Early neutering UK and US

[epona]

Great news!

I really wish my vet would do a bit younger - I'm not breeding so I have no need to get kittens fixed before they leave for their new homes, but I would quite like to get Sonic done at around 4 1/2 or 5 months - because he's an Oriental he is likely to mature earlier than your standard DSH, and I worry that he may feel the need to scent-mark younger than your average kitten.

It was a bit disconcerting when I first got Sonic booked in with our vet, they didn't have Oriental Shorthair down as a breed of cat on their computer system, the receptionist said 'always coming up with new breeds aren't they'

He's down as a "Blue Self Siamese" as they could overwrite the box for colour but not for breed, well I guess that's accurate enough

 

[sims2fan]

Thanks! Its a relief that they will do it.

They were warning me about the affects of the anestetic on kittens that young, but I found an article that says that there are other ways of adminstating it.
http://www.fabcats.org/anaes.html

How old are your Aby kittens when you get them neutered?

 

[abymummy]

The youngest I've ever done were 4 months. It took a while for the babies to hit the 1.5kg rule....and they are doing fantastic!!!

And for show cats, you cannot imagine the relief it is to have them done really - no stresses and the coat (for the girls) grows in really quickly! My vet does a tiny incision for the show girls.

 

[sims2fan]

Originally Posted by Epona

Great news!

I really wish my vet would do a bit younger - I'm not breeding so I have no need to get kittens fixed before they leave for their new homes, but I would quite like to get Sonic done at around 4 1/2 or 5 months - because he's an Oriental he is likely to mature earlier than your standard DSH, and I worry that he may feel the need to scent-mark younger than your average kitten.

You can still find some one to neuter Sonic who is not your regular vet. Ask around maybe Sonic's breeder knows some one?

Originally Posted by Epona

It was a bit disconcerting when I first got Sonic booked in with our vet, they didn't have Oriental Shorthair down as a breed of cat on their computer system, the receptionist said 'always coming up with new breeds aren't they'

He's down as a "Blue Self Siamese" as they could overwrite the box for colour but not for breed, well I guess that's accurate enough

The Oriental Shorthairs were accpeted by the GCCF in the 1980's its not like they "just came up with them!"

 

[sims2fan]

Originally Posted by Abymummy

The youngest I've ever done were 4 months. It took a while for the babies to hit the 1.5kg rule....and they are doing fantastic!!!

And for show cats, you cannot imagine the relief it is to have them done really - no stresses and the coat (for the girls) grows in really quickly! My vet does a tiny incision for the show girls.

Four months is fine! Kittens usually go to their new homes at around 3 or 4 months anyway. How soon after the speuter do they go to their new homes?

 

[abymummy]

Boys - around a week, girls - 2 weeks.

Really, the boys were bouncing around after a day!!!

 

[sims2fan]

That's really good to hear!

I just wish vets were more up-to-date on these things. I mean on another forum people were saying breeders should be more trusting, but some of the best and most exprienced breeders have been fooled. I mean we are dealing with lives here its not just a whim.

 

[epona]

Originally Posted by Sims2fan

You can still find some one to neuter Sonic who is not your regular vet. Ask around maybe Sonic's breeder knows some one?

The breeder's vet does them from 4 1/2 months I think, but that is not a journey I'm going to be making again any time soon, it's miles away and is a transport nightmare! I will ask around, our vet is adamant about 6 months. I am thinking of looking for another vet, although they are really nice people, all own cats, are good handling the cats, and they do stuff to provide vet care for local strays/ferals, I think they are very behind the times on neutering and vaccination, and spout out the usual 'dry food better' line every time I go there. Ideally I would like to go to a feline specialist/cat-only clinic, but the only one in London that I can find is in Hampstead - and I'm nearly in Essex so that's out

Originally Posted by Sims2fan

The Oriental Shorthairs were accpeted by the GCCF in the 1980's its not like they "just came up with them!"

