What Are The Health Effects Of Spaying Or Neutering A Cat
Of course, while spaying or neutering procedures are routine and considered safe, risk cannot be totally eliminated from every surgical or medical procedure. For example, cats who have been spayed or neutered do tend to gain weight if their diets are not adjusted accordingly. Neutered male cats are also at increased risk for developing urinary blockages.
The benefits of neutering or spaying almost always outweigh the risks. However, you should always ask your vet which choices are best for your pet.
What Happens If You Neuter A Cat Too Early
There is a ton of information out there about early spaying and neutering. It can cause some confusion among pet parents, who understandably just want to do right by their kitty.
Since cats hit sexual maturity at five months, some advocates have pushed for the standard age for neutering a kitten to go down from five to six months to four to five months. The ASPCA supports spaying or neutering pets when they reach two months and are over 2 pounds. The American Veterinary Medical Association also promotes early-age spay and neuter.
There have been concerns raised about early spaying or neutering, including stunting growth and increased shyness. The research doesnt support these claims.
That said, it is possible to neuter a kitten too early, and doing so can complicate the surgery. Vets will generally wait until the kitten reaches about 2 to 3 pounds before spaying or neutering. If a vet performs the procedure before this time, it can be more of a challenge for the vet to manipulate the tissues.
Health Effects Of Spaying Or Neutering A Cat
Talking about risk factors, there is no medical or surgical procedure without risk. Neutered male cats are at higher risk of gaining weight and urinary blockages. A good cat owner should always take the advice of a veterinarian about what is best for their kitten, what benefits are there, and what precautions should be taken after the surgery.
Some post-surgery complications include inflammation or infection in the surgery part swelling under skin at the incision site caused by fluid. Avoid your cat licking or chewing the surgery part as it may infect or result in inflammation there. Make sure to provide an healthy cat food diet for time being. There are various delicious cat foods available in market, choose one of them.
Like any surgery, it is an indeed painful process but, the benefits overpower all side effects and pain during this procedure. Providing proper medication before and after surgery may make this process less painful for your pet. The recovery rate is satisfying for this surgery. Your cat awakes after about 10 to 20 minutes and can walk enough.
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What Is The Kitten Vaccination Schedule
All kittens need vaccinations to help keep them healthy. Vaccinations, by definition, protect your kitten from contracting specific diseases. Cat vaccinations are divided into two types:
- Core cat vaccinations are those that protect against especially common and/or particularly dangerous diseases and are recommended for all kittens and adult cats.
- Non-core vaccinations are not necessarily recommended for all cats. Instead, these vaccines are recommended only for those cats that are at high risk of infection. In the case of non-core vaccinations, your cats lifestyle must be evaluated to determine the risk of disease and whether the risk associated with vaccination is greater than the risk of your cat getting the disease.
Why Spay/neuter Is So Important For Cats
While there might be some differing opinions about the proper age to spay or neuter your cat, theres no disputing that its one of the most responsible things a pet owner can do, not only for the life of a pet, but also to reduce pet overpopulation. Too often, we view spaying and neutering through our own eyes, and how it might affect us, and assume that our pets would look at it the same way. As Coates puts it, physiologically and behaviorally speaking, cats are made to reproduce as frequently as possible. Obviously, we have to put a stop to that. I think it is more humane to surgically eliminate the desire to mate than to block mating but leave the urge intact.
Of course no medical or surgical procedure is without risk, she adds. For instance, neutered male cats are at higher risk for developing urinary blockages, and cats who have been spayed or neutered do have a tendency to gain weight if their diets arent adjusted accordingly. Owners should always talk to their own veterinarian about what is best for their particular pet, but the benefits of spay/neuter almost always outweigh the risks.
It is our responsibility to take care of our pets to the best of our ability, Denish says. They live in our world, our homes and interact with our family and other pets. That means that if spaying/neutering is beneficial, it should be done at any safe time.
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Should I Spay My Cat When Its A Kitten
As long as your cat is 8 week old, and meets the weight requirements discussed above, yes. It used to be the norm to wait a lot longer, but this has now been proven to be incorrect.
Cats can be on heat at a very early age. At around six months old they can have their first litter, and they can produce 3 litters a year. So its an obvious choice to have a cat neutered early.
Not to mention that having a cat on heat can be annoying for everyone in the home. They become very noisy, sleep a lot less, and their behaviour becomes a lot more boisterous.
Low Cost Spay & Neuter Performed To The Highest Standards In Southern California
With years of experience, our staff and physicians understand the impact of spaying and neutering upon the cat and dog population, along with the direct risks to your individual pet. Our primary intention is improved well-being of the entire domestic pet population. We routinely reflect our care by our compassion, helping pets improve and maintain their healthand all while providing affordable care for all pet owners. Learn more about our Los Angeles spay and neuter treatment plans by contacting us today.
