What age should my pet be spayed or neutered?

It varies by breed and size. Many Denver vets neuter or spay cats and small dogs around 5-6 months, but often recommend waiting longer for large and giant breed dogs. Ask your vet what's right for your specific pet.

How long is recovery?

Most pets are back to normal within 10-14 days, though they need to wear an e-collar or recovery suit and avoid running, jumping, or swimming during that window so the incision heals cleanly.

Does my pet need to fast before the surgery?

Yes, most vets require pets to fast overnight before a morning surgery appointment since they'll be under general anesthesia.

Spay and neuter surgery in Denver

Spay (for females) and neuter (for males) are routine surgical procedures, but they're still surgery under general anesthesia and deserve the same prep as any other operation. Denver clinics vary in their recommended age for the procedure, some go earlier for shelter animals, others wait until a dog is closer to a year old depending on breed size, since larger breeds sometimes benefit from waiting for growth plates to close.

Recovery is typically short, most pets go home the same day, but need an e-collar or recovery suit and restricted activity for a week to ten days to let the incision heal without pets licking or jumping around too much.

Ask about pre-surgical bloodwork requirements, especially for pets over a certain age
Ask what pain management is included post-surgery
Plan for about 10-14 days of restricted activity and no baths until the incision is fully healed

What it costs

Cost depends on the pet's sex, weight, and species, larger dogs and male cats and dogs in heat or already pregnant typically cost more due to added surgical complexity. Price usually includes anesthesia, the surgery, and a follow-up recheck. Pre-surgical bloodwork and an e-collar or pain medication may be itemized separately.

Top 3 by our score

Ranked from our published scoring of public Google reviews for surgery & specialty care.

1. Wellshire Animal Hospital
4.9★ · 351 reviews

93
2. Livewell Animal Hospital of Sloan Lake
5.0★ · 142 reviews

91
3. Denver Animal Hospital
4.7★ · 281 reviews

89

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FAQ

What age should my pet be spayed or neutered?: It varies by breed and size. Many Denver vets neuter or spay cats and small dogs around 5-6 months, but often recommend waiting longer for large and giant breed dogs. Ask your vet what's right for your specific pet.
How long is recovery?: Most pets are back to normal within 10-14 days, though they need to wear an e-collar or recovery suit and avoid running, jumping, or swimming during that window so the incision heals cleanly.
Does my pet need to fast before the surgery?: Yes, most vets require pets to fast overnight before a morning surgery appointment since they'll be under general anesthesia.