They were adamant that oriental described a body type, not a breed. When I get all his GCCF papers sorted out I'll take them up there and see if they can amend their computer system. It's not as if they're a rare breed either

 

[xxtashaxx]

the vets in london will not spay/neuter untill 6 months old , apart from 1 time when my forest went into heat at 5 months old , so they done her early.
i think its great that some vets will S/N at 8 weeks . but i must admit i am in 2 minds about it. on one hand i hear there bones grow longer then what there body can handle, and on the other they say there is no proff of this.
also i hear boys who are neutered younger will have more problems when there older with bladder stones and serrise(cant spell it) a uti anyway.
i have found myself that males who are spayed at a much later time seem to grow to twice the size of a male neutered at 6 months old. most of the cats i have rescued who were neutered past the age of 2 , are huge to those i have that was neutered at 6 months.
i honestly dont know what to belive as everyone has a different opuion on this subject.

 

[urbantigers]

Originally Posted by Epona

The breeder's vet does them from 4 1/2 months I think, but that is not a journey I'm going to be making again any time soon, it's miles away and is a transport nightmare! I will ask around, our vet is adamant about 6 months.

It might be worth going in and having a face to face chat about it with the vet (taking along some literature if you can) or have you already done that? My vets official line is 6 months but I had Mosi done at 5 months. I just said I wanted him done then. The actual vet who did the procedure did suggest I wait a couple of months (she's from overseas - not sure where - and suggested 7-8 months!) but I said I wanted him doing then and she was ok about it. With Jaffa I had to take him in for the nurse to have a look and see if she thought he was big enough. He was done at 5 months too.

 

[familytimerags]

In the many years of my vets experience with altering our kittens at 11 weeks old, has been great, and so far we have never had a problem with our own early altered pets, or with the kittens we have placed, who are now adults. I stay in close contact with most of our adoptive families, and no illnesses yet have been reported. My cats have never experienced an UTI, but I feel the more years I breed, the more time we will have for issues to arrise, but this has been my experience for close to 5 years.

I love this forum, but you may be hoping for a bit more assurance on early altering. I would recommend joining Fanciers Health List, it is an email list, with Dr. Susan Little, other vets, and specialists, and vet techs. Dr. Little is going to be away for a bit going to speak at a few meetings, but she has wrote articles, spoke with breeders vets on behalf of breeders, and really stays up to date with the latest studies on feline health. She can give you clear cut facts on early alter, explain what myths have been said about early altering, from vets who have not yet became up to date on early alter, or may not have had the need arise or someone to come in asking for this particular service. She can also tell you the down side and side effects, so you can outweigh the pros and the cons. Fan-H is on the Yahoo Groups, if you would like more information, please PM, and I can send you information on how to join the group.

As far as anethesia question, it is in many breeders opinions that kittens are at risk to ketamine, because of all the opinions from breeders, we have asked our vet use Isoflourine. However, if the vet you are working with is confident in working with a certain anethestic, then I would have to respect that he/she knew what they were doing.

Our males have dissolving stitches, and our females have 2 stitches removed between 7-10 days, our vet has done it enough times, the shaved area is only about 2 inches in diameter, and our kittens come home back to Momma, and they are up playing like nothing happened. We have never had a stitch pull or have to bring a kitten back in for any reason.

I am a huge advocate of pediatric spay and neuter, and believe the benefits outweigh the possible cons.

Good Luck with your decision, I know it can be a hard decision to make.

 

[sims2fan]

I have pretty much made up my mind about it!i have been on Dr.Little's site and have read through her report.

I have found another vet from a UK breeder on another forum who already does early neutering and has breeders as clients. I hope to go and meet them soon for a chat.

The idea of this won't happen in our area that I find strange! Its not just BYBs (whom i am sure live everywhere including 'nice' areas), I mean just go on to the pregancy and kitten forum and this shows you accidents can happen. They are not bad people (for the most part) accidents can happen to anyone. I want to eliminate that chance, there are enough moggies out there without my cats contributing to that.

 

[lionessrampant]

Sims2, I'm going to see if I can find the article online, but we have one on the bulliten at the shelter about how females are going into heat at 4 months (or even before) in large, large percentages.

This is consistent with what we're seeing in the 3, 4 and 5 month olds we rescue at that age (everyone else is neutered at 2 pounds, and according to our medical director they react to the anethesia at the same rate as adults). Hopefully I can find that!

 

[sims2fan]

Thanks Allie that would be a great article to have!