Over the years, there has been a lot of debate about the pros and cons of having your pet spayed or neutered. Spays and neuters offer many benefits that pet owners may not know about, and misconceptions about them make owners weary of these surgeries. Of course, there is no veterinary surgery without risks of complications, but these are common surgeries that provide more positive results than negative reactions!
Positive Effects Of Spays And Neuters For Your Pets
Having your pet spayed or neutered offers many health benefits that can provide you ease of mind and a better quality of life for them!
Longer, Healthier Lives For Females
Spaying your female animals can help prevent uterine infections and decrease the chances of breast tumors. These tumors are cancerous about 50% of the time in dogs and 90% in cats, so you could help avoid a deadly disease just by a simple surgery!
Limiting the Pet Homelessness Crisis
Unfortunately, millions of cats and dogs are euthanized every year because they cannot be placed in a forever home. Spays and neuters can drastically limit the amount of excessive breeding in these critters, limiting how many animals end up on their own or in those shelters.
Preventing Certains Cancers In Males
Neutering your males can also increase their lifespan and quality of life by limiting various prostate/reproductive issues. It can help prevent testicular cancer, which makes up 90% of cancers involving canine male genitalia; in felines, cancer accounts for about 32% of deaths!
Improving Animal Behaviors
You can drastically lessen how much your animals spray strong-smelling urine around the house to mark their territory. Additionally, your dog is less likely to mount other dogs, people, or objects after he’s been neutered; additionally, some aggression issues could be avoided by early neutering.
Avoiding Intense Heat Cycles
If you’re an animal lover and owner, you know that female pets can go through intense heat cycles (typically in the spring and can last four to five days every three weeks in dogs and four to seven days on average in cats). Proactive spaying your cats and dogs could avoid these heat cycles and lessen the amount of yowling and excessive urinating!
Common Misconceptions About These Surgeries
It’s not uncommon for pet owners to be wary of spays and neuters; any type of surgery can be worrisome, and many misconceptions add to the stigma of these procedures.
Spays And Neuters Aren’t Responsible For Weight Gain
Many rumors circulate that spaying or neutering your pet will cause them to become overweight; however, the primary culprits for this are lack of exercise and overfeeding. Your animals will remain fit and healthy if you continue to allow them exercise time, monitor their food intake, and track what they are eating.
Cannot Stop All Negative Behaviors
Spays and neuters in animals can reduce undesirable behaviors caused by higher testosterone levels in males, but there’s no guarantee that the behavior will change 100% after the procedure. The surgery does not eliminate the hormone and does not necessarily reduce behaviors that were taught/learned because physiology and history play a role in behaviors.
The Right Vets For The Job
Sterilizing your animals (unless you’re a reputable breeder) and being part of the solution for animal overpopulation is part of the pet owner’s responsibility. Caring for your furry friends includes doing what you can to reduce behavioral issues and diseases in any way you can. Our trained veterinarians can help you determine when to spay and neuter your animals and go over the risk factors depending on their age and breed.
It’s always best to spay or neuter your pets at an earlier age; that way, they can reap the benefits as soon as possible. It’s much easier and cost-effective to schedule this small surgery than caring for a litter or spending money on treatments! Old Dominion Veterinary Clinic has your pet’s best interest at heart and only wants the absolute best for your four-legged friends!
Keywords: spays and neuters, spay or neuter your pets, sterilization of your animals, when to spay and neuter your animals, spaying or neutering, neutering your males, spaying your females, spays, neuters, spaying, neutering