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Cat Spay and Neuter
(See the surgery photos below)
You can find more about cats here
Spay
The medical term is ovariohysterectomy. Ovariohysterectomy (OHE) is the term applied to the surgical procedure involved in the removal of the uterus and ovaries of a female by abdominal surgery. The common terms used in describing this procedure are "spaying" and "neutering". The main objectives for doing this surgical procedure are to eliminate the heat period in the female cat or dog and prevent unwanted kittens or puppies from being added to the population problem. Although the ability to reproduce is eliminated by just removing the uterus, the ovaries also need to be removed in order to prevent the nuisance caused by the "heat" periods.
There is no evidence that a pet suffers from any personality or emotional harm by having their ovaries removed. The uterus is also removed to insure that it does not become a source of infection over a period of time. See Pyometra. If the surgeon simply tied or obstructed the Fallopian tubes (the channel where the eggs must pass into the uterus) in order to make the female dog or cat sterile, she would still come into heat, attract males, and attempt to breed. Experience has shown that the best procedure is to perform a complete ovariohysterectomy.
Most cats are spayed between 5 and 8 months of age.
Early neutering cats
Should veterinarians do early neutering in their veterinary hospitals? This is a question that is likely up to the individual veterinarian. Since reproductive capability can occur as early as 4 months in the cat and 6 months in the dog it is important to neuter prepuberally.
Research at the University of Florida has compared puppies and kittens neutered early (7 weeks) from those neutered prepuberally but later (7 months) to those that remained surgically intact.
• Growth plate closure - Both groups of puppies and kittens neutered prepuberally had delayed physeal closure compared to the intact control animals. Longer radial and ulnar length was significantly different in male puppies neutered at both ages and in female puppie neutered at 7 weeks. The differences were similar but not significant in kitten. Gonadal hormone, facilitate maturation of physeal cartilage. Early neutering does not stunt growth but actually may result in increased long bone length because the absence of gonadal hormones and the resultant delayed physeal closure. Some veterinarians have suggested that early neutering will predispose to physeal fractures (fractures through the growth plates), however neutering at the usual time is also prepuberal and delays physeal closure.
• Growth rate - No effect noted
• Food intake - No effect noted
• Back fat depth - No effect noted
• Body fat and weight - Neutered cats were similar in this category but sexually intact cats weighed less and had less body fat.
• Urethral function - Urethral pressure profilometry showed no adverse effects. Male cats neutered at 7 weeks, at 7 months and the sexually intact cats had similar urethral diameters at the end of the study.
• External genitalia - In dogs, the external genitalia of the "early" neutered animals were infantile. No problems with perivulvar dermatitis or vaginitis were noted. In cats, the external genitalia of the "early" neutered kittens were also infantile however, the problems with separation of the balanoprepucial folds noted in earlier literature was not evident. The penis in each cat could be exteriorized indicating the balanoprepucial fold had separated.
• Behavior - Lethargy was not seen in any neutered group. The sexually intact cats showed greater aggression and fewer "demonstrations of affection.
There are several techniques for accomplishing general anesthesia in pediatric patients, but there are special considerations that should receive the attention of the anesthetist.
Surgery photo's
The patient is anesthetized and the fur is removed at the surgery site.
The incision is made through the skin of the lower abdomen and is deepened to the muscle wall.
The ovaries (1) and the body of the uterus (2) are exposed and vessels located.
When the vessels and body of the uterus are ligated the uterus is excised just below the forceps.
After the surgical area is examined thoroughly for any sign of bleeding the operative site is closed in layers. The peritoneum and abdominal muscles and subcutaneous tissues are closed. The skin sutures are in place and once healing has occured are removed in 8 to 12 days
The cat recovers in a warm cage
Birth control pills
There are birth control pills which can be used in cats, but they can have serious unwanted side effects such as the development of diabetes mellitus and uterine infections.
Advantages
The major advantages of having the surgery done are as follows:
• During the heat cycle there are numerous behavior problems that may develop. Females in heat will actively search out male cats and may attempt to escape from the house or yard, putting them in the danger of traffic, fights with other animals, etc. Often there is a sudden influx of male cats around the home and yard. The howling at 2 a.m. will affect your behavior as well as your cat's. In addition, unspayed females may spray urine when they are heat. This can be difficult to stop, and it is highly recommended that such cats are spayed as part of the treatment.
• The nuisance of the heat period is eliminated.
• The heartbreak associated with disposal of unwanted kittens or puppies is eliminated. Newspapers, radio, and television commonly feature articles about pet overpopulation. They stress the fact that too many kittens are produced every year and that there just are not enough potential owners to go around.
• The risks and stresses associated with repeated pregnancies is eliminated.
• The chances for mammary cancer are reduced. Mammary cancer is the third most common cancer in cats. Reproductive hormones are one of the primary causes of mammary cancer in the cat. Cats who have been spayed have a 40-60% lower risk of developing mammary cancer than those who have not been spayed.
• The possibility of uterine and ovarian disease in the older animal is eliminated. Unspayed cats may develop a severe uterine disease called pyometra. With this disorder, bacteria enter the uterus and it becomes filled with pus. The normal 6-inch long, thin horns of the uterus enlarge to 10 inches long and can become the diameter of a human thumb. Undetected, this condition is almost always fatal.
Summary
As can be seen from our discussion, an ovariohysterectomy eliminates many medical and behavioral problems. In fact, in many cats, an OHE probably adds years to their lives or at least provides them with a more comfortable, less stressful life. The OHE does its part in pet overpopulation, but you, as the owner of an individual cat, should also view it as a way to increase the length and quality of your pet's life with you.
FAQ:
• Should she have a litter before an ovariohysterectomy is performed?
No. It makes no difference in personality, disposition, or intelligence whether she has a litter or not.
• Will she become fat and lazy after the surgery?
No. Becoming fat and lazy are associated with caloric intake and inactivity. Watching what and how much you feed and keeping exercise levels up will go a long way in preventing obesity.
• How old should she be before the surgery is done?
She should be at least 5-6 months old. The surgery should be done prior to the first "heat" periods. To reduce risks, surgery should not be performed while she is in heat.
Neuter
Another term is castration. In this surgery the doctor makes an incision in front of the scrotum and through that incision accesses each testicle. The fibrous coverings of the testicles are incised and each testicle is removed after securely ligating the blood vessels that attach to each testicle. The benefits of having a cat neutered are well documented. And to simply do a vasectomy to render the male sterile would not alleviate the scent marking, desire to breed, territorial defense and other testosterone driven behaviors.
Castration may also be indicated for:
• Some behavior problems
• Certain types of prostate disease
• Tumors in the testicles
• Some metabolic disorders
• Other types of tumors, such as those affected by testosterone.
Surgery photos
The cat is anesthetized and placed on his side on the surgery table. The surgical area from the anus to below the scrotum is clipped free of fur. Then the area is scrubbed with antiseptic soap and an antiseptic solution is sprayed on the area. The scrotal skin is incised and the testicle is exposed. There is almost no bleeding during a cat neuter procedure. The testicle is pulled from the scrotum and the spermatic cord with its blood vessels is in view for the ligating procedure that prevents bleeding. After that an antibiotic is applied to the surgical area. The scrotal skin closes the incision itself so no skin sutures are needed. The cat goes home the same day and acts as if nothing ever happened!
