Spay and Neuter

No animal should die needlessly

Thousands of healthy, adoptable pets are euthanized in our community's shelters every year because they cannot find a good home.

We believe the number one way to keep pets out of shelters and harm's way is to prevent unwanted litters. We are proud to offer high quality spay and neuter services to the members of our community.

Your pet's health

Spaying or Neutering your pet doesn't just benefit the community, your pet will benefit with a longer and healthier life as well!

We recommend spaying or neutering your pet around 5 months of age to reap the maximum health benefits of the surgery. However, even later in life these surgeries can improve your pet's quality of life, health, and behavior. Read on below for more about the benefits of having your pet spayed or neutered.

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Spay

Ovariohysterectomy is the medical term for "spaying", or surgically sterilizing, a female pet. The procedure removes both the ovaries and the uterus. Overiectomy is a similar surgery that also effectively sterilizes your pet by removing only the ovaries. It carries the same benefits and is less invasive than the traditional ovariohysterectomy and has been performed regularly at european veterinary clinics for many years. In the dog and cat, one of the major reasons for performing the sterilization surgery is to eliminate unwanted pregnancies but it has a number of other health benefits as well. These include:

1. Eliminates the risk of ovarian and uterine cancer.
2. Eliminates the risk of pyometra, a life-threatening uterine infection.
3. If spayed before the first heat cycle, your pet's chance of developing breast cancer is virtually eliminated. Less than 1% of pets spayed before their first heat develop malignant mammary tumors.
4. Pets with certain conditions, such as diabetes or epilepsy, should be spayed to prevent hormonal changes that may interfere with medication.

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Neuter

Castration is the medical term for neutering, or surgically sterilizing, a male pet. The testicles are removed, again preventing unwanted litters. Neutering also has many health benefits:

1. Eliminates the risk of testicular cancer, the second most common tumor in male dogs.
2. Greatly reduces the risk of prostate cancer and prostatitis.
3. Reduces the risk of perianal tumors.
4. Reduces roaming and fighting, making your pet less likely to get lost or injured.
5. Eliminates or reduces spraying or marking in males neutered before 6 months of age.
6. Reduces unwanted behaviors such as aggression and sexual frustration/humping.

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Owners are often hesitant to spay or neuter their pet due to rumors they have heard. Let us assure you sterilizing your pet does NOT:

1. make your pet lazy or overweight.
2. reduce your pet's protective instinct around home and family.
3. delay behavioral maturity or cause immature behavior.
4. make your pet feel like "less of a man". Our pets do not have the concepts of sexual identity and ego that people do!
5. alter your pet's personality in any way.

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For more information on your pet's surgery, visit our What to Expect page.