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Spaying Can Save The Life Of Your Female Cat
While spaying and neutering is good for all catkind because it helps reduce the number of unwanted kittens in the world, did you know that it can also save your female cats life?
If you spay your cat before she goes into her first heat, you will reduce her risk of mammary cancer later in life.
Why is this so important? When dogs get mammary tumors, 50% of them are cancerous. But when cats get mammary tumors, 90% are cancerous, and feline mammary cancers tend to be very aggressive. The median survival time for cats who get mammary cancer is less than 1 year.
Cats who were spayed before they turned six months of age had a 91% reduction in mammary cancer. That is amazing!
Spaying has other health benefits, too. Cats who are spayed cannot develop ovarian and uterine cancers. They cannot develop pyometra, a potentially fatal uterine infection.
Spaying will probably mean a longer life for your female cat. A 2013 Banfield State of Pet Health Report that studied 460,000 cats, showed that spayed cats had an average lifespan of 13.1 years, versus only 9.5 years for cats who had not been spayed.
When Should I Spay Or Neuter My Cat
Kittens can be spayed or neutered as young as six to eight weeks of age, however standard spay and neuter surgeries are most often performed when the kitten is between five and six months old. That said, it’s important to note that provided your cat is healthy, these procedures can be performed at any time during your cat’s life.
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Pediatric Spay And Neuter Is Safe
Research shows that kittens spayed or neutered before 12 weeks of age have fewer complications from surgery than those over 12 weeks old. Also, since theyre young and spry, kittens rebound much faster after the surgical procedure than cats over 6 months of age.
All surgery involving anesthesia includes certain risks. Pediatric spay and neuter is just as safe as spay and neuter surgeries for adult cats.
Learn more by checking out Protocols: Pediatric Spay and Neuter in our Veterinary Resource Center.
Do Kittens Change After Being Neutered
Pet parents may be concerned that after spaying or neutering, their kittens behavior will change, losing playful, outgoing qualities theyve come to know and love. Vets havent noticed these types of changes. That said, the procedure can reduce less wanted behaviors, including:
- Aggression
- Roaming
- Mounting
Its important to note that experts say its not a cure-all for behavioral issues, and it may take longer to notice changes in an older cat.
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Spaying And Neutering Is Very Very Safe
Any loving pet owner is right to be concerned about putting their beloved cat especially a very young kitten through an elective surgery. What are the risks?
Science is as concerned with this question as you are. One study followed 263 cats who were over three years, comparing cats who spayed at less than six months of age to those who were fixed when they were six months or older. The study concluded that there was no increase in infections or behavior problems in cats who were spayed or neutered when they were younger.
Another study looked at complication rates from the surgery. It compared cats who were spayed or neutered at 12 weeks, at 12-23 weeks, and at 24 weeks. The rate of major complications was the same in all three groups. The oldest group had more minor complications . The youngest group had the fewest complications.
You might be concerned about the use of anesthesia with a young kitten. But you should know that anesthetic drugs are safe for use in kittens as young as six to 14 weeks old.
There are steps your vet can take to minimize the surgical risk to very young kittens. While it is customary for food to be withheld from a cat for a number of hours prior to any surgery, your vet might recommend that food is withheld for a very minimal amount of time from a young kitten to prevent hypoglycemia .
Kittens: When Is It Okay To Separate Them From Their Mothers
It is hard to resist the cuteness of a brand new baby kitten, especially if you see one that appears to be a stray. You fear for his safety and want to help, but is taking him in the best option for his health and safety? Taking kittens away from their mothers can actually be quite dangerous for them, even when you have the best intentions. Kittens who have been separated from their mothers too soon are often more likely to exhibit inappropriate behaviors, struggle with interacting with other cats and humans, and are at a higher risk for health complications. In the wild, kittens usually remain with their mothers until they reach sexual maturity or until the mother gets pregnant again. When keeping kittens as pets, it is important to know the timeline of their development before separating them from their mothers prematurely.
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Benefits Of Spaying Your Female Cat
Population Control
Your tiny little kitten may actually be mature enough to have kittens of her own before she is even six months old. By spaying your female cat before she is mature enough to have kittens, you help to reduce the population of unwanted cats in your neighborhood.
Not only that, female cats can have as many as four litters a year. When we consider that the average litter can range in size from two kittens to as many as ten kittens, that is a staggering number of unwanted cats.
Animal Health
Spaying your kitten before she has her first heat can help to reduce her risk of pyometra as well as mammary tumors. It’s also important to note that female cats carrying infectious diseases can pass serious conditions on to their kittens who go on to spread the disease even further. Pregnancy and the birth process can be risky for young cats, and costly to their owners.
