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.

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

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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

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Somehow same issues on my thread... http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/610993

I'll be the first to say nono to neuter...say "TakNak to Neuter!!!"

just imagine urself being neuter ok? urghhh...so cruel!

I know its good for them but somehow, I just cannot bring myself to do it when I only had Casper. In the end, I got him a partner, Moonie and decided to take care of them for life.

I always think - your mom thinks it's good for you, send you to the chop board - how would you feel? Unfair la. I'm not letting my dog make the decision, I'm making the better decision for him as a good owner. If we talk about the amount of stray dogs on the road, then that's a different case.

In the end, I feel spaying and neutering is for SPCA, not for home owners. That's just my humble thought. Thanks for reading.

Well..I have to applaud Junnie in the adoption of the chow chow she posted before the owner hands over the chow chow, the new owner would have to pay for spaying.    Too bad it has already landed in a family already when we called to confirm

That's IF you wanted to spay / neuter... If you wanted to get a next generation and you just came home with the other half of your furkid. You'd scream and kill the founder.

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Added on January 15, 2008, 11:49 pm
Ok, you just love to put up a good fight, eh? I like you... Hehehe... Let me answer this.

Scenario 1 - when the unfortunate happen - we are unable to take care of our pets anymore and have to give them up for adoption.
- I would give them up for adoption as nature would want it - NO AGAIN TO NEUTER / SPAY! Why? Ok, if God intended their life to be a horrible one, nobody can help it. I know I could have with the spaying and neutering thing but then I do not wish to play God. I see it as a sin, as minor as it could be. As light as it is compared to debark / declaw. I will let the next owner carry the sin, give the owner a chance to choose what's best for their new furkid. I wont go deciding on other people's behalf - that's not right, I think. I know it probably sound selfish that I do not have the courage to bear the sin. It's nothing about guts but I'm all against taking mother nature and modify it into something else. I ain't Captain Planet but I love them too much to hurt them. Discipline / cane them, I think OK... Cut them, NO!

Scenario 2 - we found stray / lost pets (and unable to fin its owner) and put them up for adoption
- Stray is not my problem go to hell. Kidding. If I found a stray, I'd run it over and save the world from another 'problem'. Kidding. The serious thing I'd do is put it up for adoption. Before handing over to the new owner, I will speak to them and tell them the available options out there for them to spay / neuter their furkids.

Bottomline: I will educate people that there is such an option to neuter / spay their kids and not contribute to the problem at-hand but for myself, I wont do it. Hahaha... I think suddenly some of you guys going to flame me for being DOUBLE STANDARDS! Hahaha... Lol!!

  your answer really   

Anyway in Scenario 1,
Even if you give it up for adoption, how sure are you that the people you are giving is good or bad? Take example you have a very expensive MKA cert female shit tzu and something along the way happened that you have no choice to give it up. You would look for responsible owners right? But anybody can act they love dogs etc but which in fact in the background they have other intention in mind which is breeding.

Would you consider it to be cruel that they start breeding her non-stop just to get money out of it? Means every possible heat cycle she would be "raped" by a male dog to get offspring for sale. Means it's going to wear out her womb in say 3 years?

Or

Would you consider it to be cruel to suffer a one time operation which only last for weeks to heal and happy be someone's pet?

Your choice, 3 weeks of healing from operation or 3 years of labour pain?

Spaying for adoption is a must I'd say.

Also another applaud for junnie too that apart of the new owner bearing the cost of spaying or neutering, the new family will be given a probation of one month from the old owner who will check whether the dog is suitable with the new family or not.    (cough, was put in the waiting line in case something happens to the new family, that's why i know) 

Its not about the time and money la. I purposely lose my dog, you neuter for me. Then I pretend find back and save on the cost of the operation? I also understand your views. There is a man who sold me Moonie, he is a family friend. I went over his house to pick up Moonie which he brought from Seremban (so I dunno what is in Seremban) but this man, I saw his kennel, right next to his house. All sorts of dogs inside that compound which is supposedly TNB land but he fenced it, opened a small gate connecting to his house and has a kennel inside. From outside, cannot be seen wan because of the kind of entangling grass he put on the fence. I lived in the next neighbourhood for ~25 years and I've never knew that it was a kennel - so when you said never seen daylight, I think I can imagine the scenario. But used for breeding - can I say breeding is better than extinction? What if one day no more Westie or GR or Shih Tzu? Hehehehe... Just another point of view.

Wow, good idea huh... Give away the pup without giving the MKA cert. True true, no cert still sell like hotcake but mostly these are not for breeding and selling cause I think most likely they will still be parked as home owner, home pets as without MKA cert, they hold less value (monetary terms) in the mind of those money making zombies. Therefore, I would believe they would not waste so much time mating and breeding them since they have no cert. I believe even though it may not be the case but this step, helps, definitely!
If its me and I dont believe it's best, I'd still send a flying kick over to the founder. Of course before that, I'd also punch myself in the face for losing it. That is human carelessness that can be avoided if we are more careful.

This thread is interesting, read every single word, and for the sake of making this more debatable and perhaps lo0Onger! Or perhaps, it should be better said is to keep this thread alive and more people educated.
Nope, not ALL breeders. I do put a price tag on my puppy for sale, and I do ask for a higher price compared to what is averagely asked, but i strongly believe that i'm not earning more money, or should I say my bank account had not exceed 1k if you believe me.

