When it comes to being a new pet parent, the decision to spay or neuter your pet—and when—is one of the most important that you can make. If you’ve just brought home a new puppy or kitten that hasn’t been sterilized yet, how can you know when the right time is?
Animal Humane Society recommends all pets be sterilized. To learn about what to consider when determining when to spay or neuter your pet and what the pros and cons are to sterilizing animals at different ages, we talked with Dr. Graham Brayshaw, DVM, Director of Veterinary Medicine at Animal Humane Society.
Pet sterilization reduces animal overpopulation
Perhaps you're familiar with Bob Barker's famous sign off on The Price is Right: "Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered."
In Minnesota, we still have many stray cats, while our stray dog population is declining. In other areas of the country, and the world, there are many stray cats and dogs. High numbers of stray animals in the community challenges capacity at animal shelters and rescues and can lead to having to euthanize animals due to space constraints.
To do our part to address pet overpopulation in our community, AHS sterilizes the animals in our care starting at 6-8 weeks old to ensure every animal is spayed or neutered prior to adoption.
“At Animal Humane Society, our focus is to care for individual animals, while also addressing larger community issues in animal welfare, like pet overpopulation,” says Dr. Graham. “That’s why we sterilize every animal before they’re made available for adoption, regardless of if they’re puppies, kittens, or full-grown adults."
A variety of factors to consider
The decision of whether to spay or neuter your pet is a personal one and may be influenced by a whole host of factors, including:
- Your and your pet’s lifestyle: Do you love visiting the dog park or being social with other pets? Have you always wanted to welcome a litter of puppies or kittens into your home?
- Your pet’s breed: Is your pet a purebred or a mix of breeds?
- Environmental factors: Do you live in an area with a lot of other pets who may not be sterilized? Could your pet easily escape your house or yard?
- Cultural or societal beliefs: Different areas of the world, and even different parts of the United States, have varying norms around spaying and neutering pets. Where you were raised or where your family lives may influence your approach.
When's the right time to spay or neuter your pet?
You've decided to spay or neuter your pet, but do you knowwhenthey should have the surgery? There are both medical and behavioral considerations that may influence your decision.
Dogs
What age to sterilize your pet
Dogs:
- Females: A dog’s first heat cycle is generally between seven and 10 months of age. To reduce the risk of mammary cancer or pyometra as much as possible, spay your dog before they’re seven months old. If you decide to breed your dog and have one litter of puppies, spaying is still recommended after they birth their first litter to reduce their risks.
- Males: The health risks for intact males typically don’t develop until later in life, so while you can wait to neuter your male dog at an older age than a female, it’s still recommended to neuter your dog at a younger age.
Cats:
- Females: Any time before their first heat cycle, generally before seven to 10 months of age. Scheduling their spay surgery for the same time as their last round of vaccines at four months of age is a great rule of thumb. If you decide to have a litter of kittens, spaying is still recommended after they birth their first litter to reduce their risks.
- Males: Any time before seven to 10 months of age. Scheduling their neuter surgery for the same time as their last round of vaccines at four months of age is a great rule of thumb.
While the information above provides general guidance, Dr. Graham says, “Spay and neuter decisions are best discussed with your veterinarian. They can discuss with you the different factors and risks specific to your pet’s situation and advise you on the best approach.”
Whether you decide to sterilize your pet right away or wait until they’re a little older, ultimately getting them sterilized will help reduce the risk of health complications and avoid unplanned breeding.
