For cats and dogs, spaying and neutering is usually done at 6 months of age. Where puppies and kittens are received from shelters these procedures may be done as early as 9 – 12 weeks of age in an effort to control the number of unwanted pets.
The procedure in cats and dogs involves:
- A pre-anesthetic blood panel to ensure that the body organs are functioning correctly.
- Giving a pre-medication to alleviate pain, anxiety, and salivation.
- An injectable anesthetic to facilitate intubation (a tube to be inserted through the mouth and into the throat), which permits an anesthetic gas to be administered to maintain a surgical phase of anesthesia during surgery.
- Under sterile conditions, both ovaries and the uterus as far as the cervix are removed from the female and in the male both testicles are excised.
