When is the best time to spay my dog or cat?

Many veterinarians are doing spay and neuter surgery early in life. We generally recommend that pets reach the age of 5 to 6 months before doing surgery. This allows them to better handle the anesthetics. It is best to spay females before the first heat, which helps prevent mammary cancer later in life. We always do a pre-surgical physical examination on any pet that is scheduled for surgery to make sure he or she is in optimal health.