It should also be noted that sperm may still be found in the male for up to 21 days in the dog and up to 49 days in the cat after neutering and may cause pregnancy if allowed to breed. An alternative to surgical neutering with removal of the testicles is a vasectomy where the connection between the testicles and the body is tied off, leaving the testicles in the scrotum. This procedure is not widely performed because it does not provide the medical benefits such as decreased cancer risk nor does it affect male-specific behaviors such as intermale aggression while carrying similar risks to neutering. Spaying By spaying you remove the female's ability to reproduce. Spaying usually involves removal of both the ovaries and uterus in the female.
Mammary cancer is the most common tumor of the intact female.
So, in order to gain a major medical benefit, the procedure must ideally be done before the first heat cycle. No benefits have been shown by allowing a female to experience her first cycle before spaying. This problem can be treated pharmaceutically. If food intake is regulated, no weight gain is seen postoperatively. A decrease in activity by some females after spaying has been attributed by some to changes in activity with increasing age, especially since spaying has traditionally been done at about 6 months of age when activity levels often start to decline normally.