Separating the Fact from Fiction in Regards to Spay or Neutering your Pet
Sometimes separating the fact from fiction in regards to spaying or neutering your pet isn’t easy. There are generally eight most commonly given reasons why people choose not to spay or neuter their pets. Let’s take a closer look at each of these.
The first excuse (or piece of fiction) is that a pet will put on a lot of weight and will become lazy.
If a pet does put on weight then it has nothing to do with its being spayed or neutered. That is completely false. Putting on weight is likely a result of you pet’s not getting enough exercise and also overeating. Try to add more activity into your dog’s life and don’t feed them every time they give you those bashful looking eyes.
It is unnatural to have animals spayed or neutered.
Human beings domesticated both dogs and cats many, many years ago rendering them “unnatural.” It is people who messed with nature and by so doing caused the problem of overpopulation. Did you know that every day in the United States there are 70,000 kittens and puppies entering the world while only 10,000 humans are being born? There are many health risks associated with an animal giving birth while there is none connected with it remaining childless.
My dog never ventures outside so it isn’t necessary to get him or her spayed or neutered.
Even though your pet is an indoor pet there is no guarantee that he or she won’t accidentally get outside and get lost. Remember that there are many health benefits to getting your pet spayed or neutered. Animals who are fixed are less prone to many types of infections and diseases.
My pet will no longer be like him or herself.
If anything an animal’s personality is likely to improve after they are fixed up. They will be more affectionate and sociable and show less aggressive tendencies towards people and other animals. As well there is less chance that they will wander away in search of the opposite sex. Dog who are fixed also do not spray (also known as urine marking) to stake their territory because they don’t feel the need to do so.
My dog would be angry with me if I castrated him.
Animals have feelings but they are not as complex as a human being’s. Once he or she recovers from the surgery they will forget it and they will love you just as much (if not more) than before.
I want my children to see what an animal giving birth is like.
How many people actually get to witness their family pet giving birth? Most cats and dogs go into hiding when they are about to have their babies and often it is during the night because they want their privacy and they are in discomfort. Letting your pet get pregnancy and go through the pains of giving birth just for your kid’s to see it is irresponsible and cruel to the animal. It is also cruel to allow the mother dog or cat to get attached to babies that you have no intention of keeping. This teaches your children to be irresponsible and inhumane.
It is fiction to believe that you can profit financially from the birth of puppies or kittens yet many people believe this.
Raising a litter of animals is not cheap and what guarantee do you have that people will be willing to part with their money when many people give them away for free? Also shelters are full of animals that need good homes. Most shelters will charge prospective pet owners a small fee for the animal but will also have the animal spayed and neutered and give him or her the necessary vaccinations. Some shelters will even implant a microchip for identification purposes and provide a bag of food.
The fear that a beloved pet will die during the surgery is a big one but it is an unsubstantiated one.
Spaying and neutering are both commonly done surgical procedures that trained veterinarians perform on a routine basis. Often a pet’s heart rate and breathing are closely monitored during the procedure and it is rare for an animal to die will it is under anesthesia. The benefits to your pet’s health as far as spaying or neutering go far outweigh the risks involved with undergoing the procedure.
Top Reasons to Spay or Neuter your Dog
Every year there are more puppies born into the world than there are homes for them to grow up in. Sadly approximately sixty-four percent of all dogs that end up in shelters across the United States end up being euthanized for lack of adequate homes. The top reason to spay or neuter your dog is to prevent the overpopulation of animals, which can then lead to the untimely death of the animal. Spaying or neutering “is the single most important thing you can do to prevent animal cruelty!”
Animals that are spayed or neutered tend to live longer, happier and healthier lives than those who are not. The surgical procedure of spaying or neutering reduces and in some cases completely eliminates a number of health problems that can occur in dogs ranging from the mildest to the most serious. Some of these health concerns can be anything but simple to treat and also can be very costly. For female dogs, spaying (which means the ovaries and uterus are taken out of the dog) takes away the worry of her developing ovarian and/or uterine cancer. This is especially the case if the procedure is undertaken before your dog has her first estrous cycle (menstrual cycle when she first begins to go into “heat”). As well the possibility of breast cancer is lowered tremendously for a spayed female dog. A condition known as pyometra (pus-filled uterus) is eliminated if a dog is spayed.
Neutering (the testicles are removed through a surgical procedure) eliminates the worry of testicular cancer, especially if the surgery is undertaken before the dog is six months old. As well, neutered male dogs are less likely to develop prostate cancer. Neutered males are also less likely to develop hernias and abscesses. All in all a spayed or neutered dog is likely to live a longer, happier, and more peaceful life.
Unwanted pregnancies are never something anyone wants to cope with and this means money and care as a dog owner you may not be able to give. The surgical procedure of spaying or neutering would take away this worry for you. Remember too that it is very stressful for a female dog to get pregnant and carry her puppies to term. By spaying her when she is young herself you take away future stress for her body and mind.
A smaller percentage of dogs will have to be put down in animal shelters if you act as a responsible owner and have your pet “fixed.” During the years 2000 and 2001 in the county of Los Angeles, sadly 94,514 dogs and cats lost their lives in shelters for lack of homes. The majority of dogs that are brought to shelters are left there because of “accidental breeding by free-roaming, unaltered pets.” It is estimated that approximately fifty percent of the overpopulation problem in relation to dogs is due to males that have not been neutered. Be aware that it is not just mutts that end up in animal shelters but purebred dogs do as well. In fact thirty percent of shelter dogs are purebreds. Bear in mind the unfortunate truth of the matter, which is that “For every home you find for an animal that you have bred, a home is lost for a shelter animal.”
Still there are other top reasons to say yes to spaying or neutering your dog. Spaying and neutering makes most dogs more well adjusted, more affectionate and more sociable to people and other dogs. In other words, a spayed female dog or a neutered male dog is simply more agreeable to be around. The estrus (heat) cycle for a dog occurs usually twice a year and can last anywhere from six to twelve days. Your dog doesn’t have to suffer any of the symptoms if you do something about it early on in his or her life. When female dogs are in heat they can cry a lot, both day and night (especially at windows and doors) and it is a pitiful cry to hear. Also they often show signs of nervousness and “stressed out” behavior and they can attract male dogs onto your property that you don’t wish to have there.
Keep in mind as well that non-spayed or non-neutered dogs often exhibit more behavioral problems and do not have as sunny a disposition. They have hormonal cycles and concerns that their spayed or neutered counterparts do not. Animals that have had the surgery are less likely to bite anyone or get into fights. They are also less likely to leave your property without you.
For more information about dog health, or to choose from related products, choose from one of the following links:
Pet Supplies | Dog Food | Pet Meds
|
