The Facts About Spaying & Neutering Your Pets!

Are You Wondering Why You Should Spay Or Neuter Your Pet?

Join in the fight against pet overpopulation. Pet overpopulation is a huge problem that sweeps our nation. Due to the fact that no one wants them or that there isn’t enough room or funding at shelters across the nation to care for them over 12 million animals are euthanized each year. Many more are suffering and leading lives of quiet desperation on the streets. Many of these are the result of unwanted, unplanned litters that could have been prevented by spaying or neutering. Rarely surviving for more than a few years on their own strays die painfully by starvation, disease, freezing or being hit by cars. It is estimated that today there are over 60 million cats in America, alone. More than 70,000 dogs and cats are born each day due to uncontrolled breeding. If these facts alone aren't enough to convince you, please, I implore you to read on....

Here are a couple of reasons to have your animal altered:

Neutering will reduce the need to breed, and that has a calming effect on many animals.
Eliminates “Spraying” or “Territorial Marking”; a strong smelling urine sprayed on surfaces by male dogs and cats.
Neutered male dogs and cats tend to stop roaming and fighting and lose their desire to mark their territory with urine.
Sterilization makes your pet less of a problem for your neighbors.
A sterilized pet is friendlier with other pets and is less likely to bite unprovoked.

The benefits to your pet’s health and life expectancy is the best argument for spaying and neutering:

Problems and potential risks involved with pregnancy and birth are eliminated.
Sterilized pets tend to live an average of two to three years longer than unsterilized pets.
The likelihood of developing mammary tumors or uterine infections increases the longer a female goes unspayed. A female spayed before sexual maturity (6 – 9 months of age) has one-seventh the risk of an intact female of developing mammary cancer. Breast cancer can be fatal in about 50% of female dogs.
Neutering a male dog by six months of age prevents testicular cancer, prostate disease and hernias.

Spaying a female dog helps prevent pyometra (a pus-filled uterus) and breast cancer and having this done before the first heat offers the best protection from these diseases. Treatment of pyometra requires hospitalization, intravenous fluids, antibiotics and spaying.
Sterilization reduces the incidence of injury and disease.
Chances of uterine infection is common in older animals and is eliminated by spaying.

Aside from being able to enjoy your pet more, they themselves will be spared much anguish and the cost advantages to you are enormous.

One male running loose for just a few hours can impregnate many females, adding to the serious problem of unwanted puppies and kittens.

Please encourage spaying and neutering in your family and community.

Facts vs. Myth

Debunking Dangerous Myths About Spaying and Neutering

Myth: My female cat or dog should have a litter before she is spayed.

Fact: The sooner you spay your female, the better her health will be in the future. As long as a kitten or puppy weighs more than two pounds and is two months old, he or she can be neutered or spayed. Many veterinarians practice safe early sterilization. The longer a female goes unspayed, the greater the likelihood of developing mammary tumors or uterine infections. In fact, a female spayed before her first heat (six to nine months of age) has one-seventh the risk of developing mammary cancer as does an intact female.

Myth: Spaying or neutering will alter my pet’s personality.

Fact: Regardless of the age when spayed or neutered, your pet will remain a caring, loving and protective companion. Any slight changes will be positive. Neutering will reduce the need to breed, which has a calming effect on many animals. Both neutered male canines and felines tend to stop roaming and fighting, and they also lose the desire to mark their territory with urine.

Myth: Companion animals will become fat and lazy if they are neutered.

Fact: Absolutely not! Lack of exercise and overfeeding make pets fat and lazy—not neutering. Your pet will not gain weight if you provide exercise and monitor food intake. Also, sterilized pets tend to live an average of two to three years longer than unsterilized pets.

Myth: Sterilization is a dangerous and painful surgery for my pet.

Fact: Spaying and neutering are the most common surgeries performed on animals. With a minimal amount of home care, your pet will resume normal behavior in a couple of days.

Myth: Letting my pet have a litter will allow my children to witness the miracle of birth.

Fact: Countless books and videos are available to teach your children about birth in a responsible manner. Letting your pet produce offspring that you have no intention of keeping is teaching your children irresponsibility. Anyone who has seen an animal euthanized in a shelter for lack of a home knows the truth behind this dangerous myth.

Courtesy of the ASPCA