Love and other drugs...
Love is certainly in the air and it isn’t reserved just for humans –our resident vet Geraint Jones tells us that even our pets are getting in the mood!
When I casually asked my parents if they might suggest anything I could write about in February’s Bay magazine, they suggested I write about hibernating pond fish and how to keep dogs and cats warm in the winter... In all fairness they are retired teachers, and I can normally rely on them to dish out some good advice or life experience, but surely goldfish have enough on their plate just trying to remember where they live... and well for dogs and cats, fur is always in fashion?
Pets in February, just like their owners, are probably just relieved that January has ended. With February comes the promise of spring, more walks, more wildlife to terrorise, the anticipation of an E-card from their owner on the 14th , six nation’s rugby, and a chance to get on top of their S.A.D... or am I anthropomorphising too much?
Love is always high on the agenda in February. However, in terms of reproduction, pets, unlike humans, don’t waste time obsessing about “the one”. Half the time they are not really fussy about which breed, species or even if their target is a sibling or close family members (no jokes here...). This is why as vets we recommend if you’re not going to breed from them, get them neutered. The following article will hopefully give you a précis on the important question of whether “to spay or not to spay” and some other reproductive issues that your pet may face.
To spay (also-loosely- known in some circles, as having your female cat/dog “spayd-ed”, “spade”, “cut”) all refer to ovario-hysterectomy. Neutering tends to be the bread and butter of most veterinary surgery in general practice. We do also spay rabbits, ferrets, and guinea pigs. One of our exotic vets has also spayed an iguana, in fact, not to be too cocky, if it moves, and it’s an animal, we can probably spay it... Neutering in cats and dogs like other species involves a general anaesthetic and the removal of the ovaries (which produce the female hormones), and the womb at the level of the cervix. I am always amazed at how quickly dogs and cats recover after fairly major surgery. Humans take weeks to recover from the same procedure but animals, tend to walk out of the practice the same day.
When to spay your dog is always a contentious issue with owners (and even some vets). In cats it’s a little clearer cut. Female cats (or queens) tend to become reproductively mature at around 6 months of age. Increasing day length during spring is usually the stimulus to come into season or to start “calling”. The first that owners tend to notice is that their cat starts becoming overly amorous. For a female cat this means rubbing, rolling, making an awful noise and lifting their back end to expose their nether regions to anyone with a passing interest. Owners of female cats in season, also tend to be plagued by feral male cats that have obviously heard on the feline tannoy that the pussy in number 5, with the “GSOH” is blatantly up for it... (I digress). We tend to spay cats, (which from spring onwards morph into breeding machines with legs), at the earliest opportunity -usually from six months.
Female dogs tend to become reproductively mature on average at a similar time to cats, usually at 6 months. Unlike cats which have a number of periods of “heat” within the breeding season, bitches usually have only one “heat” on average every six months. A “heat” or “oestrous” period usually lasts for 9-10 days, and is usually preceded by a period of blood shedding. As a practice we tend to advise that if possible owners should have their dog spayed three months after the first season, and before her second season.
There is a school of thought that exposing the female reproductive tract to female hormones ensures that it develops properly. It is also thought to reduce the incidence of urinary incontinence in later life. However, allowing the bitch to have any more than one season does significantly increase the risk of her developing mammary cancers, around 50% of which in dogs tend to be malignant.
If you get your dog spayed you are also preventing her from contracting pyometra- a life threatening infection of the womb, eliminating the risk of pregnancy and unwanted puppies, the inconvenience of turning your champagne coloured leather sofa into “rosé”. It also takes away the stress of having to beat away any hot blooded male dog within a two mile radius with a stick every six months.
Some owners like to recite the old rhetoric that allowing their bitch to have one litter will make them more complete or a better dog. This isn’t really true either. One of the main disadvantages of neutering is that the female dog may have a propensity to put on weight. This isn’t really an issue though. Cutting back portions, avoiding some treats, and regular exercise will more than act as a deterrent to keep the weight off!
I appreciate this article has only covered part one of quite a big topic. Hopefully we’ll pick up the thread in a future issue. In all seriousness, if you have any concerns relating to neutering your animals please get in touch with your vet, or phone 01792 205000 for more advice.
Geraint Jones 2012
