The traditional age for spaying is six months, however, this practice has enabled kittens to be adopted from the shelters unspayed. Often the new owner fails to return for spaying and the result is further contribution to the pet over-population problem. The last ten years has brought us a great deal of research into “early” spaying and we now know that there is no problem with spaying as early as 8 weeks of age.

Spaying or neutering can be done any time after 4 months of age. We recommend having the procedure done BEFORE 6 months of age if possible. Your cat is given a physical exam prior to surgery by our doctor to help determine whether your cat is healthy enough to undergo the surgical procedure. Current vaccinations are recommended at the time of surgery. Also a pre-anesthetic blood screen is recommended prior to undergoing anesthesia and surgery.

There are many factors to consider in selecting the correct time to spay or neuter your pet. Most veterinarians will suggest doing it shortly after the completion of puppy vaccines, which is around five months of age. In the case of male pets it may be an especially good idea to neuter them at this time before they develop bad habits, such as aggression.

We recommend that all mixed breed pets be spayed. Purebred animals that are not being used for breeding or for show should also be spayed. Spaying a female dog or cat involves the surgical removal of the uterus and ovaries. The primary benefit to spaying your pet is to eliminate their ability to have puppies or kittens.

Cats can be safely desexed from eight weeks of age. As females come into season at four months age and can have their first litter by six months of age, the sooner they are desexed the better! Your cat can be pregnant at four months ? 18 percent of female cats have had at least one litter before being desexed. Go to a vet who does 'early desexing'. No, a cat will only become fat and lazy if overfed. If desexed, the cat will have a longer, healthier life and will not roam.

No. Any animal that is released from the Sundance Ranch must be spayed or neutered under New Mexico law.

There has been much controversy over the age of spaying (female) and neutering (male). Generally, as soon as the vaccination series is completed approximately at 4 months of age it is recommended to spay or neuter. It is always recommended to spay/neuter your pet before sexual maturity as this decreases the incidence of mammary cancer, prostate cancer, testicular cancer and many other diseases. Dr.

We recommend against spaying a dog that is in heat but it can be done. During this time the ovaries and uterus are swollen and filled with blood, increasing the risk of hemorrhage. We prefer to wait until about 4 weeks after your dog goes out of heat to perform surgery. We can spay cats that are in heat. What is a neuter and what are the benefits? Neutering is the surgical removal of both testicles.

Spayed/neutered cats live longer and are healthier. The possibility of ovarian and uterine cancer is eliminated in female cats and the possibility of testicular cancer and prostate disease is eliminated in the males. Spayed/neutered cats tend to be more calm and friendly, and make better companions when they’re not driven by hormones. Millions of unwanted and homeless kittens and cats are euthanized in the United States every year.

In the United States, most cats are spayed between 5 and 8 months of age. Cats should be spayed BEFORE they have their first heat. To try to control pet overpopulation, many humane shelters have started to spay/neuter all animals before they are adopted. This means they are spaying/neutering animals at a younger age, even 6-14 weeks of age. Many veterinarians in private practice have started early spaying/neutering as well.

Yes. The closer she is to giving birth the more closely she should be monitored after surgery and should not be released back into her environment until the end of the day following her surgery. The repeated cycle of giving birth can be much more difficult on a female cat than being altered while pregnant.

Yes, to prevent unwanted strays and curb over-population. There are County programs available for free.

No. There are no medical benefits associated with an animal have a litter or puppies/kittens prior to being spayed. In fact there is an increase risk of developing mammary tumors with each heat cycle. What is the normal gestation length for dogs/cats? The gestation period (length of pregnancy) on average is 63 days.

Feral (wild) cats are a serious problem in the U.S. Cats can breed very fast so they should be altered as soon as possible.

You should have your pet spayed before the end of his first year of life. It is perfectly safe after 20 weeks of age, and is generally accepted that 90 - 95?? less mammary cancer occurs in females spayed at a young age.