Inglis Vets's home page
Emergency 01383 722818
Inglis Vets Halbeath Road 01383 722818
Healthy Pets Hospital Hill 01383 734 380
Kirkcaldy 01592 321 234
Inverkeithing 01383 616131
Cowdenbeath 01383 510999
Alloa 01259 304444
Kinross Alphavet 01577 863328
Corstorphine 0131 334 4577
Polbeth 01506 242 444

Neutering

Find more info about the benefits of neutering

Neutering Your Dog

What happens when my dog is neutered?

Neutering is the common name for castration, this is the surgical removal of the testicles and is carried out under general anaesthetic. Usually a dog is admitted in the morning to the surgery and is taken home the same day. He will have several stitches which will be removed after approximately ten days.

This procedure can be carried out from 6 months of age onwards.

What are the main reasons for neutering?

There are many reasons to consider neutering, these include preventing unwanted puppies, accidental matings, behaviour problems and of course health reasons. We recommend neutering for several medical conditions including testicular tumours, enlargement of the prostate, anal tumours and cryptorchidism (retained testicles). Testes that have not descended into the scrotum by ten months of age are unlikely to do in the future, and are potentially prone to tumours in later years.

When should my dog be neutered?

This procedure can be carried out from 6 months of age onwards.

Will neutering cause my dog to put on weight?

This can be prevented and controlled with relative ease by reducing the number of calories your dog takes in and providing ample opportunities for exercise. Our vets and nurses can help with diet tips and advice.

Please bear in mind this is generalised advice and the recommendations for your pet may differ depending on species, age, breed and physical status.  Specific timings as well as risks/benefits should be discussed fully with your vet in advance of any decisions being made.

For further information on neutering or to book an appointment please get in touch with our team.

Neutering Your Cat

What happens when my cat is neutered?

Neutering is the common name for castration, this is the surgical removal of the testicles and is carried out under general anaesthetic. Usually your cat is admitted in the morning to the surgery and is taken home the same day. He will have several stitches which will be removed after approximately ten days.

When should my cat be neutered?

This procedure can be carried out from 6 months of age onwards.

What are the main reasons for neutering?

There are many reasons to consider neutering including preventing unwanted kittens, behaviour problems and of course health reasons. Neutering usually stops male cats marking their territory by spraying urine which can have a strong and offensive odour. Roaming tends to be reduced as the urge to seek out females in heat has been curtailed.

Neutered cats are generally more docile, affectionate and playful as you become the primary focus of their lives. The other great news is they have fewer medical problems, they eat less and live longer on average.

Please bear in mind this is generalised advice and the recommendations for your pet may differ depending on species, age, breed and physical status.  Specific timings as well as risks/benefits should be discussed fully with your vet in advance of any decisions being made.

For further information on neutering and to book an appointment please get in touch with our team

Spaying Your Dog

What happens when my dog is spayed? 

Spaying is the surgical removal of the ovaries and the uterus. It is a routine operation performed under general anaesthetic. Your dog would typically be admitted in the morning and be able to go home later the same day. 

What are the main reasons for spaying? 

The main advantage of spaying are: preventing unwanted pregnancies, preventing infection of the uterus (pyometra), preventing ovarian or uterus cancer and reducing the likelihood of mammary cancer. It also saves the inconvenience of having your dog in season with the unwanted attention of male dogs. 

When should spaying be done?

We recommend spaying when your dog is six months old and before the first season occurs.  If your dog has already had a season, we would suggest spaying three or four months after their last season. There may be specific circumstances where this timing is not appropriate, in such cases this is something that should be discussed with your vet. 

Please bear in mind this is generalised advice and the recommendations for your pet may differ depending on species, age, breed and physical status.  Specific timings as well as risks/benefits should be discussed fully with your vet in advance of any decisions being made.

For further information on spaying or to book an appointment please get in touch with our team.

