Reasons for desexing

We would like to take this opportunity to explain why desexing is recommended for pets.

All Creatures on Hoddle has long been recommending the desexing of animals - from six months of age- for a variety of reasons:

· Desexing vastly decreases the risks of some diseases including mammary and ovarian tumours, anal gland and prostate tumours, and infections of the uterus. By removing the source of the hormones early on, we can vastly decrease, and often eliminate entirely, the risks of these diseases.

· By six months of age, all of your pets vaccinations will have been performed. They should be relatively healthy and free from disease. We would not want to hospitalise an animal to perform a surgical procedure if they were not protected against the major viral diseases.

· At six months of age they are able to tolerate the anaesthetic well. At ACOH, we use anaesthetics that are very well tolerated by animals. They use them for humans! This means that there is none of the grogginess associated with the older anaesthetics. When your pets go home on the evening of the surgery, they are fairly bright and active.

· Desexing them at six months of age generally means they have not adopted any of the bad behavioural traits associated with the hormones testosterone or oestrogen. This includes territorial marking, spraying, roaming, fighting, and aggression.

There are a number of myths associated with desexing animals. Let us put some of them to rest.

But it just wont be the same dog!
There is no marked change in behaviour in that your pets personality will essentially be the same. That is, they will still play like a puppy, chew things as puppies do, and bark at intruders (hopefully)! The only changes are hopefully decreased marking, and avoiding aggression related problems.

It is too painful, and they will be too distressed by being in hospital and having surgery.
ACVC uses the best anaesthetics that are well tolerated by most animals. We aim to get most dogs home and in their own environment by the evening of the surgery. They are generally fairly alert and reasonably comfortable. We also offer pain relief medication, providing about 24 hours of pain relief. That is all that is generally required. The most distress is usually by the owner. Unfortunately, we can't offer you the same medications!

Don't they get fat and lazy?
Only if you decrease the amount of exercise they receive, or increase the amount of food fed! The operation itself does not directly cause weight gain, but associated environmental changes do. Furthermore, your pet will become less active as they grow out of the adolescent stage. Ensure that this does not increase your pets weight.

Now is a good time to have them desexed. Ring us to discuss any of your concerns, and make a surgical appointment for desexing at your earliest convenience.