Spay and neuter in Spokane for dogs and cats

Spay and neuter surgery at Glenrose, in Spokane on the South Hill, is a routine procedure for dogs and cats, with pain control included and a phone call before your pet goes home. Dr. Owen Marsh, who has a special interest in surgery, does most of them. Spaying removes a female's ovaries and usually the uterus; neutering removes a male's testicles. Both are done under general anesthesia.

Why spay or neuter

The plain reasons: no unplanned litters, no heat cycles, and lower risk of some cancers and infections later in life. For some males it also takes the edge off roaming and marking. The AVMA has a balanced overview of spaying and neutering if you want the longer version. The ASPCA answers the common spay and neuter questions too.

Timing depends on your pet

Cats are usually spayed or neutered young. Dogs are less simple. For large and giant breeds, waiting can be better for joints, and the right age is a real conversation about breed, size and how your dog lives. We have it at a puppy or kitten visit, not as a default date on a form.

How surgery day runs

1. Before the day. A checkup, a written estimate, and fasting instructions. We talk through whether bloodwork before anesthesia makes sense for your pet.
2. Drop-off in the morning. The doctor checks your pet again and answers anything you thought of overnight.
3. Surgery under anesthesia, with pain relief given before your pet wakes up, not after it hurts.
4. The call. Your pet does not go home until someone has called you and walked you through the night ahead.
5. Pick-up and recovery. You leave with written instructions, pain medication, and a recovery cone if your pet needs one.

What we won't skip

We won't skip pain control to make an estimate look smaller. It is part of the surgery, every time, for every pet.

Recovery at home

• Keep your pet quiet for ten to fourteen days. Short leash walks only for dogs.
• No baths or swimming until the incision has healed.
• Check the incision once a day. A little redness is normal; swelling, discharge or an opened incision is not. Call us.
• Keep the cone on if we sent one. Licking is the most common way an incision gets into trouble.

If something worries you after hours, take your pet to your nearest emergency animal clinic. For other procedures, see surgery at Glenrose.