Neutering is one of the most responsible and kindest actions you can do for your pet. It decreases the number of unwanted litters being born but, not only that; it significantly reduces the risk of cancer.

8-year-old Olive was in a bad way when she arrived at The Mayhew in October last year. She had been dumped in a park but luckily she was spotted by a member of the public and brought to us.

She was covered in fleas, malnourished and was very scared and timid. Not only that, our Vet Team discovered a tumour growing on her mammary glands which they were very concerned about. We suspect she might have been used for breeding and then been abandoned when the owner deemed her too old.

The vet team were keen to see her urgently and she was whisked into surgery to investigate the growth. Our vets carefully removed the lump and sent it off to an external lab for testing. The lab results showed that all of the potentially cancerous cells from the area were removed and we are hopeful that Olive’s tumour was caught in time and that she will now have a clean bill of health.

“These types of tumours are common in entire, or unneutered, female dogs. In fact, a dog is 70-80% more likely to get a tumour or lump on their mammary glands if left unspayed. However, if you neuter a female dog before her first season then you reduce this probability to just 0.05%,” explains our Chief Vet, Dr. Ursula Goetz.

At The Mayhew we urge all pet owners to neuter their cat or dog as early as possible to significantly reduce their risk of developing cancer and other diseases, as well as reducing unwanted litters.

Olive is now a healthy weight and her fleas have gone. She loved spending time with our Kennel Team, who did a great job bringing her out of her shell and increasing her confidence.

Sweet-natured and affectionate, Olive is now happily rehomed in her forever home, where she can spend the rest of her days cuddling and playing with her new owner!

Find out more about neutering and our low-cost services on our website, or contact our vet clinic on 020 8962 8017.