Pet Spay & Neuter in Chicago, IL

Spaying and Neutering

Each year, millions of dogs and cats are euthanized simply because there are not enough homes for all of them. You can help control the pet homelessness crisis by spaying and neutering your pet, as these surgeries are the most effective way to control pet overpopulation.

Spaying and neutering prevent unwanted litters, help protect against some serious health problems, and help reduce certain behavioral problems. Here at Mid North Animal Hospital, we recommend this procedure for the majority, if not all, of our patients. During your puppy or kitten appointments, our veterinarians discuss the spay and neuter surgery in more detail.

Medical Benefits

Not only does spaying and neutering prevent pet pregnancies, but it also helps your pet live a longer, healthier life! Spaying and neutering can prevent mammary tumors and uterine cancer in females and testicular tumors and enlarged prostates in males. It is also highly cost-effective as the cost of the spay/neuter surgery is far less than the cost of having and caring for a litter or the cost of managing and treating cancer.

Behavioral Benefits

Spayed female cats and dogs will not go into heat. During their heat cycles, cats yowl and urinate more frequently to advertise to mates. Female dogs actively bleed during their heat cycles which creates a big mess in your house. An intact pet will do just about anything to find a mate, including running away from home. Intact male pets are also more territorial and mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over your home. Intact males can also be more aggressive due to hormone levels. Neutering reduces these hormones and helps reduce the likelihood of aggressive outbreaks as well as reduces mounting/humping behaviors.

When to Spay or Neuter Your Pets

We understand that all pets are different and that pets are ready to be spayed or neutered at different ages. We typically recommend that cats and dogs are spayed and neutered between six to eight months of age, but breed and size play a role in our decision making. During your puppy or kitten vaccination appointments, our veterinarians will discuss the best timing for your pet’s spay or neuter surgery. We understand that surgery can be scary and stressful for you and your pet, and our veterinarians and staff are here to help you every step of the way!

What Sets Our Neuter and Spay Procedures Apart From Others?

At Mid North Animal Hospital, pet safety is always our top priority. We perform pre-anesthetic blood testing, a pre-anesthetic electrocardiogram, and a pre-anesthetic physical assessment on every pet prior to the procedure. Every pet receives either IV or subcutaneous hydrating fluids during the procedure, which assists in maintaining vital organ function and blood pressure during anesthesia. We place each patient on an anesthetic monitor throughout the procedure. Each pet receives a premedication combination that is individually tailored to their needs and we use the safest and most rapidly cleared anesthetics. All pets receive pain management before, during, and after the procedure.

We follow the American Animal Hospital Association’s guidelines for all our surgeries. This means the surgery is performed in our sterile surgical suite with full sterile technique, including a sterile pack and drapes, gown and gloves, and cap and mask worn throughout the procedure. We perform all our surgeries with the surgical laser, which decreases pain, swelling, and bleeding while speeding recovery time. Finally, all of our procedures receive a post-operative therapy laser session which also decreases pain and speeds recovery time.

A Few Things to Remember

Spaying and neutering are not a quick fix for all behavior problems. Spaying and neutering will not help reduce learned or habitual behaviors. Spaying and neutering does not cause your pet to gain weight nor does it affect their intelligence or desire to run and play.

Contact us today to schedule your pet’s spay or neuter surgery!