Spays and Neuters in Naples, FL

We perform ovariohysterectomy (spay) and castration (neuter) on dogs and cats. We recommend surgical sterilization in our dogs when the males have completed puberty and the females have had one to two estrous cycles. Waiting is more important in our medium, large and giant breed dogs compared to our toy and small breed dogs. Studies have shown that we can reduce the rate of cruciate injuries within the knee, the development of hypothyroidism, and reduce the risk of urinary incontinence by waiting to sterilize. That said, there is a mild increase in the risk of developing breast cancer by waiting to spay your female dog until after puberty. Current research suggests that the formation of cancer in breast tissue is not only a function of continued hormone exposure but also genetics. There are some studies that suggest that spaying or neutering before puberty may make your pet more prone to certain types of cancer like prostatic adenocarcinoma in our male dogs.

Some recent studies have suggested the use of gonad sparing surgery where an ovary is intentionally left and the entire reproductive tract is removed (including cervix). In males, the ductus deferens is cut and sealed to prevent sperm from getting into the ejaculate. Sparing the gonad means your pet will still have sexual behaviors (roaming, territorial, mounting, urine marking). Males will still want to breed females and females will still cycle and accept a male even though she has no uterus to maintain a pregnancy.

Sparing the gonad requires more monitoring by the owner. If your male dog develops prostate enlargement later in life, he will need to be neutered or stay on expensive medication to keep the prostate small. If your female dog develops any mammary mass, she will require a second abdominal surgery to remove the ovary and removal of the mammary mass. When and what type of surgery is an important and often difficult decision for owners. But whatever decision you make for your pet, we can review the pros and cons of each option to help you make the best informed choice for your dog.

Interestingly, neutering cats before five months of age, has shown to reduce the risk of urine spraying and marking in our male cats. Spaying female cats can be done any time after they are over two pounds and greater than eight weeks of age. There is no current data regarding gonad sparing surgeries for indoor cats.

We are fortunate to have Dr. Deirdre Carver-Raffa perform our spay and neuter surgeries. Dr. Carver-Raffa not only has been practicing veterinary medicine since 1993, but she spent a week at the prestigious ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance Clinic in Asheville, North Carolina learning advanced surgical techniques for safer and more efficient sterilization surgeries. Dr. Carver-Raffa performed more than 8,000 spay and neuter surgeries at local rescue and animal control centers over a three year period with less than a 1% complication rate.