Jan 14 2008, 01:15 AM, updated 18y ago
Are they aware of the spaying / neutering procedure?
What are the concerns?Here are some information regarding spaying / neutering. Please go through this post (sorry for the long post) before voting and feel free to comment.
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What Do "Spay" and "Neuter" Really Mean?
Female dogs and cats are spayed by removing their reproductive organs, and male dogs and cats are neutered by removing their testicles.
In both cases the operation is performed while the pet is under anesthesia. Depending on your pet's age, size, and health, he or she will stay at your veterinarian's office for a few hours or a few days.
Depending upon the procedure, your pet may need stitches removed after a few days. Your veterinarian can fully explain spay and neuter procedures to you and discuss with you the best age at which to sterilize your pet.
Female dogs and cats are spayed by removing their reproductive organs, and male dogs and cats are neutered by removing their testicles.
In both cases the operation is performed while the pet is under anesthesia. Depending on your pet's age, size, and health, he or she will stay at your veterinarian's office for a few hours or a few days.
Depending upon the procedure, your pet may need stitches removed after a few days. Your veterinarian can fully explain spay and neuter procedures to you and discuss with you the best age at which to sterilize your pet.
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Benefits of spaying / neutering:
Why is spaying / neutering good for your pets?
1) Spaying and neutering helps dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives.
2) Spaying and neutering can eliminate or reduce the incidence of a number of health problems that can be very difficult or expensive to treat.
3) Spaying eliminates the possibility of uterine or ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the incidence of breast cancer, particularly when your pet is spayed before her first estrous cycle.
4) Neutering eliminates testicular cancer and decreases the incidence of prostate disease.
Why is spaying / neutering good for you?
1) Spaying and neutering makes pets better, more affectionate companions.
2) Neutering dogs/cats makes them less likely to spray and mark territory.
3) Spaying a dog or cat eliminates her heat cycle. Estrus lasts an average of six to 12 days, often twice a year, in dogs and an average of six to seven days, three or more times a year, in cats. Females in heat can cry incessantly, show nervous behavior, and attract unwanted male animals.
4) Unsterilized animals often exhibit more behavior and temperament problems than do those who have been spayed or neutered.
5) Spaying and neutering can make pets less likely to bite.
6) Neutering makes pets less likely to roam the neighborhood, run away, or get into fights.
Why is spaying / neutering good for the community?
1) Communities spend millions of dollars to control unwanted animals.
2) Irresponsible breeding contributes to the problem of dog bites and attacks.
3) Animal shelters are overburdened with surplus animals.
4) Stray pets and homeless animals get into trash containers, defecate in public areas or on private lawns, and frighten or anger people who have no understanding of their misery or needs.
5) Some stray animals also scare away or kill birds and wildlife
source
Why is spaying / neutering good for your pets?
1) Spaying and neutering helps dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives.
2) Spaying and neutering can eliminate or reduce the incidence of a number of health problems that can be very difficult or expensive to treat.
3) Spaying eliminates the possibility of uterine or ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the incidence of breast cancer, particularly when your pet is spayed before her first estrous cycle.
4) Neutering eliminates testicular cancer and decreases the incidence of prostate disease.
Why is spaying / neutering good for you?
1) Spaying and neutering makes pets better, more affectionate companions.
2) Neutering dogs/cats makes them less likely to spray and mark territory.
3) Spaying a dog or cat eliminates her heat cycle. Estrus lasts an average of six to 12 days, often twice a year, in dogs and an average of six to seven days, three or more times a year, in cats. Females in heat can cry incessantly, show nervous behavior, and attract unwanted male animals.
4) Unsterilized animals often exhibit more behavior and temperament problems than do those who have been spayed or neutered.
5) Spaying and neutering can make pets less likely to bite.
6) Neutering makes pets less likely to roam the neighborhood, run away, or get into fights.
Why is spaying / neutering good for the community?
1) Communities spend millions of dollars to control unwanted animals.
2) Irresponsible breeding contributes to the problem of dog bites and attacks.
3) Animal shelters are overburdened with surplus animals.
4) Stray pets and homeless animals get into trash containers, defecate in public areas or on private lawns, and frighten or anger people who have no understanding of their misery or needs.
5) Some stray animals also scare away or kill birds and wildlife
source
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Some Myths surrounding Spaying / Neutering:
I love my pet so much, I want another one just like her.
Chances are, your pet's offspring won't be just like their mother or father. Even breeders who follow generations of bloodlines can't guarantee they will get just what they want out of a particular litter. A pet owner's chances are even slimmer. In fact, it is possible that the puppies or kittens will inherit their parents' worst traits rather than the great ones you are trying to duplicate. Each animal is an individual with lovable quirks and habits of its own.
