Neutering

We don't regard neutering as an automatic necessity for all pets, but it can have significant health and behavioural benefits for many of them.

Female dogs who are not neutered will come into season about every 6 months. Each season lasts about 3 weeks during which time there will be bleeding and huge amounts of interest from other dogs, which can make walks in the park a bit of a trial.
After neutering they do not come into season any more, so there is no more bleeding, pregnancies, false pregnancies or womb infections and there is good evidence that neutering when young significantly reduces the incidence of mammary tumours in later life.  For the operation itself, we prefer the less invasive technique of ovariectomy, removing the ovaries only.

Male dogs vary greatly in their sexual behaviour. Some entire male dogs remain gentle, relaxed and peaceful throughout their lives, whereas others are driven by testosterone into a frenzy of territorial guarding, aggression, roaming and hypersexual behaviour. Older entire male dogs often have problems with their prostate glands and can develop testicular cancers. We strongly recommend neutering male dogs if their testosterone levels are interfering with their social behaviour or health.

Female cats who are not spayed are likely to come into season for 3-5 days every 3 weeks for up to 9 months of the year. Most people opt for neutering to avoid this. Our preferred technique is a midline ovariectomy, a less invasive technique to remove the ovaries only, which can be carried our from the age of 6 months onwards.

Male cats over the age of 6-9 months have a tendency to become territorial and possibly aggressive. Many develop a powerful smell and a passion for urine marking their homes. They are almost always better neutered, ideally at around 6 months of age.