We strongly recommend that all kittens not intended for breeding should be desexed at about 5 & half months of age before they reach sexual maturity. This will be before they come into season (on heat) for the first time.
There are many advantages to desexing our pets at this age:
- It greatly reduces the incidence of many diseases such as mammary cancer and completely prevents ovarian cancer and uterine infections.
- Also, as the procedure prevents them coming into season there is no risk of unwanted pregnancies.
- Undesexed animals can be more prone to diabetes and other health problems as they get older.
What happens on the day of the surgery?
Desexing a female cat is also know as speying. The surgery involves removing the whole uterus and both ovaries. It is a standard procedure but is still a major surgery done under full anaesthetic. Your pet will have her abdomen shaved and a surgical incision will be made. Usually this incision is closed with intradermal (internal) stitches so there are no sutures to remove later. She will need to be kept quiet for 10 days after the surgery & may need to wear an Elizabethan collar to stop her from licking at the wound. While she is under anaesthetic we can also microchip her (if not already done), give her a microchip and desexing tattoo and clip her claws.
She will be admitted in the morning usually between 8.00am & 9.30am. The surgery is usually performed late morning after pre-anaesthetic health checks & blood tests have been performed. She will then be ready to go home some time after 3.30pm. The surgical nurse will phone you with an update once your pet is in recovery & organise a discharge time that suits you. We are open until 8.00pm, so a later pick-up is available if required.
The risks of desexing procedures
As cat desexing is a standard procedure complications are not very common. However, complications such as the opening of the abdomen during the procedure can, very rarely, cause haemorrhaging (bleeding) or wound infections can occur.
Anaesthesia also has its own inherent risks but we use the most up to date anaesthetic agents and monitoring equipment. All cats are placed on intravenous fluids to help maintain their blood pressure and to speed up their recovery.
Post operative care
Post operative care will be discussed with you in detail when your cat is discharged. She will have pain relief given by injection at the time of surgery and you will be given additional medication to give her for the next 2 days post operatively.
She will need to be kept quiet until the wound has fully healed, which takes about 10 days. This involves no excessive play and trying to prevent physical activity like jumping. This will allow her wound to heal without complications.
Two complementary post operative checks will be arranged for 5 & 10 days after the surgery.