Save Wildlife
It is estimated that cats in the USA kill between 1.4 billion and 3.7 billion birds each year. Keeping the numbers of homeless cats to a minimum can help to save the lives of countless birds and other wildlife.
Deter Nuisance Behaviors
Benefits Of Spaying & Neutering
- Preventing unwanted pregnancies. An animals instincts is to breed with abandon, allowing themselves to protect their species. Many pet owners can only care for those pets they directly acquired, and thus breeding is unwanted. An unplanned pet pregnancy can create a serious imposition upon a household, resulting in animals being taken to shelters and, unfortunately, often being euthanized.
- Health issue prevention. While humans are rather different, its been proven that spayed or neutered pets tend to live the longest. Due to their lifestyles, it helps prevent uterine infections and several forms of cancer.
- Hormone-related behavior is eliminated. Female cats in heat tend to wreak havoc upon a house. They become enamored during the breeding season, going into heat 4 or 5 days every three weeks, howling and urinating throughout the process. Similarly, male dogs will try to destroy doors to get outside to find a mate. This behavior can be stunted through spaying and neutering.
When pets are absolved of their breeding tendencies, they are much more amenable to house behavior. Low cost spaying and neutering your pets not only assures their health, it also assures a much more peaceful relationship.
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Early Spay/neuter In Animal Shelters
Ensuring that all cats are spayed or neutered before adoption eliminates the risk of adopted animals producing more kittens. Many shelters will not spay/neuter kittens that weigh less than 2 pounds or are younger than 8 weeks other shelters, however, will do so provided that the kittens are healthy, active, and in good body condition .
Figure 2. Pediatric patient undergoing spay.
What Are Some Tips To Encourage The Weaning Process
While weaning can be challenging, remember that kittens are young animals. Donât be surprised if your kitten wants to step in the bowl, bat the pieces, or spill the saucer. Play is a normal and healthy way for them to explore their environment, so be patient and donât rush the process. Things may get messy, so make sure to keep your kitten clean after each feeding.
Show Sources
Alley Cat Allies: âCaring for Neonatal Kittens,â âHow Old Is That Kitten? Kitten Guide: 3 Weeks,ââHow Old Is That Kitten? Kitten Guide: 4 Weeks.â
ASPCA: “Cat Nutrition Tips.”
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Is Early Spay/neuter Associated With More Surgical Or Anesthetic Complications
In 2000, Land reported on a survey of 85 veterinarians who had collectively performed approximately 200000 early spays/neuters .12 The veterinarians unanimously stated that early spays/neuters were safer, faster, and easier than the same surgeries in dogs and cats 6 months of age or older.
In a prospective study of dogs and cats, Howe compared short-term complication rates among 3 groups of animals: sterilized at younger than 12 weeks, at 12 to 23 weeks, and at 24 weeks or older.13 Researchers measured complications during anesthesia, surgery, and the immediate postoperative period and classified complications as being major or minor . For incidence of major complications, they found no differences among the 3 groups. However, for incidence of minor complications, they found a significant difference rates were highest among animals in the oldest group and lowest among those in the youngest group.13
When To Neuter A Cat And When To Spay A Cat
Shes your personal welcome home party, your purring pillow companion and your little lap warmer on a cold winters night. As a responsible pet owner, you want to keep her healthy and safe and thats where spaying comes in. In this post, well reveal when to neuter a cat, when to spay a cat, why neutering and spaying are so important and how to help your kitty stay healthy after a neutering or spaying procedure.
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Neutering May Extend The Life Of Your Male Cat
The Banfield State of Pet Health report showed that neutering seems to be associated with a longer life for male cats, too. Neutered males had a life expectancy of 11.8 years, versus only 7.5 years for intact males.
How does neutering extend the life of male cats? For one, it eliminates the risk testicular cancer and reduces the risk for prostate cancer.
It also reduces aggression in male cats, and with it, the desire to roam and fight. If your intact male cat is allowed outdoors, or escapes, hes more likely to be injured in a fight, or even in traffic, as his mind is only on one thing.
Feline AIDS and leukemia are spread between cats through bites, and these bites can be the result of sexual competition.
So, neutering reduces both the urge to mate and the urge to fight about it, and reduces the likelihood that your cat will contract one of these often-fatal infections.
Spaying And Neutering: The Bottom Line
Spaying and neutering can help keep your cat healthier and safer and you dont end up with more kittens than you can count. To be on the safe side, get your cat spayed or neutered before theyre six months old. If youre wondering when to spay a cat or when to neuter a cat, speak to your local veterinarian.
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