Pet Care Library

 

Spaying and Neutering Your Pets

Neutering Your Male Pet

Neutering your dog or cat provides many health benefits such as eliminating the threat of testicular cancer. Once neutered, your pet will also be less prone to other types of cancers as well.

Neutering your male dog will help him avoid aggressive behaviors brought about by high testosterone levels. It will help your dog be less aggressive and more tolerant of “family life” in general.

Your pet will be unlikely to “mark.” Testosterone fuels territorial behaviors like leg-lifting,and urine marking.

A neutered dog wanders less. When a female dog is in heat, a male dog can sense this and this causes many unneutered male dogs to wander off and run away from home in search of a female dog in heat. Many times on these “escapes,” these dogs are struck by cars and involved in serious trauma as well!

A neutered dog is less attractive to pet thieves. In some cases, a dog thief will steal a pure bred dog for use in a backyard breeding program.

 

Spaying Your Female Pet

If you can spay your female pet, behavior problems are generally reduced, including roaming, aggression, and anxiety or fear-related problems.

Estrus (heat) behavior, attraction of male animals, and soiling of surroundings with bloody secretions are reduced or eliminated.

Infections, cancer, and other diseases of the uterus and ovaries are prevented. Many of these diseases can be life threatening.

Spaying reduces the risk of breast cancer developing later in life. This advantage is only valid if the animal is spayed before 2 ½ years of age, and is most effective if done before her first heat cycle.

Spaying reduces hormonal changes which can interfere with the treatment of certain diseases, such as diabetes or epilepsy.

A spayed pet does not contribute to the pet overpopulation problem!

 

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