In Luxembourg, neutering is compulsory for cats with access to the outdoors. For every other animal it is a decision you make with your practice, and it turns less on a date in the calendar than on your animal: age, weight, state of health, breed and the way it lives. What this page is mostly about is what comes afterwards, because that is where the questions nobody asks beforehand turn up.
What happens during the operation
Neutering is done under anaesthetic. The animal sleeps, it is aware of nothing, and it is examined first: one that is not well that day is not operated on but booked again. How large the operation is depends on the sex, and your practice will explain what is planned for your animal. Do ask about anything you did not follow. It is a routine procedure, but it is surgery, and you are entitled to know what will be done.
Before: what the practice will remind you of
Preparation almost always includes a fasting rule, a time from which your animal must not eat. Follow exactly what the practice tells you, even when it is inconvenient. That rule protects the animal under anaesthetic, and a breakfast that found its way into the bowl out of pity will at best postpone the appointment.
Have these ready as well:
- the EU pet passport
- a secure carrier for the cat, a lead and harness for the dog
- a note of the medicines your animal takes and any known conditions
- a number on which you can be reached all day
The day itself
Settle two things when you hand the animal over, and you save time later: when you can collect it, and how to reach the practice if something worries you in the evening. Ask as well whether it may eat at home, and from when.
What you collect is a tired animal. It may walk unsteadily, sleep a great deal and show no interest in anything it usually likes. Set up a warm, quiet place where nobody will stroke it with the best of intentions. If the practice has said no jumping and no stairs for a few days, that also means not the sofa, not the bed and not the cat shelf.
The first week at home
The wound has to stay dry and be left alone. That is what the collar and the body suit are for, and both only work while they stay on: the minute without the collar is the minute a stitch gives way. Look at the site once a day, ideally at the same time, so that a change actually registers.
Call the practice if the wound opens, bleeds or weeps, if the area swells noticeably or turns hot, if your animal still is not eating the day after, if it vomits repeatedly or stays unusually listless. And straight away if a male cat tries to urinate and nothing comes. Eating little on the evening of the operation, by contrast, is normal.
Why weight becomes the next subject
After neutering the energy requirement drops. The portion that used to be right is then often too much, although nothing about the bowl has changed. That is not fate but arithmetic, and it can be settled early: raise the amount at the follow-up appointment rather than discussing a weight problem a year later.
The rest is harder to predict. Many animals roam less far and get into fewer fights. But a fearful dog does not become brave through neutering, and a behaviour that bothers you does not reliably disappear with it. If that is precisely what you are after, say so beforehand.
Frequently asked questions
Is neutering compulsory in Luxembourg?
The neutering duty in the 2018 law is written for cats with outdoor access; farm cats are excepted. For dogs, neutering is a decision you make with your practice. If you are unsure whether your cat's access counts as outdoors, ask the practice or your commune.
At what age should it be done?
There is no figure that is right for every animal. Your vet judges it from age, weight, state of health, breed and the way the animal lives. Ask at the next ordinary appointment and you will have the answer before you need it.
Does the collar really have to stay on the whole time?
Yes, for as long as the practice says. A collar only works while it is on, and the one minute when it comes off for a meal and is then forgotten is enough for a licked wound. If your animal cannot cope with it at all, call rather than leave it off: there are alternatives.
My animal will not eat on the evening of the operation. Is that normal?
Little or no appetite on the evening itself is usual. If it still is not eating the next day, call the practice. The same goes for repeated vomiting or unusual listlessness.
Will my animal inevitably put on weight?
No. The energy requirement drops and the usual portion is then often too much. Adjusted early, the problem does not arise. Raise feeding at the follow-up appointment.
Who can I reach at night or at the weekend?
The on-call practices run a 24-hour service that starts at 08:00 and ends at 08:00 the next morning. To reach the vet on duty you can call 112 or Post Infotel on 26 77 12 34, and the on-call list is published by the Collège Vétérinaire and on amvl.lu under GARDES. Our own emergency page lists the ones on duty right now with their numbers. Call before you set off: the vet on duty may not be at the practice and has to get there too.