Spays and Neuters Save Lives
Does this headline sound overly dramatic to you? It's absolutely true! Spaying (ovariohysterectomy) or neutering (orchiectomy) your pet saves lives in many ways.
First, and most obvious, spayed or neutered pets will not produce unwanted pets that end up being destroyed at animal shelters or humane organizations, or more sadly, being abandoned to more uncertain fates. In Montgomery County alone thousands of perfectly healthy cats and dogs are destroyed each year, simply because no one is available to adopt them.
Less well known are the ways that surgical sterilization can save your pet's life. For example, if you spay the female pet (surgically remove the ovaries and uterus), you can prevent several potentially fatal conditions. Spaying drastically reduces the chance of breast cancer, especially if performed early in life. Spaying also eliminates the chance of pyometra, a potentially fatal infection of the uterus, which occurs very frequently in dogs and cats older than seven years of age. Spaying your cat or dog also eliminates ovarian cancer and cysts, and prevents urine marking associated with the pet being "in season". Further, though not fatal, vaginal bleeding in dogs, behavior changes related to being in "heat", and attraction of stray males will be eliminated.
Similarly, neutering the male pet has many health benefits. Neutering, the surgical removal of the testicles, prevents testicular cancer, the second most common cancer of the male dog. Neutering also prevents a number of tumors stimulated by the male's production of testosterone. Prostatitis and the majority of prostatic cancer is also prevented when the dog is neutered at a young age. Hernias of the rear-end area (called perineal hernias) are also much less common when dogs are neutered early in life.
Behaviors that can cause owners to give up their pets are also much less common in dogs and cats that are neutered at an early age. Urine marking is very uncommon in neutered dogs and cats. Aggressive behavior is less apparent, and the strong urine odor of intact male cats is eliminated. Roaming is markedly reduced in male pets neutered at a young age.
At Twin Maples, it is important to us to inform you of ways to reduce your pet's risk of illness. Clearly, spaying and neutering is one of these ways. Unless you plan to use your pet for breeding or to show in conformation classes, we urge you to consider spaying or neutering your pets.
Here's a link to another site discussing spaying and neutering: Y2Spay
