Getting Your Pet Fixed

At Georgian Animal Hospital, our team understands that deciding to have your pet spayed or neutered can be overwhelming.

All surgeries performed under general anesthesia come with risks, but these common reproductive surgeries are considered safe for most dogs and cats.

Our veterinarians perform spays and neuters regularly and feel they help pets live healthier, more content lives. They also help reduce the population of dogs and cats in animal shelters and on the streets.

We take precautions to ensure a safe and successful surgery. These include pre-operative blood work and monitoring during recovery. We also offer pain management options so your pet is comfortable throughout the process.

We encourage you to speak with one of our veterinarians to learn more about the benefits and risks associated with spaying and neutering.

Spaying & Neutering, Parry Sound Veterinarians

Neutering (Males)

Neutering is a surgical procedure where the testicles are removed from male pets, preventing them from fathering litters of kittens or puppies.

Cats: Neutering your cat can help to curb undesirable behaviours like spraying, roaming and aggression towards other cats.

Dogs: Neutering your dog may help reduce animal aggression, 'humping' and attempts at escaping your home or yard.

Spaying (Females)

Spaying removes a female pet's reproductive organs. This surgery prevents your pet from becoming pregnant.

Cats: Spaying your cat may help prevent them from escaping your home, roaming, yowling and urinating inappropriately.

Dogs: Having your female dog spayed ends their heat cycle and helps prevent womb infections and mammary tumours.

When to Spay or Neuter Your Pet

No one understands your pet's health better than a veterinarian. Although we provide general spay and neuter age guidelines below, it is always best to consult your veterinarian for advice.

Cats

Kittens can be spayed or neutered as young as six to eight weeks. Standard spay and neuter surgeries, however, are most often performed when the kitten is between five and six months old. That said, a healthy adult cat of any age can also be spayed or neutered.

Dogs

Traditionally, puppies have been spayed or neutered at around 6 months old. Some vets, however, have concluded that it is better to wait until the dog has reached sexual maturity before performing a spay or neuter. Speak to your veterinarian to determine the best time to have your dog spayed or neutered.

Benefits of Spaying or Neutering Pets

According to Humane Canada, between 20,000 - 28,000 dogs were taken in by Canadian humane societies and SPCAs in the three years between 2019 - 2021. They also report that those same agencies took in between 60,000 - 79,000 cats during this same period.

These numbers do not include animals taken in by the countless private rescue agencies across the country.

It's important to remember that spays and neuters are safe and routine surgeries. Reducing the number of unwanted pets in shelters and improving the health and behaviour of individual pets is part of responsible pet ownership.