Spaying and neutering your pets is important. If you don’t plan on breeding, you can actually lengthen your pets life. Visit our website at azpaws.org for more information.

If you’re looking into the services at a spay and neuter clinic, you probably already know that there are many benefits of spaying your pet or neutering your pet.

This sterilization process is actually likely to lengthen your pet’s life — and keep them healthier for those extra years, too (usually one to three years for dogs, and three to five years for cats). According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), a spayed female dog has a dramatically reduced risk of uterine infections and breast cancer, which are often fatal, and neutering a dog (before six months of age) eliminates the risk of testicular cancer. Most towns and cities offer a reduced licensing fee for spayed and neutered pets, which definitely helps out your wallet (and gives you a few extra bucks to spend on a new toy for Fluffy). Most importantly, you’ll help lower the population of stray dogs and cats that are abused, neglected, and euthanized.

But let’s be honest here, most pet owners are a bit nervous before the procedure — and that’s completely normal. The best way to keep your pet healthy and safe is to prepare yourself and know exactly what to expect from an affordable pet clinic that also serves as a dog spay and neuter clinic, so with that in mind, here are a few things you should know:

• First (and most importantly), both spay and neuter procedures are pain-free. Your pet will be under general anesthesia the whole time, just like humans receive for a surgery. The anesthesia is measured out precisely according to your pet’s size. Pain medication helps with the post-operative discomfort

 

• For female cats and dogs, a small incision will be made in the abdominal wall to remove the uterus and ovaries; for male cats and dogs, only the testicles are removed.

 

• The procedure won’t take too long but many clinics prefer to keep pets for a few hours, just to monitor the animal’s recovery. After your pet is discharged, it’s important to keep him or her away from other animals and allow for a recovery period for the anesthesia to wear off and the wound to heal more.

 

• Pain medication will be provided for you to administer at home after the procedure, but many animals do just fine without it (or only need one or two small doses).

 

• It’s normal to see slight redness and/or swelling right after the procedure; this goes away quickly.

 

• Most pets can return to their daily activities within a week, although they may have to wear The Cone of Shame during the recovery time in order to keep them from licking or biting the incision.

The most important thing to know is that spaying and neutering your pet is good, and you’re giving your furry friend the healthiest and happiest life possible when you do so.