What is the Timeline for Spaying or Neutering Your Pet? 

It is now common practice to spay or neuter your pet for a variety of medical reasons and health benefits. Veterinary hospitals and clinics can perform the routine surgery and have your pet home in a matter of hours. Many pet owners wonder when is the best time to have the surgery done on their cat or dog? While it can range per breed or species, there are common age ranges for both animals:

Dogs

Most small-to-medium dog breeds should be spayed or neutered within 6-9 months of age, with some as soon as 8 weeks old. However, larger dog breeds could be spayed or neutered between 9-15 months of age depending on their growth cycle. Your veterinarian can help pinpoint an exact timeline that is best for your pet. 

Cats 

The ideal age-range for felines to be spayed or neutered begins as early as 8 weeks old, up until about 5 months of age—or until the female’s first heat cycle. The “Fix Felines by Five” initiative has been supported by the AAHA and the statistics indicate spaying a cat by this age greatly reduces their risks for mammary cancers.

What are the Benefits?

There are many medical and behavioral benefits to spaying or neutering your pet:

Females 

• Increases life span – Spaying helps to prevent uterine infections and tumors which are cancerous in 50% of dogs and 90% of cats. Performing this surgery before the female’s first heat cycle provides the best protection. 
• Females will not go into heat – Females in heat tend to howl and urinate more frequently. This happens for about 3-5 days every three weeks during the breeding season. Once spayed, the heat cycle stops. 
• Prevents forms of cancer – Mammary cancers are common and typically terminal in female cats & dogs. Having your pet spayed drastically cuts their chances of these cancers from organizing. 

Males

• Prevents forms of cancer – Just like their female counterparts, having your male cat or dog neutered will help prevent testicular cancers and prostate problems later in life.
• Neutered males are better behaved – Male dogs who are neutered are shown to mount other dogs and inanimate objects less, have fewer urges to spray or mark their territory, and if done early enough have shown to curb some aggression issues. 
• Male dogs are less likely to roam away from home – An unneutered male is programmed to find a mate at all costs—including roaming away from home which can cause a multitude of issues. Neutered pets do not have those desires and tend to stay close to home. 

In addition to the benefits outlined above, spaying or neutering your animal at an early age can help control the pet population. The ASPCA states, that millions of healthy dogs and cats are euthanized every year—having a veterinarian clinic or hospital perform this routine surgery can drastically cut down on those alarming numbers.