Benefits of Spaying or Neutering Your Pet

The decision to spay or neuter your pet is an important one for all pet owners. It can be the single best decision you make for your pet’s long-term health and welfare.  Getting your pet spayed or neutered can reduce the number of homeless pets killed, improve your pet’s health, reduce unruly behavior, and save on the cost of pet care.

Spaying a female (removal of the ovaries and uterus) or neutering a male (removal of testicles) are procedures done under general anesthesia, and both surgeries usually require minimal hospitalization.

  Myths Debunked

Getting your pets spayed/neutered will not change their fundamental personality, as in their protective instinct.

Having a male dog or cat neutered will not make him feel like “less of a male”.  Neutering will not change a pet’s basic personality, and he doesn’t suffer any kind of emotional reaction or identity crisis when neutered.

Pets do not get fat and lazy after being spayed or neutered.  The truth is that most pets get fat and lazy because their owners feed them too much and don’t give them enough exercise.

It is not expensive to have your pet spayed or neutered.  Many low-cost options exist for spay/neuter services.  Many states have at least one spay/neuter clinic within driving distance that offer reasonable rates for the procedure. The cost of your pet’s spay or neuter surgery is far less than the cost of having and caring for a litter. Please see the widget at the end of this article to locate a low-cost spay/neuter program in your area.

**One of the many advantages of adopting a shelter or rescue dog or cat is that the spay or neuter procedures are already done and the cost of those procedures is included in your adoption fee. Please visit your local shelter or rescue organization to check out all of the wonderful animals that are waiting for their forever homes!

Medical Benefits

Spaying female pets helps prevent uterine infections and there is a reduced risk of certain types of cancers. Unspayed female cats and dogs have a far greater chance of developing pyrometra (a fatal uterine infection), uterine cancer, and other cancers of the reproductive system. Spaying your pet before her first heat offers the best protection from these diseases.

Neutering a male pet prevents testicular cancer and it reduces the risk of enlarged prostate, prostate cysts and prostate infections. Enlarged prostate occurs in more than 80 percent of unneutered male dogs over the age of five. .

Behavioral Benefits

Spayed female pets will not go into heat and will not attract unneutered males.  Neutered males will not mark territory as much and are not as likely to roam away from home.  Other behavioral problems that may be lessened are aggression, barking, mounting, and other dominance-related behavior.

It’s the Right Thing To Do

By spaying or neutering your pet, you are helping to control the pet homelessness crisis which results in millions  of healthy cats and dogs being euthanized in shelters annually, simply because there aren’t enough homes for all of them.  Spaying and neutering are the only permanent, 100 percent effective methods of birth control for pets.

When To Spay Or Neuter

Puppies and kittens as young as eight weeks old can be spayed or neutered as long as they are healthy. Medical evidence indicates that females spayed before their first heat are typically healthier.

Many animal shelters perform sterilization procedures on puppies and kittens prior to adoption

It is possible to spay or neuter an adult pet, but there may be a longer recovery time or more of a chance of post-operative complications.

Before And After The Procedure

Spay And Neuter For Healthy Pets

Your veterinary clinic will give you pre and post-op procedure instructions that you should follow carefully.  The general rules for successful recoveries are to keep your pet from running and jumping for a period of time and preventing him or her from licking the incision site.  Daily checking of the incision site daily to confirm proper healing is very important.

With common sense and your loving care, your pet will recover quickly from the spay or neuter procedure.

 Spaying And Neutering Are Good For Rabbits, Too!

Spay/Neuter Rabbits, Too!

Rabbits reproduce faster than dogs or cats and frequently end up in shelters, where they are often euthanized. Neutering male rabbits can reduce hormone-driven behavior such as lunging, mounting, spraying, and boxing. And just as with dogs and cats, spayed female rabbits are less likely to get ovarian, mammary, and uterine cancers, which can be prevalent in mature females.