A female cat or dog should have a litter before she is spayed.
The sooner you spay your female, the better her health will be in the future. The likelihood of developing mammary tumors or uterine infections increases the longer a female goes unspayed. In fact, a female spayed before sexual maturity (six to nine months of age) only has one-seventh the risk of developing mammary cancer, compared to an intact female.
Neutering reduces a dog's ability as a watchdog.
Don't confuse aggressiveness with protectiveness; a sterilized dog protects his/her home and family just as well as an unneutered dog, and many unwanted aggression problems can be avoided by early neutering.
My pet will become fat and lazy.
Lack of exercise and overfeeding make pets fat and lazy - not neutering. It is true that altered animals require fewer calories. There's an easy way to keep them fit and healthy: cut down on their meals and treats, provide toys to keep them busy, and make time for walks or playtime every day.
My children will not have the chance to witness "the miracle of birth."
Countless books and videos are available to teach your children about birth in a responsible manner, without endangering your family pet's health (did you know that your cat or dog may get sick and even die during pregnancy and birth? Also, it is not uncommon for one or several of the babies to die within the first few weeks after birth).
Even if children are able to see a pet give birth -- which is unlikely, since it usually occurs at night and in seclusion -- the lesson they will really learn is that animals can be created and discarded as it suits us. Instead, explain to your children that the real miracle is life and that preventing the birth of some pets can save the lives of others.
Instead of showing your children the "miracle of birth," why not foster a litter of kittens or puppies for a shelter or rescue group? You will make a great difference for orphaned animals, your kids will love it just as much, and you will be teaching them to treat animals responsibly.
It is not safe to spay a female before her first heat. Early spay or neuter is risky.
As long as a kitten or puppy is healthy, weighs more than two pounds, and is two months old, he or she can be neutered or spayed. Male rabbits can be neutered as soon as their testicles become visible (at 3 to 4 months of age). Female rabbits can be spayed at 4 to 5 months old. Veterinary medicine has made great strides in the last years and many veterinarians now practise perfectly safe early sterilization.
Neutering is cruel and painful to the pet.
Every surgery carries certain risks, but sterilization is the most common surgery performed on animals today. Spays and neuters are performed with the same general anesthesia used in human medicine, and pain medication is available for animals.
The surgery usually requires minimal hospitalization -- many pets can go home the same day. And with a minimal amount of home care, your pet will resume normal behavior in a couple of days. In fact, many males act perfectly normal the day after surgery so don't be surprised if your dog tries to play ball with you the morning after his neuter (do restrict your pet's activity for 7-14 days after surgery depending on your vet's recommendations).
Kittens and puppies are so adorable that it will be easy to find homes for them.
In six years, one female dog and her offspring can be the source of 67,000 puppies, and in seven years one cat can be the source of 420,000 kittens! But even if your pet does have "just one " litter, it won't be easy finding good homes for all of them. Every year hundreds of kittens and puppies die in shelters right here in San Diego County. Most of them are perfectly healthy and cute, but there simply aren't enough homes for them. It's not a question of age or cuteness... it's pure math.
We don't need to neuter males because they aren't the ones having the litters.
Every litter is sired by a male. A single male can impregnate many females in just one day! Also, neutering isn't just about preventing litters. Keep in mind that neutering your male animal before sexual maturity dramatically reduces diseases of the prostate and testicles. It also reduces aggression and territorial behaviors, making your male pet so much more pleasant to live with.
I don't want my male animal to feel like less of a male.
Pets don't have any concept of sexual identity or ego. Your dog, cat, or rabbit won't suffer any kind of emotional reaction or identity crisis when neutered.
My animal is a purebred so breeding her won't contribute to the problem.
A large number of animals killed at shelters and pounds are purebreds. Remember, pet overpopulation is a problem of numbers, not "what kinds" of pets.
It's too expensive to get my pet(s) spayed or neutered.
The cost of spay or neuter surgery is a one-time cost; and, if we do say so ourselves, it's a relatively small cost when compared to all the benefits. It certainly is a bargain compared to the cost of having a litter and ensuring the health of the mother and babies. Your pet's pregnancy and the time until the litter is weaned can add up to significant veterinary bills and food costs if complications develop (which is not uncommon). Then there's the heartache if things go wrong and you lose a baby or the mother
source
I love my pet so much, I want another one just like her.
Chances are, your pet's offspring won't be just like their mother or father. Even breeders who follow generations of bloodlines can't guarantee they will get just what they want out of a particular litter. A pet owner's chances are even slimmer. In fact, it is possible that the puppies or kittens will inherit their parents' worst traits rather than the great ones you are trying to duplicate. Each animal is an individual with lovable quirks and habits of its own.
