Post-operative data from dogs, cats and rabbits revealed.

RCVS Knowledge has published two decades of post-operative neutering data as part of the 20th anniversary edition of its National Audit for Small Animal Neutering (NASAN) report.

The report covers the neutering cases of 90,363 dogs, cats and rabbits in the UK and Republic of Ireland from 2005, when NASAN was first launched, and 2025.

It has been utilised by RCVS Knowledge to create benchmarking data, which the charity hopes practices will use to audit complications with neutering procedures. The data is expected to drive quality improvement initiatives.

The benchmark outcomes for spaying procedures, where there were no abnormalities present in the species, for dogs has been calculated as 76 per cent. The statistic for cats is 86 per cent, and for rabbits it is 81 per cent.

Meanwhile the benchmark outcomes for castration procedures, again excluding abnormalities, places the statistic for dogs at 75 per cent. The statistic for cats is 95 per cent and for rabbits it is 78 per cent.

Since the benchmarks have been calculated to exclude patients lost to follow up, they represent 76,222 cases across all species. RCVS Knowledge also comments that the dataset for rabbits is much smaller, meaning the benchmarks are less robust.

As well as utilising this data to improve their processes, RCVS Knowledge urges practices to submit their own data to its evidence base.

Katie Mantell, chief executive officer at RCVS Knowledge, said:  “Over the last 20 years, the NASAN has become a respected data set that provides veterinary professionals with reliable data to help them benchmark and audit complications associated with neutering in their own practices.

“The NASAN can only exist because veterinary professionals across the UK and Ireland willingly contribute their data for the betterment of surgical outcomes for dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs. Thank you to everyone who has submitted their data over the last two decades.

"Once you’ve finished reading the benchmarking report, I hope you’ll be inspired to start contributing your own practice’s data to the NASAN.”

The annual benchmarking report is published on the RCVS Knowledge website. Practices can submit their own data through NASAN’s submission portal.

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