MILAN, Ill. — Thank goodness humans don't have to go through this procedure!
The process of getting your pet spayed or neutered drastically lessens their chances of contracting life-threatening diseases such as testicular cancer and feline leukemia.
The Quad City Animal Welfare Center in Milan, Illinois conducts roughly 400 surgeries a month. It's a quick day procedure that Veterinarian student Nikki Smith says helps prevent severe complications.
"They (can) get prostate enlargement," Smith explained. "So that kind of encompasses the urethra which is the tube you pee out of. And as it enlarges, it actually kind of pinches the urethra, and then you can't pee."
Removing the reproductive organs not only keeps that animal healthy, but helps combat over-population which the clinic says is a nationwide issue.
The differences between spay and neutering:
A spay refers to a procedure done on a female dog or cat, while a neuter is done on a male.
The neuter is an easier procedure because the surgeon doesn't go into the abdomen. They simply cut a cord that attaches the testicles to the animal, and tie off the spot.
For a spay, they have to go inside the abdomen and remove the urethra from the animal. This area has multiple blood vessels going through the entire female reproductive system, so surgeons have to be extremely careful in making sure blood doesn't lead out.
Post-surgery process:
Once the surgery is over, the vet will monitor the animal's vitals to make sure they are breathing and swallowing properly. For the next three to five days, the vet will continually monitor the animal to make sure there is no redness or puss and that the incision has remained closed. After two full weeks, the skin and sutures will dissolve and the animal will be healed completely.
All animals receive a tiny tattoo of green dye once their surgery is over so everyone knows they have been spayed or neutered.
I am happy to report that the one-year-old golden doodle Jasper who received surgery today is doing well, and will be ready to be adopted in two to three days!
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