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Neutering of cats and dogs
What's the issue?
Neutering is the best way to prevent unwanted pregnancies, in both cats and dogs. But some owners may be anxious about making this decision on behalf of their pets. They may be concerned about possible behaviour changes, weight gain, or other health issues in their pet.
Even those owners who are convinced of the benefits of neutering may be unsure about the best time for their pets to have the surgery. There are also more options for different types of surgery and some medical options.
What's our view?
Neutering is not a trivial procedure but the benefits outweigh the welfare implications in many cases. Neutering should always be performed with adequate anaesthesia, and pain relief should be given to an animal pre- and post-operatively.
We strongly support the practice of neutering cats and dogs to prevent the birth of unwanted kittens and puppies, which can increase the stray population as well as impacting the health and welfare of the mother. Neutering can also prevent or reduce the instance of various health conditions associated with the uterus, ovaries or testicles. However, there is evidence that it may increase the risk for other health conditions, particularly in some breeds of dog.
We recommend that cats are neutered at around 16 weeks due to the difficulties of preventing unwanted breeding.
We recommend that female dogs are neutered in most cases due to the impacts of unwanted litters noted above. The case for neutering male dogs is more complicated and should be considered on a case-by-case basis.
For both male and female dogs, we recommend the procedure is not carried out until the animal has reached maturity as the loss of hormones can have an impact on musculo-skeletal development. Skeletal maturity is reached between 12 and 23 months, depending on the breed, with larger breeds maturing later.
Neutering of cats and dogs policy statement
Neutering of cats and dogs executive summary
Get involved
Contact our policy team for more information.
Cats Protection
Cats Protection have a searchable register of veterinary practices which neuter cats up to or at around 4 months of age. For more information or to add your veterinary practice to the register, please visit the kitten neutering database.
The Cat Group
You can learn more about cat neutering and find resources to support best practice from The Cat Group.
The Cat Group is made up of BVA, BSAVA and various cat organisations including Cats Protection, which has a number of resources regarding early neutering advice for veterinary practices.
FAQs
Yes in most cases, unless there is a compelling clinical or contextual reason not to neuter.
There is limited research into the impacts of neutering (or not) on cats, possibly because most owned cats can roam freely allowing uncontrolled mating and so they are neutered as a matter of course, potentially making it difficult to find a comparable sample of intact cats.
BVA and BSAVA recommend neutering of cats, to support health, to reduce unwanted litters needing homes, and also to limit behaviours such as straying and urine marking. This is in line with the policy of the main welfare charities.
At around 16 weeks for both sexes. There is limited objective evidence, but at the moment there seems to be a consensus around 16 weeks to align with sexual maturity.
On balance we recommend neutering of female dogs provided risk factors are taken into account. The health and welfare impacts of pregnancy and whelping, and the risks of ovarian and uterine tumours, pyometra, and false pregnancy would generally outweigh the health and welfare risks of neutering. However any significant risk factors for the breed should be taken into account.
For male dogs neutering very much depends on breed, lifestyle and other contextual factors. The picture is complex, with multiple studies looking at one breed or one health risk, and there seems to be no clear consensus
This study is one of the more comprehensive evidence bases, considering medical conditions in relation to neutering in 35 common dog breeds but it should be read alongside other research.
The presence of gonadal hormones during skeletal development appears to have a significant impact on the risk of developing orthopaedic or debilitating joint disorders. Therefore BVA and BSAVA recommend neutering after skeletal maturity has been reached – generally between 12 and 23 months. Larger breeds take longer to mature.
Early neutering (before 6 months) is associated with increased risk of developing orthopaedic conditions, and a potential increase in urinary incontinence in female dogs.
There is no known benefit to breeding from a female dog prior to neutering.
Neutering older female dogs after breeding is beneficial in reducing the risk of pyometra and certain tumours.
- Age
- Breed/size
- The reasons for neutering (unwanted breeding, health benefits, behaviour)
- The lifestyle of the animal and owner
- Other context (charity, stray, multi pet household, breed specific legislation)
- Overall impacts on life expectancy and disease risk, including those influenced by weight gain (balance of positive and negative effects)
It is less practical as a permanent solution, as to remain effective the implant must be renewed every 6-12 months, representing an ongoing time, medical and financial commitment for the owner.
It can be helpful as temporary alternative, for example if a dog cannot practically be kept apart from an intact female in the household until he is old enough for surgical neutering.
It should noted that, although generally reversible, there are cases where fertility does not fully recover and this should be considered if future breeding is important to the owner.
There is as yet limited evidence of the impact of deslorelin on testosterone-related diseases, a known benefit of surgical neutering.
It is also not always a reliable indicator of the behavioural impact of surgical neutering, and may provoke a short-lived “flare-up” phase where the hormonal impact of the implant causes in increase in sexual behaviour or aggression towards other male dogs.
The choice of surgical spay (financial implications aside) will depend on the reason for neutering, surgical risk factors, and the operating vet’s experience and surgical equipment
Laparoscopic surgery can reduce surgical risks if an animal is higher risk for anaesthetic e.g. brachycephalics. It can also reduce recovery time.
There is some evidence that continued exposure to gonadal hormones through ovary-sparing spays may be beneficial in reducing the risk of musculo-skeletal conditions developing later in life. However this does leave the risk of stump pyometra, ovarian conditions and the continued unwanted attention of intact males.
It is important to make sure you are specific with the owner about which type of surgical spay you intend to perform at the time of obtaining consent. “Spay” is a catch-all term, and can be assumed by the public to mean ovariohysterectomy.
These are not commonly performed in the UK, but are an alternative to neutering if the main rationale is to prevent breeding only whilst retaining related hormonal activity.
There is some evidence that leaving the gonads intact, allowing continued exposure to gonadal hormones, is beneficial in reducing the risk of some orthopaedic and neoplastic conditions.
Conversely, removal of the gonads potentially eliminates the risk of ovarian/testicular cancers and other associated conditions.
In most cases there is no strong argument for choosing these over a castration/spay, but it may be warranted in some circumstances.
Not necessarily. This has previously been held to be true, but there is evidence that castration can exacerbate fear-based aggression. We recommend an assessment from a registered behaviourist before proceeding if behaviour is a key factor in neutering.
Medical neutering may also be an alternative, but when newly implanted, it can cause a transitory flare-up phase manifesting as an increase in sexual behaviour and aggression towards other male dogs. Using it as a “dry-run” is not a reliable indicator of the behavioural impact of surgical neutering.
- Why the owner does, or does not, want to neuter and whether they have any wish to breed from their animal.
- The practicalities of managing an unneutered animal when in heat and when around other intact animals
- The impact of an unexpected litter for the owner, the pet and the new kittens/puppies.
- The potential health impacts for the animal if it is or is not neutered
- The available medical and surgical methods, the pros and cons of each, recovery/aftercare or ongoing care or maintenance/commitment where applicable and associated costs.
- For spays in particular, be specific about which organs within the reproductive tract will be removed to ensure client expectations are clear.