People might ask, wow you are selling maybe the most pet products in LYN yet you do not have cash in hand more than 1k? YES! Reason is eventhough i do put a price tag on my puppies, but at the same time i spend most or more than what I get. Providing them good food, good home, staying with them at home = not able to work outside even with a degree on hand.

Also, I do not put a price tag on them if money is needed to save their lifes. This is because, i love the dog.

But of corse, i know you are not pointing it to me, but just to point out that, not ALL breeders are bad. There are good ones, and it is really hard to be a good one. 
Same in dog breeding. Too many unethical breeder and we can't stop them as long as there are buyers with mentality that price come first, ethicality later. And the fact that there are many, else how on earth these backyard breeders able to raise hundreds on dogs and still surviving?

My point is, we can't stop the unethical breeder and i dont believe people's mentality will change in my life time.

Hence, instead of discourage breeding, which means even people who cares will have no choice but to buy from these unethical breeders; i strongly believe in encourage responsible breedings. I personally thought that, If I find a person who is a sincere dog lover, who value a dog's life like his own, and one day if he appears and says "I intend to breed my dog", I believe most of the forumers will against the idea, and few will react kind of agressively, without even try to discuss more about responsible breeding. But if this person comes to me, and I realised that he is a much better candidate compared to those backyard breeders, I would say go ahead and I will guide you through it!

I dare to say that, I do agree with the request of some of my maltese buyers to breed their maltese, provided I known them for long, chat with them many many times, and they gain my trust & respect on ways they are treating their maltese.
To breed or not to breed, it really depends on what is your objective and goals.

Some breeders breed and strive for perfection. Some hoping to get the offsprings. Some don't give a damn about the quality, but they do it ethically. No matter what is your objective, the important part is, do it responsibly.

Like what you mentioned, this is not an easy task. There are risks involving the mother, their offsprings might inherits some genetic problems. Now, I see a person who is concern before deciding on breeding. If you dont mind, I would ask " Do you think that, a backyard breeder, or unethical ones, will borders?" If the mom gets into complication, and it requires a treatment cost a bomb, or at least cost more than what the breeder value the mother dog, do you think he will go for it? OR leave it to death? And averagely speaking, how many GR breeders on the market now, that you think, will stop breeding their GRs if their GRs have Hips problem, or they might not even border to find out?

And will the story change, will the scenario be different, if you are the breeder?

That's why, it really depends on what you want, when comes to breeding. 
I prefer females than males, becoz, females on heat 1 year twice, males do marking 1 day maybe 20 times.
I can't decide for you, but I have to say, I am confidence that if you are going into breeding, people will have a better choice of breeder if they were to look for a westie. You tell me, how many westie breeder out there that you think will care more for their westie than you? If you can count it, then you know what I mean.

YES, I understand that my discussion is MORE on breedings, but one couldnt deny that "neutering/spaying" is always argued alongside with "breedings". They are buddies! Dont seperate them PLEASE. Thread starter kindly amend the topic to, "neutering, spaying & breeding?" or anything alike? Then this thread will be even lo0Onger and MORE fun for Pennywise!

But of corse, i know you are not pointing it to me, but just to point out that, not ALL breeders are bad. There are good ones, and it is really hard to be a good one. 

Same in dog breeding. Too many unethical breeder and we can't stop them as long as there are buyers with mentality that price come first, ethicality later. And the fact that there are many, else how on earth these backyard breeders able to raise hundreds on dogs and still surviving?

My point is, we can't stop the unethical breeder and i dont believe people's mentality will change in my life time.

Hence, instead of discourage breeding, which means even people who cares will have no choice but to buy from these unethical breeders; i strongly believe in encourage responsible breedings. I personally thought that, If I find a person who is a sincere dog lover, who value a dog's life like his own, and one day if he appears and says "I intend to breed my dog", I believe most of the forumers will against the idea, and few will react kind of agressively, without even try to discuss more about responsible breeding. But if this person comes to me, and I realised that he is a much better candidate compared to those backyard breeders, I would say go ahead and I will guide you through it!

I dare to say that, I do agree with the request of some of my maltese buyers to breed their maltese, provided I known them for long, chat with them many many times, and they gain my trust & respect on ways they are treating their maltese.
To breed or not to breed, it really depends on what is your objective and goals.

Some breeders breed and strive for perfection. Some hoping to get the offsprings. Some don't give a damn about the quality, but they do it ethically. No matter what is your objective, the important part is, do it responsibly.

Like what you mentioned, this is not an easy task. There are risks involving the mother, their offsprings might inherits some genetic problems. Now, I see a person who is concern before deciding on breeding. If you dont mind, I would ask " Do you think that, a backyard breeder, or unethical ones, will borders?" If the mom gets into complication, and it requires a treatment cost a bomb, or at least cost more than what the breeder value the mother dog, do you think he will go for it? OR leave it to death? And averagely speaking, how many GR breeders on the market now, that you think, will stop breeding their GRs if their GRs have Hips problem, or they might not even border to find out?

My God, look at the scroll bar for this window. Because we wrote so much, now the page looks so long!!

Anyway, Yang, I admit I dont know any good Westie breeder out there. However, I think Junnie87 is one? I've seen her sell Westie a couple of times now.

just imagine our parent spay us so we wont go out straying or flirting and risk of getting aids.
cruel ? or not ??

We have clearly discussed about how you should not equate humans and pets as well as putting human emotions in pets in the prev-prev pages...

Have you not read them before posting up your comments?

Plus spaying humans will not prevent humans from going out to flirt or get Aids...

Geeeee

KP

This would be the best way to get the message across to all pet owners