What is spaying? What is Neutering? These expressions refer to the operations performed on animals to prevent mating production of un-wanted litters and for other reasons.
When a spay operation is performed, the uterus is removed along with the ovaries. It is performed under general anaesthetic and the usual recovery time is ten days. Very often, if the female is young, she will recover quicker but she should be kept quiet for that time.
As a result of this operation, the female does not come into heat/season or “call” . She can no longer mate and there are no litters.
Contrary to folk-wisdom, you should not wait until a female has had her first litter before having her spayed. In fact, there are very good reasons for spaying before the first “season” including a lower likelihood of certain types of cancers.
Neutering the male involves making a very small incision in the scrotum, tying off adjacent vessels and removing the testicles. The incision is usually closed with dissolving stitches to avoid the need for a return visit to the vet. Recovery time is shorter than for the female spay, as the operation is less invasive.
Refer to “Benefits of Spaying and Neutering” for further information.