What to expect when your pet is getting spayed or neutered
August 11, 2025
It can be scary to think about your pet undergoing surgery, but spay and neuter procedures are common and generally low risk. Veterinarian and collegiate assistant professor Virginia Edwards demystifies the process and lays out what to expect.
The basics
Spaying and neutering are sterilization procedures, which means they will make your pet unable to reproduce.
Generally, spay is the term for sterilizing a female cat or dog, and neuter (or castrate) is typically the term used for a male cat or dog. Neutered can also be used to describe a sterilized female, although less commonly.
There are risks to any surgery but spay and neuter surgeries are relatively low risk. Your veterinarian likely performs these surgeries on a weekly or even daily basis.
“Pets can be sterilized as early as several months of age,” said Edwards. “But talk to your veterinarian as this can depend on the individual pet characteristics, such as lifestyle and breed.”
Before the surgery
You can anticipate a quick surgery. Spay and neuter surgeries are outpatient procedures, which means that under normal circumstances, your pet doesn't have to stay overnight at the hospital.
To set your pet up for success on surgery day, it helps if they are already comfortable with the clinic. “Making sure that they've been coming for vaccines and routine visits and that it's a familiar place for them helps them feel less anxious,” said Edwards.
Your veterinarian will provide guidance on fasting before your pet’s surgery, which decreases the risk of complications. Your pet will not eat anything during the fasting period.
“Fasting is required to increase the safety of anesthesia,” explained Edwards. “Eating too close to an anesthetic event can lead to complications such as regurgitation and aspiration pneumonia.”
Both spaying and neutering occur under general anesthesia, which means your pet will be unconscious and a breathing tube will be placed in your pet's mouth. Under anesthesia, your pet will not be able to feel any pain, and vital signs (like heart rate) will be monitored by both a machine and person during the operation.
What happens during a spay or neuter
During the spay procedure, the veterinarian will perform an incision in the abdomen. Through that incision, the ovaries and uterus are removed, and then the veterinarian will close the incision with stitches.
A cat spay typically takes around 30 minutes, while a dog spay can take between 30 and 90 minutes.
During a neuter, an incision is made in the scrotal or pre-scrotal area and the testes are removed. Dogs receive stitches to close the incision, but cats tend not to need them. Neutering is typically a very quick procedure, typically taking under 20 minutes.
After the surgery
Your pet will come out of anesthesia within 30 minutes of surgery, and they will often be able to go home once they are awake and recovered from the anesthesia. Your veterinarian will work with you to manage your pet’s post-surgery pain and with any complications that may arise.
In the first 24 hours after the procedure, your pet will need to rest and take time to bounce back after the anesthesia. They may need to take a little while to get their appetite and normal bathroom habits back.
It’s extremely important to make sure your pet does not lick or chew their incision.
“They don't understand that as they're healing, it's going to start itching,” Edwards explained. “Dogs and cats can actually lick so much that they open up that entire incision. They can make it become infected because of the bacteria that's in their mouths. So it's really important to keep that E-collar on for at least 10 days after the surgery.”
To keep your pet from licking their incision, you will likely need to buy a cone (also called an Elizabethan collar or E-collar). Some people dress their pets in baby pajamas to keep them from licking their spay incisions.
Light swelling and some bruising around the incision is normal.
“If a pet is acting painful, very tired, or if red or yellow discharge is noted from the incision, be sure to contact your veterinarian,” said Edwards.
For the next two weeks after surgery, make sure your pet isn't doing strenuous exercise, which can cause swelling around the incision site and prolong healing. When taking walks, make sure to use a leash to prevent running or jumping.
If that sounds intimidating, keep in mind that the vast majority of pets recover quickly and successfully from their spay or neuter surgeries.
Animal Instructors Program
The Animal Instructors Program at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine not only provides invaluable hands-on experience for future veterinarians but also offers a significant benefit to pet owners: free health services, including spay and neuter surgeries, for pets that participate as "instructors."
This unique collaboration ensures that veterinary students gain crucial skills under expert supervision, while also offering a cost-free solution for your pet's sterilization, making it a win-win for both the community and the next generation of animal care professionals.
If you are a pet owner in the Blacksburg area and would like to contribute to the education of future veterinarians while receiving free health services for your pet, consider joining the Animal Instructors Program. Visit the program website to learn more.