Spaying
and Neutering
The newest
school of thought in veterinary medicine is you may spay
and neuter male and female dogs and cats any time
after two months of age, but ideally around 6 months. Some veterinarians think
the sooner - the better because 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 they are specifically selected for a
breeding program because they have been carefully
evaluated and are considered the "best in health"
and "best in behavior" for their breed based on
genetics.
Spaying
Females
Spaying
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
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 male
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
euthanized each 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
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.
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Improving Relationships
between People and Pets!