Sterilisation of the dog

In everyday language, we often talk about a "sterilisation" in a female dog, although technically speaking it's actually a form of castration. During this procedure, the ovaries — and sometimes also the uterus — are removed under general anaesthesia.

The operation is carried out as a day admission: your dog is brought in on an empty stomach and can usually go home again the same day.

Thanks to modern pain management and sutures placed in the skin, recovery is usually smooth. A cone or recovery suit is therefore often not needed. You will, of course, be given pain medication to take home for the first few days after the procedure.

Benefits of sterilisation

Sterilisation offers both practical and medical benefits.

No heat cycles or unwanted litters

After the procedure, your female dog will no longer come into heat. Among other things, this means:

  • no bleeding in the house
  • no attracting male dogs
  • fewer hormone-driven behavioural changes
  • no phantom pregnancies
  • no unwanted litters

Medical benefits

Sterilisation reduces or prevents several conditions, such as:

  • uterine infection (pyometra)
  • mammary tumours
  • certain hormonal conditions

In some older dogs, the procedure even becomes necessary, for example in the case of a uterine infection or diabetes mellitus.

Possible drawbacks and points of attention

As with any medical decision, we look at each dog individually here too.

After sterilisation, we sometimes see:

  • an increased tendency to gain weight
  • slight changes in the coat
  • urinary incontinence in some female dogs

The latter mainly occurs in larger breeds when the procedure is performed at a very young age, and with overweight. Fortunately, this can usually be well controlled with medication.

In certain breeds, there may also be a slightly increased risk of some types of cancer. It's important to put this into proper perspective: many of these conditions remain rare. That's why we discuss together what's the best choice for your dog.

What is the ideal time?

Sterilisation can be carried out at various ages. However, we prefer to avoid the period of the heat cycle and the two months afterwards.

Advice on the ideal timing can sometimes vary, depending on breed, size and medical background. That's why we're happy to look at this together with you.

One misconception we can clear up straight away: a female dog absolutely does not need to have had a litter for the sake of her physical or mental health.

Keyhole surgery or traditional surgery?

Sterilisation can also be performed via keyhole surgery (laparoscopy). At Iscavets, we deliberately choose the traditional technique. Our experience shows that this method, combined with modern anaesthesia and a good pain protocol, results in an equally smooth recovery.

Alternatives to sterilisation

Injections exist that can temporarily suppress the heat cycle. However, this method increases the risk of conditions such as uterine infection and mammary tumours, even after a single dose.

That's why surgical sterilisation remains the most reliable and safest form of long-term contraception.

A routine procedure with extensive experience

Sterilisations are among the surgical procedures we perform very regularly. Thanks to modern anaesthesia, careful monitoring and tailored pain management, this operation is generally safe and carries minimal risk for your dog.