Keyhole (Laparoscopic) Surgery

Here at Inglis Vets we are extremely proud to be able to offer Keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery. This service is available at our Halbeath Road Veterinary Hospital in Dunfermline.

Laparoscopic Ovariectomy

What is Keyhole (Laparoscopic) Surgery?

Keyhole (Laparoscopic) surgery is a minimally invasive surgery performed under general anaesthetic. Whereas a standard spay procedure involves creating a larger incision to enable the surgeon’s hands to enter the abdomen, the Keyhole surgery involves creating two smaller incisions (or ports). One incision is used for a tiny camera (called a laparoscope), which displays a magnified image on a monitor, giving a clear view of the abdomen. The other small incision is for long instruments that allow the surgeon to remove the dog’s ovaries.

After their operation

After the operation your dog will wake up from their anaesthetic under the care of a vet or vet nurse. Your dog will be looked after by our dedicated nursing team in a warm, comfortable kennel until they are ready to go home. With routine operations like neutering, your dog won’t routinely need to stay in overnight.

What are the advantages of Keyhole spaying?

  • Less pain post operation
  • Faster recovery time
  • Smaller wound
  • Minimally invasive

To ensure the area is sterile, it is necessary to clip an area of fur on both your dog’s sides and underneath the belly. Both of the small incisions are closed with stitches that are under the skin, so there is nothing for your dog to disturb. This means it may not be necessary for your dog to wear a plastic collar after the procedure.

Does my dog have to rest after the procedure?

We understand how tricky it can be to keep young dogs rested. After a keyhole spay the recuperation time tends to be shorter. We would usually restrict exercise for only 2-3 days post lap spay instead of 7-10 days for the traditional technique.

Post-operative check

After surgery it’s advisable to check the wounds daily for redness, pain, swelling, discharge, or unusually high temperatures. We will see your dog for a routine post-operative check at any of our clinics, 2-3 days post-surgery. Providing they are recovering well and the wound is healing nicely we can then advise that they can start to return to normal exercise. 

For any more advice on keyhole spaying please give us a call or visit our Veterinary Hospital. Our team will be happy to help answer any questions you have.

Spaying Your Cat

What happens when my cat is spayed?

Spaying is basically the surgical removal of both the ovaries and uterus of a female cat. This is a routine surgical operation performed under general anaesthesia, the cat is admitted in the morning and is normally able to go home later the same day.

Usually the procedure is performed through a small incision on the cat’s left side, however it may be performed on the cat’s stomach in certain circumstances. Sometimes the owners of pedigree or show cats ask to have the procedure performed on the stomach as there is a chance that the hair that is shaved for the operation may grow in a slightly different colour.

This may look a little strange, and it is perfectly normal but would not be ideal in the show ring. This procedure is referred to as a “midline” spay, there is a small additional charge for this as it takes us a little bit longer to perform and requires a few more materials.

When should my cat be spayed?

We recommend female cats are spayed at 5-6 months of age. If your cat has recently had kittens she can be spayed as soon as the kittens are weaned.

Why are the main reasons for female cats being spayed?

The main advantage of spaying are preventing unwanted pregnancies, preventing infection of the uterus (pyometra) and preventing ovarian or uterus cancer and reducing the likelihood of mammary cancer. It also saves the inconvenience of having to confine your cat inside when she is in season and avoiding the wailing that goes on at the same time!

Will spaying cause my cat to put on weight?

It is possible your cat will put on a little weight after spaying. Without the urge to go seeking a tomcat, every few weeks she will be a bit less active. Please take advantage of our free nurse clinics to discuss the best way to set a sensible diet plan.

Please bear in mind this is generalised advice and the recommendations for your pet may differ depending on species, age, breed and physical status.  Specific timings as well as risks/benefits should be discussed fully with your vet in advance of any decisions being made.

For further information on spaying or to book an appointment please get in touch with our team.

