Cat Spay and Neuter at Columbia Pike Animal Hospital and Emergency Center
Pet spay and neuter surgeries are extremely common and highly recommended for a reason. They can prevent many future health and behavioral problems, and stem the tide of pet overpopulation. However, the final decision of whether your pet should or shouldn’t be spayed/neutered depends entirely on their personal needs. If you’re bringing in a puppy or kitten for the first time, we’ll discuss spaying and neutering and whether it will be a safe option for your pet. Safety holds precedence over everything else, and at our animal hospital in Fairfax, any treatment we suggest will be with their safety and comfort in mind.
Live long. Live well. The kind choice.
There are many benefits to spaying and neutering your cat. Spaying your cat involves a surgical procedure where we remove the reproductive organs, specifically the ovaries and the uterus. Spaying and neutering are very beneficial for the long-term health of your cat. It also helps with population control and behavior issues.
When should you spay or neuter your cat?
Typically, from the very first kitten visit, we will talk about spaying and neutering. It usually occurs between 6 to 12 months of age. Within that timeframe, your veterinarian will recommend the best time for spaying and neutering your cat, depending on their health, physical condition, and blood work results.
What are the medical benefits of spaying and neutering?
The medical benefits of spaying and neutering your cat include reducing the risk of cancer and pyometra, which is an infected uterus that can be life-threatening. It can also help with behavior issues. Intact animals often wander in search of a mate, which can lead them to run away, get hit by a car, or never return home, causing unwanted litters.
Spaying and neutering can also reduce the likelihood of cats spraying or urinating indoors, both in males and females. In females, one significant issue is pyometra, an infection of the uterus caused by hormone production from the ovaries and the retained uterus. It can lead to life-threatening infections and can also cause breast cancer and other cancers in both females and males.
What should you do before and after surgery?
Before surgery, it's important to make an appointment with your primary veterinarian for a physical exam and blood work to ensure it's safe for them to undergo anesthesia. In females, if they are showing signs of heat, it might be better to wait until after they have finished their heat cycle.
After surgery, we typically recommend a 14-day recovery period. This allows time for the incision and internal surgical sites to heal. They should ideally wear a cone or an e-collar to prevent them from chewing and licking their incision. We send them home with pain medications, and their activity needs to be restricted. We should avoid picking them up and letting them run around.
If you have questions, we would love to answer them for you. Please give us a call at the office at (703) 256-8414, or you can email us at [email protected]. Our staff would love to talk with you!
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