go into heat at about 6 months of age. They will stay in heat for an average of 6 days and the cycle repeats every 2 to 3 weeks. When in heat, they will become very vocal and demanding. They may bleed and even spray urine.
Depending on their breed, dogs go into heat every 6 months and can start at about 6 months of age. They bleed for about 7 to 14 days and urinate excessively during this time.
It can save you the time and distress you experience when you have to clean up the blood stains and mess that your unspayed pet may leave behind.
It will save you money in the long run.
Sterilisation can prevent many serious health problems in the future, thus saving you treatment costs in the long run. For example, pyometra can only be treated with surgery and in severe cases, hospitalisation may be required. Chemotherapy and cancer management can be long-drawn and a lifelong treatment. These can be a big blow to you financially.
Furthermore, in Singapore, you’ll pay a lower annual licence fee for your sterilised dog!
It can help prevent unwanted litters.
On a wider scale, sterilisation reduces the number of unwanted litters and thus reduces the number of strays that are abandoned and left at shelters. This is especially so if your pet is allowed to free roam outdoors (though it is not encouraged due to high risk of disease transmission).
Choosing a suitable procedure can benefit your pet.
Furthermore, the different types of spay surgery bring different benefits. Dogs/cats that undergo laparoscopic spay feel less pain post-surgery, have faster wound healing and recovery (half the time compared to traditional spay). Traditional flank spay is beneficial for nursing female cats.
Always speak to your veterinarian when choosing the sterilisation procedure for your pet. Your veterinarian can help you decide which procedure best suits your pet’s needs.
Cons/Risks
Certain types of cancer and other orthopaedic conditions have been found to be slightly more common in sterilised dogs/cats. Cancer is affected by numerous factors such as when sterilisation was done, age, breed and environmental factors. Thus, more studies would need to be done to determine the actual relationship between cancer risks and sterilisation.
Nonetheless, the benefits of sterilising your dog/cat far outweigh the cons.
Although sterilisations are routine procedures, there will still be risks involved. Any procedure involving general anaesthesia will have some risks such as side effects from anaesthetic drugs and other complications.
In order to minimise the risks, ensure your dog/cat is fasted prior to the procedure to prevent aspiration of gastric contents. Food should be stopped for 8-12 hours and water for 4-6 hours.
Ensure that your female dog is not on heat or just finished her heat cycle when the spay is planned to be done. The rule of thumb to follow is 2 to 3 months after your female dog’s heat cycle is completed before the spay can be done. This is to prevent excessive bleeding during the procedure.
When should sterilisation be done?
For female dogs/cats, spay should be best done before their first heat. Spaying before the first heat cycle greatly reduces their risk of developing dog mammary (breast) cancer. Dogs spayed prior to their first heat have only a 0.5% risk of developing mammary tumour(s). However, after a first or second heat, this dramatically increases to a risk of 8% and 26%, respectively(2).
For cats, the optimal age to be spayed or neutered is 4 to 6 months old.
For dogs, the optimal age to be spayed or neutered is greatly dependent on their breed. Small to medium sized breed dogs can be sterilised at about 4 to 6 months old. Large breed dogs should be sterilised at about 9 to 15 months old when they are fully developed. This can reduce the risk of developing orthopaedic conditions in the future.
Breeds such as the burmese mountain dog, neutering is recommended when they reach 2 years old (to reduce the risk of joint disorders in the future(3))!
Recovery from spay/neuter
- Keep the wound clean and dry for at least 10 days (or more). No bathing allowed during this period so that the wound has sufficient time to form scabs and heal well.
- Monitor for any increased swelling/redness, bleeding and presence of discharge at the wound. Notify your vet immediately.
- Monitor activity level, appetite, drinking, urination and stools. No urination for more than 24 hours is an emergency! They should be back to their usual self in a day or two, if not, notify your veterinarian.
- Keep them rested and restrict movement to minimise the risk of the wound opening.
- E-collar (“cone of shame”) should be kept on to prevent them from scratching/licking the wound. Leave it off only when you are closely monitoring such as during their meal times.
- Medications may be prescribed if deemed necessary by your veterinarian. Be diligent in feeding the medications as it can greatly help in wound healing and recovery.
- Wound review is highly recommended in 10-14 days, regardless whether absorbable or non-absorbable sutures (need to be removed) are used.
Will my dog/cat gain weight after sterilisation?
It is estimated that energy requirements decrease by about 25% within weeks of spaying/neutering(4). So yes, sterilisation may increase the risk of weight gain and obesity, but only if owners continue to feed the same amount of food! With proper weight management, sterilised dogs/cats can still maintain a healthy body condition score.
Like us, to maintain a healthy weight, owners need to control their pet’s
1. Calorie intake (diet)
2. Energy output (exercise)
Using the body condition score (BCS) is the best way to help you gauge whether your pet is within their healthy weight. Maintaining them within their ideal body condition of 4 to 5 out of 9 can prevent many diseases associated with obesity. To get a better visual idea, you can refer below for the BCS chart for cats and toy to giant dog breeds(5)! You may head over to the Royal Canin website to download the BCS chart too!
Each pet is different, just like how we all have different energy requirements and thus amount of food intake. It is encouraged that owners do their due diligence to find the calories requirement for their pet by adjusting the amount of food according to the pet’s weight gain/loss. Once your pet maintains his/her ideal weight and body condition score, stick with that same amount of calories per day. There are also commercial diets available specifically for sterilised dogs/cats (considering they have no other health issues).
Exercise is also an important factor. Amount of exercise required for your dog/cat depends on their breeds. Some breeds such as labrador retrievers and golden retrievers need more exercise compared to other breeds such as a chihuahua.
References
- Veterinarians and quality petcare | Banfield Pet Hospital®, 2013, https://www.banfield.com/. Accessed 28 February 2022.
- Stoewen, Debbie, and Christopher Pinard. “Mammary Tumors In Dogs Malignant.” VCA Animal Hospitals, https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/mammary-tumors-in-dogs-malignant. Accessed 28 February 2022.
- Hart, Benjamin L., et al. “Assisting Decision-Making on Age of Neutering for 35 Breeds of Dogs: Associated Joint Disorders, Cancers, and Urinary Incontinence.” Frontiers, 7 July 2020, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.00388/full. Accessed 7 March 2022.
- Elfenbein, Hanie. “Spaying and Neutering Dogs 101: The Procedure, Recovery and Costs.” PetMD, 22 April 2016, https://www.petmd.com/dog/care/spay-and-neutering-dogs-101-everything-you-need-know. Accessed 28 February 2022.
- “Digital Delegate Goody Bag – Royal Canin Event Centre.” Royal Canin Event Centre, https://royalcanin.thewebinarvet.com/digital-delegate-goody-bag/. Accessed 28 February 2022.