Aftercare

For your dog:

Wound care

After the operation, your dog may be tempted to lick their wound, however this can slow down healing and introduce infection. We have supplied you with a buster collar which should be worn at all times, although it can be removed for feeding. Please ensure they are supervised to ensure they do not lick or chew the wound. 

The wound should be checked on a daily basis for pain, swelling, or discharge (it is normal for the first 24hours to see a few drops of blood; if any more than this you should contact us for an appointment so we can check the wound). Check that the surgical site is healing well and there are no holes in the wound and that the sutures are holding.

Do not apply anything to the wound and the wound should not be cleaned unless advised to do so by a Veterinary nurse or Vet. A post op check should be booked with a Veterinary nurse 3-5 days after surgery, this is so we can check the wound is healing normally.

If external sutures are present these will be remove by the veterinary nurse between 10-14 days after surgery.

Exercise

For the first 24 hours, your dog should only be allowed out to the toilet and not walked, we advised that you use the lead in the garden to prevent running around.

After the first 2 days, you can take your dog on short lead walks, this should be continued for 7-10 days.

For the first week, extra care should be taken to prevent strain on the wound, this means that ideally your dog should be lifted in and out of the car, do not allow upstairs or on the sofa. (if difficult to keep off sofa you can lift them up and down). Care should be taken not to apply pressure to the wound when lifting.

Avoid muddy areas to keep the wound as clean as possible, and do not allow swimming. Do not book into the groomers or give a bath etc. until the wound is healed.

Feeding

Although your pet has been offered a small meal while in the hospital they can be offered another light meal tonight. This should be easily digestible such as cooked chicken and boiled rice or white fish. Alternatively, you can purchase a tin of Royal Canin Gastrointestinal food from reception. 

Normal appetite should return in 24-48 hours so can be offered their normal diet the day after surgery. 


For your cat: 

Wound care

Licking can slow down wound healing and introduce infection, which is why we supply you with a buster collar to prevent your pet interfering with their wound. This should be worn at all times although it can be removed for feeding, but your cat should be supervised to ensure they do not lick or chew the wound.

The wound should be checked daily for pain, swelling, or discharge; it is normal for the first 24hours to see a few drops of blood but if there’s more than this you should contact us. You should check that the surgical site is healing well and that there are no holes in the wound and that the sutures are holding.

Do not apply anything to the wound and it shouldn’t be cleaned unless advised to do so by a vet or veterinary nurse.

A post op check should be booked with a veterinary nurse around 3-5 days after the surgery, this is so we can check the wound is healing as it should.

Exercise

For the first week, extra care should be taken to prevent strain on the wound. It can be difficult to prevent cats from climbing or jumping so confining them to one room with little or no chance to jump onto high surfaces will help to avoid strain on the wound.

Please do not allow your cat to go outdoors for two weeks, this allows the wound to heal fully and prevent any infection or opening the wound up through jumping or fighting.

Medication

Your pet will have had an anti-inflammatory pain relieving injection during their surgery which will last for 24 hours.

We have supplied Meticam for you to administer at home, please start this the next day as instructed at discharge. This is a liquid pain relief which should be given on a full stomach - you can put it into food or wait until they have eaten then syringe it into their mouth.

To administer use the syringe supplied, this syringe is dose per kg and you should only use the syringe provided. Meticam should only be given once a day and the doses should not be split. If your pet starts to vomit or has diarrhoea then please stop using the Meticam and call us for advice.

Feeding

Although your pet has been offered a small meal while in the hospital they can be offered another light meal tonight. This should be easily digestible such as cooked chicken and or white fish. Alternatively, you can purchase a tin of Royal Canin Gastrointestinal food from reception.

Normal appetite should return in 24-48 hours so they can be offered their normal diet the day after surgery.

Once fully recovered reduce your pet’s daily amount of food by approximately 1/4. Their metabolism will start to slow down and reducing food intake will help prevent obesity.