Castration of the Male Dog

Castration, or neutering, is a frequently performed operation at a veterinary hospital. It is major surgery involving removal of the testicles and requires a general anesthetic.

The operation is performed in the surgery room, a separate, sterile area of the hospital. The surgical instruments and other materials used during surgery have been heat sterilized in an autoclave. The surgeon is outfitted with cap, mask, and sterile gloves and gown. The patient's status is monitored by an animal health technician. The techniques employed to ensure the safety of your dog are like those used in a human hospital.

A small incision is made just in front of the scrotum. Both testicles are then identified, freed from attachments and surgically removed. The incision is then closed using synthetic absorbable suture material. The sutures are buried so that no stitches are visible. No repeat office visit is necessary for the stitches to be removed.

If your dog is not to be used for breeding, we recommend neutering at 6 months of age, prior to the onset of significant levels of male hormone and thus prior to "male" behavior. The advantages of having a male dog neutered include:

1. Greatly reducing male sexual behavior such as roaming after female dogs that are "in heat", mounting behavior, masturbation, and urine marking.
2. Not adding to the already overwhelming unwanted pet population.
3. Greatly reducing the likelihood of several types of aggressive behaviors that are linked to testosterone levels (most notably aggression between male dogs).
4. Decreasing the incidence of prostatic disease, perineal hernias, perianal ademonas (a type of tumor), and testicular tumors all serious medical conditions seen in older unneutered male dogs.

Contrary to popular folklore, dogs that have been neutered do not necessarily become fat and lazy. In most cases, overfeeding and underexercising are responsible for obesity. Most owners find a neutered dog to be a better pet.

Castration of the Male Cat

Castration or neutering is a frequently performed operation at a veterinary hospital. It is a major surgery involving removal of the testicles and requires a general anesthetic.

Two small incisions are made at the base of the scrotum. Both testicles are identified, freed from attachments, are surgically removed. Since the incision is so small, sutures are not necessary. Thus, no repeat office visit is necessary for suture removal.

If your cat is not to be used for breeding, we recommend neutering at 5-6 months of age, prior to the development of significant levels of male hormone and thus prior to "male" behavior. The advantages of having a male cat neutered include:

1.       Eliminating male sexual behavior such as roaming after female cats that are "in heat", and spraying or urine marking (often inside the house).

2.       Not adding to the already overwhelming unwanted pet population.

3.       Reducing several types of aggressive behavior that are linked to testosterone levels (most notably aggression between male cats).

4.       Decreasing the incidence of infectious diseases, principally Feline Leukemia Virus, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, and Feline Infectious Peritonitis. These viruses are much more common in unneutered, free-roaming males who tend to fight frequently with other cats.

Contrary to popular folklore, cats that have been neutered do not necessarily become fat and lazy. In most cases, overfeeding and underexercising are responsible for obesity. Most owners find a neutered cat to be a much better pet.