Lakeview Veterinary Clinic, LLC

If you do not plan to breed your pet, we recommend that you schedule your pet's ovariohysterectomy (spay) or orchectomy (neuter) at six months old. 

For your female pets, this is before their first heat cycle. Veterinarians used to think it was beneficial to have dogs or cats have one heat cycle or to have one litter before performing the ovariohysterectomy.  However it's been determined that if the ovariohysterectomy is performed before their first cycle it can greatly reduce the chance of mammary tumors later in life. If you schedule the procedure later, you still diminish the risk of various cancers in your pet, so don't hesitate to schedule just because your pet has already had multiple cycles. 

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For your male pets, the timing is less important. If you have a bigger dog, you may choose to wait until the puppy is closer to a year so that the dog will get bigger. However, both dogs and cats, if left intact, will have a greater tendency to roam, seek fights, and mark territory. Once these behaviors have become established, they are difficult to correct. In addition, neutering your pet will eliminate the possibility of testicular cancers and greatly reduce the risk of perianal tumors in dogs and prostate problems in both species.