At what age should I have my pet spayed or neutered?

When is the best time to have the surgery done?

Spaying and Neutering is best done when your pet is about 4-6 months of age. The first heat cycle in females usually occurs around this time. Females spayedBEFORE their first heat cycle have a much lower incidence of breast tumors/cancer. Behavior patterns of non-spayed and neutered animals may include: roaming, aggression, urinating in inappropriate places and undesirable sexual behavior in males. These unacceptable behaviors are easier to prevent than to correct.

Will spaying/neutering cause my pet to become fat and lazy?

No. Diet, exercise and heredity have much more influence on the weight and attitude of your pet than does this surgery. Your pet's metabolism will decrease by 25%, so diet changes must be made to ensure weight gain does not occur after the surgery.

Is surgery dangerous?

There is always some risk when a patient - human or animal - is  under a general anesthetic. Veterinary procedures are highly sophisticated and are very similar to human medical procedures. In healthy animals, the risk is very minimal. Pre-anesthetic testing will help to minimize this risk.

Should I wait until my pet has matured and had a litter?

No; the earlier the better. The health and behavior of your pet will be enhanced with early spaying and neutering. There is no advantage to running the risk or possible birthing complications. 

Additional Information:

• Over 12 million dogs and cats are killed in shelters across the United States every year. When you have your pet spayed or neutered, you will be helping  to reduce the number of unwanted animals. Everyday thousands of adoptable dogs and cats are killed because permanent homes cannot be found for them. Don't contribute to this tragic loss of life.
• Licensing fees for dogs are cut by half or more.
• 75% of dogs hit by cars are intact. This is because of the increased tendency to roam.

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