Monday, February 29, 2016

Spaying and Neutering FAQs

We operate a spay and neuter clinic near Chanhassen, and we are always happy to answer questions about our clinic as well as what spaying and neutering a pet entails. We understand that even a routine procedure like this can cause both pets and their owners some stress and anxiety. Here are a few of the questions we get the most often and our usual responses to them.



Q: Why should I have my pet spayed or neutered? What are some of the benefits?
A: Dog and cat populations are surging, and they have been for many years. One of the best ways to help mitigate this is by spaying or neutering your pet. A visit to our spay and neuter clinic can also help you and your pets in other ways. Once spayed, your female pet will not go into heat, which means you will not have to deal with the annoyance and mess of a heat cycle. And for male pets, neutering helps with undesirable behaviors like aggression and urine marking.

Q: Should my pet go into heat at least once or have a litter before I have the pet spayed or neutered?
A: No. Spaying your female pet before a heat cycle can help reduce her risk of breast cancer as well as uterine infections and cancer. Neutering your male pet before his first heat cycle can help prevent testicular cancer and an enlarged prostate gland, and it can also help reduce the risk for perianal tumors.

Q: How old should my dog or cat be or how much should they weigh before you will spay or neuter them?
A: Your pet should be at least 8 weeks old and weigh at least 2 pounds before you schedule an appointment at our spay and neuter clinic.

Q: I’ve heard my pet will gain a lot of weight after it’s spayed or neutered. Is that true?
A: No. This is a myth about spaying and neutering pets. Dogs and cats get fat for the same reasons most people gain weight: too much food and not enough exercise. Your pet will enjoy far more health advantages than disadvantages after a visit to our spay and neuter clinic.

These are just a few of the questions we get at our spay and neuter clinic. If you have any questions that are not on this list, please feel free to call us.


If you would like to learn more about our spay and neuter clinic near Chanhassen, call Victoria Veterinary Clinic at 952-443-3138, or you can Contact Us.