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the crown st veterinary hospital building

Registered small animal veterinary hospital
Located on the corner of Crown and Gilmore Streets, plenty of parking on Gilmore street.
Afterhours emergency vet service, phone 02 42283777 and follow the directions
Convenient hours 8am until 7pm weekdays, 8am until 6pm Saturdays, 9am until 1pm Sundays and some public holidays. Please phone for an appointment.
Cat boarding facility, best to book early!
Boarding for small dogs, rabbits, rats, birds, etc.
Saturday morning hydrobath dog wash 8:30am until 12pm. No appointments necessary.

The advantages of desexing dogs

Desexing removes the sexual urge from both dogs and bitches. Temporary or semi-permanent control can be effected by the use of certain drugs, however surgical desexing is permanent.

What are the advantages?

If you do not intend to breed from your dog surgical desexing has undoubted advantages both in the male and the female. In the male dog it removes the sexual urge so that if the dog gets the scent of a bitch in oestrus he is unlikely to show any interest which in certain breeds can be an undoubted advantage. Desexing the bitch prevents oestrous as well as breeding. She will not come into heat and therefore will not have to be confined and deprived of her usual exercise and companionship while on heat. This would otherwise occur about twice a year and lasts at least 3 weeks each time.

Owners are often tempted to have at least one litter from a bitch. There appears to be a general misconception that having a litter will improve temperament. There is no scientific evidence to support this theory whereas it has been proven that neutering in the bitch not only obviously prevents subsequent and not uncommon diseases of the uterus but also reduces the possibility of breast cancer.

Once desexed the bitch will have no oestrus and will not have unwanted puppies or phantom pregnancies which in some bitches causes as lot of distress.

Disadvantages

It is a common fallacy that a desexed dog will become fat and lazy. Remember that all service animals- Guide Dogs, Hearing Dogs and Dogs for the Disabled are routinely desexed. Judicious feeding of a scientifically prepared complete diet without excessive titbits should adequately control any problems of obesity, just as it does in the entire animal.

Another common fallacy is that the desexed dog loses character. Admittedly desexing is often carried out, both in dogs and bitches, for certain behavioural abnormalities and often dogs will become more gentle but they lose neither their spirit nor their intelligence and provided they are not allowed to become obese are just as active as the entire counterpart.

Thus there are many advantages and few disadvantages to having your dog desexed.

Both dogs and bitches are usually desexed between 6-12 months of age although the operation can be carried out at any time. Your veterinary surgeon will be more than happy to discuss the details with you.