Neutering Your Pet

Your Cat

Neutering is a surgical procedure which prevents unwanted pregnancy in female cats, and reduces marking behaviours (urine spraying) in male cats. Neutered cats are less likely to contact FIV and FeLV, viral diseases which can cause serious illnesses. All pets have a pre-operative check before coming in for neutering, so this is the perfect time for you to discuss any questions you might have with one of our team.

Female cats are spayed (the ovaries and uterus are removed) through a small incision, either in the side (flank) or on the belly (midline)

Neutered female cats are:

  • Unable to get pregnant.
  • Not going out to call or wail, as un-neutered female cats do when in season.
  • Less likely to contract diseases such as FIV and FELV spread by bites.
  • Unable to develop cancer of the ovaries or uterus.

Male cats are castrated (the testicles are removed) through two very small incisions over the testicles.

Neutered male cats are:

  • Less likely to roam and be run over.
  • Less likely to fight and get injured.
  • Less likely to contract FIV or FELV through fighting.
  • Less likely to display territorial behaviour, e.g. spraying.

We understand the importance of early neutering in preventing unwanted pregnancy, and we are happy to neuter your kitten from 4 months of age. We usually advise that your kitten has had their initial vaccination course before neutering.

Your Dog

The age we advise neutering your dog depends on their breed, expected size and gender. In female dogs that have had a season, the procedure needs to take place at least 3 months after their last season. For male dogs the procedure can be done at any time. 

In male dogs neutering is also known as castration. The testicles are removed through a small surgical incision just in front of them.

Neutered males are:

  • At a lower risk of testicular cancer 
  • At a lower risk of inflammation of the prostate (known as BPH) in later life.
  • Less likely to try and escape/roam
  • Less likely to be involved in road traffic accidents

In female dogs neutering is also known as spaying. The ovaries (and in some cases the uterus) are removed through a surgical incision on the belly.

Neutered females are:

  • Unable to get pregnant or have phantom pregnancies
  • Not able to have seasons
  • Less likely to have mammary tumours (breast cancer)
  • Less likely to suffer from womb infections (known as pyometra)

Your Rabbit

We advise neutering in rabbits to prevent unwanted behaviours and reduce the risk of certain diseases. Neutered rabbits are also able to live in mixed gender groups without the risk of unwanted pregnancies. All pets have a pre-operative check before coming in for neutering, so this is the perfect time for you to discuss any questions you might have with one of our team. There is more information about rabbit neutering available at https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-health/neutering/

Female rabbits are spayed (the ovaries and uterus are removed) through a small incision on the belly. We advise neutering female rabbits around 20 weeks of age, but this may depend on the size and breed of your bunny. We are happy to discuss this at your pre-operative check.

Neutered female rabbits are:

  • Unable to get pregnant.
  • Unable to develop cancer of the ovaries or uterus. Uterine cancer is very common in female rabbits who have not been spayed, rates can be as high as 80%

Male rabbits are castrated (the testicles are removed) through two very small incisions over the testicles. We advised neutering male rabbits around 10-12 weeks, before they reach full sexual maturity to minimise the risk of unwanted pregnancies.

Neutered male rabbits are:

  • Less likely to display territorial behaviour, e.g. fighting
  • Able to live with female rabbits without the risk of oversexual behaviours

Operation Day

All patients being neutered will stay with us for the day. They are admitted at 8:30am and will have a full check with one of our vets before their procedure. They will have a general anaesthetic for their procedure, and will have hair clipped from the surgical area and a small patch on their leg so we can administer medications in a sterile manner.

At your pre-op check our team will discuss the instructions for feeding your pet before their procedure.

Please expect your pet to be with us for most of the day, we want to give them the time to recover fully from their anaesthetic before we send them home.

One of the vets or nurses will advise you on the best care for your pet as they recover from their surgery, before you take your pet home. Further arrangements will be made for us to see your pet after surgery to check on their progress, following which an appointment will be made for a later date, to remove any sutures, if necessary.

Neutering Costs

Prices for neutering your dog are dependent on the weight of the animal. We will be happy to give you an estimate prior to surgery.

For rabbits and cats our prices are fixed depending on their gender. Please get in touch for our most up to date prices. 

The Cats Protection League and Dogs Trust offer financial assistance to owners in receipt of certain means-tested benefits, and we are happy to accept these vouchers at the practice. Please contact the individual organisations for further details.