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Spaying
and Neutering
The newest school of thought in
veterinary medicine is to spay
and neuter male and female dogs
and cats any time after two months
of age. Some veterinarians think
the sooner that it is done the
better - since there is less blood
loss, the animals heal more rapidly,
and the surgery is uncomplicated
by the development of fat and
muscle mass. It is recommended
that all pets be spayed or neutered
- unless specifically selected
for a breeding program based on
excellent health and a careful
evaluation of behavior, genetics,
and other factors.
Spaying in the female eliminates
the possibility of uterine or
ovarian cancer and greatly reduces
the incidence of breast cancer,
particularly when your dog is
spayed before her first estrous
cycle. It can also eliminate or
reduce the incidence of a number
of health problems, like pyometra
(inflammation of the uterus),
which can be very difficult and
expensive to treat. In addition,
spaying prevents the household
mess of going through a heat cycle
(bloody vaginal discharge), the
behavior and temperament problems
that can be associated with heat,
and the nuisance of roaming, neighborhood
male dogs chasing after and entering
the yard when the female is in
heat.
Neutering males eliminates testicular
cancer and decreases the incidence
of prostate disease. In addition,
it can reduce many objectionable
male behaviors such as aggression,
biting, and urine marking. Neutering
makes pets less likely to roam
the neighborhood, run away, and
get into fights.
Spaying and neutering pets is
the best solution
to positively impact the tremendous
pet overpopulation problem that
exists in the United States. It
is estimated that more than 2
million dogs and 4 million cats
are put down every year in the
United States simply because there
are not enough homes for them.
Controlling reproduction is an
important part of responsible
pet ownership.
Identification
Implanting an electronic identification
chip (also known as a microchip)
is the best way to provide permanent
identification for your pet.
This new technology is now readily
available. By registering with
the microchip manufacturer, your
pet will have his or her own unique
number and the pet's details,
along with your own, will be placed
on the national database. If your
pet is lost and then found by
an animal control department,
animal welfare organization, or
animal shelter, he or she will
be scanned for a microchip (scanners
with international standards are
available at most all of these
organizations, as well as your
veterinarian). The implanted chip
will 'talk' to the reader and
your pet's unique I.D. number
will be displayed. The national
database will be contacted and
given the I.D. number. Your details
will be displayed and you will
be contacted and quickly re-united
with your pet.
The ideal time to implant a microchip
is when the pet is anesthetized
to be spayed or neutered (although
anesthesia in not required for
the placement of a microchip).
It involves simply the injection
of a chip, the size of a grain
of rice, under the pet's skin.
If the animal is already spayed
or neutered, the microchip injection
can be done by a veterinarian
at a veterinary clinic. Many animal
welfare organizations and animal
shelters also offer this service.
In addition to the microchip,
write your phone number on the
nylon collar. It is recommended
that the dog also wear an ID tag
on his or her collar, which should
include a minimum of a current
phone number and the last name
of the owner.
All of the above methods of identification
will be helpful in having your
beloved pet returned to you if
he or she ever gets lost.
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