What age to neuter a sterile male?

[John Popp]

Spaying/Neutering does have advantages at a younger age although weight is a more important indicator. The procedure is definitely more invasive at a younger age and it's best for kittens to be at 4lbs before having the procedure. For most Savannahs that should be between 10 to 12 weeks. Again, let your kittens weight be the guide as there are slight variants as to how quickly a kitten matures from one to the next.

 

[admin]

Spaying/Neutering does have advantages at a younger age although weight is a more important indicator. The procedure is definitely more invasive at a younger age and it's best for kittens to be at 4lbs before having the procedure. For most Savannahs that should be between 10 to 12 weeks. Again, let your kittens weight be the guide as there are slight variants as to how quickly a kitten matures from one to the next.

Most vets will not spay/neuter until the kitten is at least 5 pounds.

 

[John Popp]

Certainly when your vet is willing to perform the procedure trumps all. Our vet has a preference for a minimum of 4lbs although she does perform them earlier for rescue kittens and catch and release ferals. For our cats earlier has proven to be better not only with litter box behavior, but demeanor and size. A relatively small sample that wouldn't pass the laugh test, but again our experience over the last 25 years.

 

[Robo1]

I don't think earlier or later is really a big deal. My vet likes cats later. I don't think there has been much research done on the pros- and-cons with cats. More with dogs. A neuter is such a non-evasive procedure as they do not need general anesthetic like a spay would- it isn't a big change. I have mostly just brought them home and let them loose and they hardly know what hit them.

Loki is gonna be 17 weeks next week and scheduled to be neutered...clinic said they use gas and also ssaid they use Ketamine...any thoughts...I guess I should verify if he gets gas or injected...Did you isolate the cat from being able to run or jump after his procedure? and do you have to get one of those cones to keep him from licking the area? thanks, Robert

 

[waitingforgeorge]

No Ketamine, both my breeders and many people here advised that, both my boys got neutered right before they hit 5 pounds

 

[admin]

Ketamine is used as a cocktail with gas usually and many of us have had vets use it with no issues.

You need to go with what your vet feels comfortable with.

Also do a search as this topic has been discussed quite a few times before.

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[John Popp]

While I don't subscribe to the Ketamine folklore, I'm certainly not going to have it administered to my kitten when there are so many alternatives.

 

[admin]

And that is your choice...as I said...people should go with what their vet is comfortable with...asking a vet to administer any type of anesthesia they are not comfortable with is a recipe for disaster IMO...as a former ER nurse, I have seen the consequences in people...as a savannah cat and kitten breeder, I have seen absolutely no deleterious effects with the anesthesia my vet administers and it includes ketamine.

 

[Patti]

Ketamine is used as a cocktail with gas usually and many of us have had vets use it with no issues.

You need to go with what your vet feels comfortable with.

Also do a search as this topic has been discussed quite a few times before.

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Ketamine is sometimes used as part of an induction cocktail, but this is a new practice and many places, particularly spay and neuter clinics that just use straight ketamine. I've never heard of any complications from using ketamine as part of a cocktail, but there have been many anectodal events reported when ketamine has been used as a stand alone agent, regardless of the breed it has been used on.

 

[John Popp]

And that is your choice...as I said...people should go with what their vet is comfortable with...asking a vet to administer any type of anesthesia they are not comfortable with is a recipe for disaster IMO...as a former ER nurse, I have seen the consequences in people...as a savannah cat and kitten breeder, I have seen absolutely no deleterious effects with the anesthesia my vet administers and it includes ketamine.

There's a lot of sunshine between not using ketamine and something a vet isn't familiar with. No one should be placing their veterinarian outside their comfort zone, while at the same time veterinarians oft use different anesthesias for different animals and different procedures.

Again, I don't subscribe to all the tales about ketamine. People and animals die under anesthesia with some frequency and there isn't a single source causal effect. People should have the ketamine conversation with their vet and make their own decisions. My guess and based on my experiences amongst the four veterinarians that have had some level of care for our Savannah, is that ketamine isn't on their menu and they can go a different direction without any discord.