A female cat or dog should have a litter before she is spayed.
The sooner you spay your female, the better her health will be in the future. The likelihood of developing mammary tumors or uterine infections increases the longer a female goes unspayed. In fact, a female spayed before sexual maturity (six to nine months of age) only has one-seventh the risk of developing mammary cancer, compared to an intact female.
Neutering reduces a dog's ability as a watchdog.
Don't confuse aggressiveness with protectiveness; a sterilized dog protects his/her home and family just as well as an unneutered dog, and many unwanted aggression problems can be avoided by early neutering.
My pet will become fat and lazy.
Lack of exercise and overfeeding make pets fat and lazy - not neutering. It is true that altered animals require fewer calories. There's an easy way to keep them fit and healthy: cut down on their meals and treats, provide toys to keep them busy, and make time for walks or playtime every day.
My children will not have the chance to witness "the miracle of birth."
Countless books and videos are available to teach your children about birth in a responsible manner, without endangering your family pet's health (did you know that your cat or dog may get sick and even die during pregnancy and birth? Also, it is not uncommon for one or several of the babies to die within the first few weeks after birth).
Even if children are able to see a pet give birth -- which is unlikely, since it usually occurs at night and in seclusion -- the lesson they will really learn is that animals can be created and discarded as it suits us. Instead, explain to your children that the real miracle is life and that preventing the birth of some pets can save the lives of others.
Instead of showing your children the "miracle of birth," why not foster a litter of kittens or puppies for a shelter or rescue group? You will make a great difference for orphaned animals, your kids will love it just as much, and you will be teaching them to treat animals responsibly.
It is not safe to spay a female before her first heat. Early spay or neuter is risky.
As long as a kitten or puppy is healthy, weighs more than two pounds, and is two months old, he or she can be neutered or spayed. Male rabbits can be neutered as soon as their testicles become visible (at 3 to 4 months of age). Female rabbits can be spayed at 4 to 5 months old. Veterinary medicine has made great strides in the last years and many veterinarians now practise perfectly safe early sterilization.
Neutering is cruel and painful to the pet.
Every surgery carries certain risks, but sterilization is the most common surgery performed on animals today. Spays and neuters are performed with the same general anesthesia used in human medicine, and pain medication is available for animals.
The surgery usually requires minimal hospitalization -- many pets can go home the same day. And with a minimal amount of home care, your pet will resume normal behavior in a couple of days. In fact, many males act perfectly normal the day after surgery so don't be surprised if your dog tries to play ball with you the morning after his neuter (do restrict your pet's activity for 7-14 days after surgery depending on your vet's recommendations).
Kittens and puppies are so adorable that it will be easy to find homes for them.
In six years, one female dog and her offspring can be the source of 67,000 puppies, and in seven years one cat can be the source of 420,000 kittens! But even if your pet does have "just one " litter, it won't be easy finding good homes for all of them. Every year hundreds of kittens and puppies die in shelters right here in San Diego County. Most of them are perfectly healthy and cute, but there simply aren't enough homes for them. It's not a question of age or cuteness... it's pure math.
We don't need to neuter males because they aren't the ones having the litters.
Every litter is sired by a male. A single male can impregnate many females in just one day! Also, neutering isn't just about preventing litters. Keep in mind that neutering your male animal before sexual maturity dramatically reduces diseases of the prostate and testicles. It also reduces aggression and territorial behaviors, making your male pet so much more pleasant to live with.
I don't want my male animal to feel like less of a male.
Pets don't have any concept of sexual identity or ego. Your dog, cat, or rabbit won't suffer any kind of emotional reaction or identity crisis when neutered.
My animal is a purebred so breeding her won't contribute to the problem.
A large number of animals killed at shelters and pounds are purebreds. Remember, pet overpopulation is a problem of numbers, not "what kinds" of pets.
It's too expensive to get my pet(s) spayed or neutered.
The cost of spay or neuter surgery is a one-time cost; and, if we do say so ourselves, it's a relatively small cost when compared to all the benefits. It certainly is a bargain compared to the cost of having a litter and ensuring the health of the mother and babies. Your pet's pregnancy and the time until the litter is weaned can add up to significant veterinary bills and food costs if complications develop (which is not uncommon). Then there's the heartache if things go wrong and you lose a baby or the mother
source
Spay or neuter surgery carries a one-time cost that is relatively small when one considers its benefits. It's a small price to pay for the health of your pet and the prevention of more unwanted animals. Hopefully the above post also helps to answer the question about spaying / neutering.
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). Plus there is an option for human themselves to have vasectomy/tubal ligation surgery as a form of permanent birth control. A lot of married couple who is happy with the number of children they have will gladly opt for this.
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