Neutering is the most common planned operation in cats and dogs, and the one surrounded by the most misinformation. Below are the five questions we are asked most often, followed by what actually happens before and after the operation.

1. Can it be done before puberty

Yes. Current practice takes five to eight months as a suitable range for cats and for many dogs. There is no need to wait for a first season.

Earlier surgery is technically easier: vessels are finer, there is less abdominal fat, the operation is shorter and the tissues are handled less. Young animals also heal faster.

The exact age is not the same for every animal. In large and giant breed dogs, waiting until skeletal growth is complete may be preferred, because sex hormones influence the closure of the growth plates. The decision is made on the animal’s species, breed, development and health.

2. Does it make them aggressive

No, and it is usually the opposite.

Between five and eight months animals reach puberty, and hormones begin driving behaviour: roaming, escaping, persistent calling, urine marking, fighting, road accidents and unwanted litters. In unneutered male cats, spraying and fighting typically continue for as long as they remain entire.

Neutering reduces these hormone driven behaviours, and neutered animals are generally calmer and more receptive to training.

Fear based aggression is a separate matter with no connection to neutering, and it needs behavioural assessment rather than surgery.

3. Does it cause problems later

There is one real effect: energy requirements fall noticeably after neutering. If the food stays the same, the animal gains weight, and excess weight sets up joint disease, diabetes and urinary problems.

The solution is simple: move onto a food formulated for neutered animals and adjust the portion. Weight gain is not an inevitable consequence of neutering; it is a consequence of not adjusting the feeding.

Against that, neutering substantially reduces the risk of mammary tumours and eliminates pyometra, a serious uterine infection requiring emergency surgery in older unspayed females. In males it removes the risk of testicular tumours and reduces prostate disease.

4. Is it sensible to choose the cheapest option

A cheap neutering is not the same as a safe one. The difference is usually not in the surgery itself but in what surrounds it.

A properly conducted neutering includes:

A pre-operative examination
Blood testing where indicated, confirming the liver and kidneys can process the anaesthetic drugs
An anaesthetic protocol calculated for the individual animal
Monitoring of heart rate, breathing, oxygen saturation and temperature throughout
Pain management afterwards
A post-operative check and suture removal

Asking the price is reasonable. The second question is what the price includes.

5. Do they become depressed

Animals do not construct reproduction as a life purpose; it is a hormonally driven urge. When the hormonal source is removed, there is no sense of loss to grieve.

The quietness seen for a day or two afterwards is the effect of the anaesthetic and the surgery, and it passes. Quietness lasting more than two days, or accompanied by loss of appetite, vomiting or fever, is not the normal course and should be reported.

Before the operation

The animal must be well on the day. If vaccinations are incomplete or parasite treatment has not been given, the operation is usually postponed.

In adults, food is withheld for eight to twelve hours beforehand, with water available until a few hours before. In young animals and diabetics the timing differs and we will tell you.

Bring cats in a closed carrier and dogs on a lead. If a female is in season, say so beforehand: the tissues are more vascular at that time and the operation may be rescheduled.

After the operation

The animal goes home the same day or after a night with us. At home:

Stop it licking the wound. A collar or body suit is not optional; a licked wound opens and becomes infected.
Feed small portions on the first day. A large meal after anaesthesia can cause vomiting.
Restrict jumping and stairs for around ten days.
Check the wound once a day.
Sutures are generally removed after ten to fourteen days.

Call without waiting if you see the wound opening, swelling or discharging, repeated vomiting, no appetite for more than twenty four hours, lethargy or fever.