Pet Desexing in Melbourne
Take an important step in your pet’s health journey.
What is pet desexing?
Pet desexing, also known as castration for males and speying for females, is a surgical procedure under general anaesthetic to prevent reproduction.
Dog & cat desexing services
Desexing is recommended for your pet’s ongoing health and wellbeing, and our surgeons and nurses prioritise your pet’s care every step of the way.
Males
The castration procedure involves removal of the testicles under general anaesthetic. It may take up to 8 weeks for hormone levels to decrease after surgery and they may be able to reproduce during this time so care should be taken to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Females
The spaying procedure involves the removal of the uterus and ovaries through an abdominal incision under general anaesthetic. Dogs cannot become pregnant after the surgery although it may take several weeks for hormone levels to decrease.
The benefits of pet desexing
Desexing your pet can significantly reduce or prevent certain serious medical conditions and unwanted behavioural issues. The longer a pet remains undesexed, the higher the risk of developing these problems.
Dogs
Male dogs
- Eliminates the risk of testicular tumours
- Reduces the risk of perianal tumours
- Reduces the risk of prostatic diseases
- Can reduce unwanted sexual behaviours
- Reduce the urge to wander
- Reduces urine marking in inappropriate areas
Female dogs
- Eliminates the of ovarian and uterine tumours
- Eliminates the risk of Pyometra
- Significantly reduces the risk of mammary cancer
- Prevents unwanted pregnancy
Cats
Male cats
- Reduces risk of prostate disease
- Reduces unpleasant urine odour and the urge to spray
- Reduces the risk of prostatic diseases
- Reduce the urge to roam and defend territory
Female cats
- Reduces the risk of mammary tumours
- Eliminate the risk of Pyometra
- Prevents unwanted pregnancy
What happens on the day of the procedure?
- Bring your pet to the clinic between 8-9 am for admission with a nurse.
- Your pet must fast before surgery; detailed instructions will be emailed beforehand.
- Discuss any questions or special requests during admission and confirm the best contact number.
- We’ll call once your pet is in recovery to arrange their discharge appointment.
- At discharge, we’ll review post-op care and medications with you.
- Pets are usually quiet and restful after surgery; provide a calm, comfortable recovery space.
- Most pets return to normal by the next morning.
- Contact the clinic anytime if you have concerns.
FAQs
There are many factors to take into consideration when planning the best age for desexing your pet and a discussion with your veterinarian can help you make an informed decision.
Considerations for dogs include breed, health status, preventing unwanted pregnancy and behavioural concerns.
Cats can be desexed from 4-6 months of age. Female kittens can become pregnant when they are as young as 4 months of age so owners need to be aware and ensure that no undesexed males are in contact.
Desexing prices for your pet are listed on our website and for the majority of our patients this is a fixed cost although there are cases where patients will incur additional charges.
Some of the reasons for these surcharges are:
- Umbilical hernia repair
- Dew claw removal
- Removal of retained deciduous teeth
- Cryptorchid
- Mature age
- Pregnancy
- In season surcharge
We are always happy to provide an estimate before surgery for any additional costs.
We make every effort to ensure your pet is comfortable and pain-free after surgery.
Several types of pain relief are used during the procedure and post-operatively to ensure their pain is at an absolute minimum.
Pain relief strategies include opioid injections, local anaesthetic injections, anti-inflammatory medications and other oral pain relief medications.
Keeping your pet rested will also minimise their discomfort.
If you feel your pet is in pain after their operation, please let us know straight away so we can help.
As with any surgery there are small risks associated with anaesthetic and recovery, but complications are rare.
With modern drugs, extensive knowledge, and advanced monitoring techniques, the risks associated with anaesthesia are now very low, even for older pets.
We will discuss with you the aftercare requirements for your pet and offer free post operative checks and if you have any concerns we can book a consultation.
The recovery time after desexing is 10-14 days. At your discharge appointment you will be given aftercare instructions tailored to your pets procedure, which will include:
- Restricted exercise
- Monitoring the surgery site for any abnormalities
- Keeping the area clean and dry
- Preventing licking of the area which can cause wound breakdown.
If you are concerned about the aftercare for your pet please contact the team and we can help you make a plan to ensure a smooth recovery.
A healthier tomorrow
Help your pet live a longer, healthier, and happier life. Our experienced Melbourne team is here to make the process easy and stress-free for both you and your pet.
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