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TOP 10 REASONS TO SPAY OR NEUTER YOUR PET
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1. YOUR
FEMALE DOG OR CAT WILL LIVE A LONGER, HEALTHIER LIFE.
Spaying-the removal of the ovaries and uterus is a
veterinary procedure performed under general anesthesia that
usually requires minimal hospitalization. Spaying a female
cat or dog helps prevent pyometra (pus-filled uterus) and
breast cancer. Treatment of pyometra requires
hospitalization, intravenous fluids and antibiotics. Breast
cancer can be fatal in about 50 percent of female dogs and
in 90 percent of female cats. Spaying your pet before her
first heat offers the best protection from these diseases.
2. THERE ARE MAJOR HEALTH BENEFITS FOR YOUR MALE
ANIMAL COMPANION, TOO.
Besides preventing unwanted
litters, neutering your male dog or cat - the surgical removal
of the testicles-prevents testicular cancer, if done before
six months of age.
3. YOUR SPAYED FEMALE WON'T GO
INTO HEAT.
While cycles can vary greatly, female felines
usually go into heat four to five days every three weeks
during breeding season. In an effort to advertise for mates,
they'll yowl and urinate more frequently-sometimes all over
the house. Unspayed female dogs generally have a bloody
discharge for about a week, and can conceive for another
week or so.
4. YOUR MALE DOG WON'T NEED TO ROAM AWAY
FROM HOME.
An intact male in search of a mate will do
just about anything to get one! That includes digging his
way under the fence and making like Houdini to escape from
the house. And once he's free to roam, he risks injury in
traffic and fights with other males.
5. AND HE WILL
BE MUCH BETTER BEHAVED TO BOOT!
Neutered cats and dogs
focus their attention on their human families. On the other
hand, unneutered dogs and cats may mark their territory by
spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house. Indoors,
male dogs may embarrass you by mounting on furniture and
human legs when stimulated. And FYI, a neutered dog protects
his home and family just as well as unneutered dog and many
aggression problems can be avoided by early neutering.
6. SPAYING OR NEUTERING WILL NOT MAKE YOUR PET FAT.
It's no use to use that old excuse! Lack of exercise and
overfeeding will cause your pet to pack on the extra
pounds-not neutering. Your pet will remain fit and trim as
long as you continue to provide exercise and monitor food
intake.
7. SPAYING OR NEUTERING IS HIGHLY
COST-EFFECTIVE.
The cost of your pet's spay or neuter
surgery is a lot less than the cost of having and caring for
a litter. It also beats the cost of treatment when your
unneutered tom escapes and gets into fights with
neighborhood straysor the cost of cleaning the carpet that
your unspayed female keeps mistaking for her litter box, or
the cost ofwell, you get the idea!
8. IT'S GOOD FOR
THE COMMUNITY.
Stray animals pose real problems in many
parts of the country. They can prey on wildlife, cause
vehicular accidents, damage the local fauna and scare
children.
9. YOUR PET DOESN'T NEED TO HAVE A LITTER
FOR YOUR CHILDREN TO WITNESS THE MIRACLE OF BIRTH.
We've
heard this one a lot. But you know what? Letting your pet
produce offspring you have no intention of keeping teaches
your children irresponsibility. Anyone who has seen an
animal euthanized in a shelter for lack of a home knows the
truth behind this dangerous myth. There are countless books
and videos available to teach your children about birth in a
responsible manner.
10. IT PACKS A POWERFUL PUNCH IN
THE FIGHT AGAINST PET OVERPOPULATION.
Millions of cats
and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized annually or
suffer as strays. These high numbers are the result of
unwanted, unplanned litters that could have been prevented
by spaying or neutering.
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