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Mon–Fri: 7:30AM–7PM
Sat: 8AM – 5PM
Sun: Closed

425-432-9975
23714 222nd Place SE, Ste L,
Maple Valley, WA 98038

Spay And Neuter

At Wilderness Animal Hospital, we recommend female dogs and cats are spayed at 6 months of age, male cats are neutered at 6 months of age, and male dogs are neutered at 9-12 months of age, depending on the breed. We will sometimes spay or neuter prior to 6 months of age, if medically or behaviorally necessary. When your pet has initial vaccination with us, we will send you a postcard reminder for surgical sterilization when your pet reaches the appropriate age.

What are spaying and neutering? Female pets have ovariohysterectomy, where their ovaries and uterus are removed which is called spaying. Male pets have their testicles removed which is called castration or neutering. Spaying and neutering have long-term advantages for your pet including benefiting their health, behavior, and helping with overpopulation.

When your pet is ready for their spay or neuter surgery, this is what will take place:

  • All pets are given a pre-surgical exam by a veterinarian to evaluate their health for anesthesia and develop an anesthetic protocol appropriate for each pet.
  • All pets are given general anesthesia, using the most current anesthetic protocols.  Anesthesia is administered by a licensed veterinary technician.
  • All pets are closely monitored during the procedure, using state-of-the-art monitors.  We monitor temperature, oxygen level, blood pressure, ECG, and carbon dioxide level.  A trained assistant monitors your pet during the entire procedure.
  • All pets are actively kept warm during and after the surgery.
  • All pets are given an injection of pain medication at the time of surgery.
  • All spays have intravenous catheters during the procedure, to facilitate maintaining blood pressure and to induce anesthesia.  This is optional but recommended for dog neuters.
  • All surgical patients are recovered by trained personnel and closely monitored post-operatively in the treatment room.
  • When comparing our clinic to other clinics, make sure you are comparing like services. Lower-cost procedures may skip some steps and have lesser trained staff that may put your pet at risk.