It’s time to start thinking about spaying or neutering your dog. But, maybe you are
not quite sure if it is the right thing to do. If you’re wondering whether you should just
leave your dog as nature intended, consider the positive and negative aspects of
spaying and neutering before making your decision.
Pet overpopulation is a serious issue. A new litter of puppies or kittens can place
considerable burden on an owner. Extensive medical care for the mother may be
required if there are complications during pregnancy or at delivery and the
puppies/kittens need proper care and good homes. Even routine care for a female
and her puppies adds up quickly. Vaccinations, parasite control, food, toys and all the
clean up supplies need to be paid for. Even if the puppies or kittens are going to their
new homes they cannot leave their mother until they are at least 7-8 weeks old.
First, what does neutering mean? Neutering is a procedure used to "de-sex" an
animal. This procedure has been used to control animal population growth, reduce
unwanted sexual behavior in pets, and decrease or eliminate the possibility of certain
disease conditions later in life, such as pyometra or infection in the uterus.
Castration is a term used to describe the removal of the gonads (testicles) in male
animals. Spaying is a term used to describe the sterilization procedure of females. The
procedure of spaying most often consists of removal of both the ovaries and uterus,
which is called an ovariohysterectomy. Both procedures are performed under general
anesthesia and both involve a surgical incision into the abdomen..
Neutering is done most commonly at or around six months of age. However, many
veterinarians perform this procedure earlier – as early as 8 to 10 weeks in some
situations. Early neutering can be done safely and has a number of advantages,
especially in cases of pet adoption.
Spaying – The Positive Side
· Spaying removes the risk of pregnancy.
Pet overpopulation is a serious issue and by allowing your dog to have litters, you are
adding to the problem. Finding homes for your new family additions is not as easy as
you may think. Even if you choose to keep the puppies, you now have the additional
cost of vaccines, parasite control, toys and food for several pets. In addition to costs,
the health of the mother can be in jeopardy during delivery. Some new mothers can
have serious complications delivering puppies and can even develop health problems
during nursing. All these potential problems can be avoided by spaying your dog.
Spaying makes for a cleaner, calmer dog.
A female dog that is not spayed will go through regular heat cycles throughout her
life. For the owner this means having to deal with a bloody discharge every few
months, in addition to unwanted attention from male counterparts and unnecessary
anxiety for her.
Without the drive to mate, your dog may be quieter and not prone to an incessant
need to seek out a mate. The spayed dog no longer attracts males and their annoying
advances and serenades. Dogs won’t have a bloody discharge for several days while
they are in heat. Without proper protective products, the discharge can stain sofas,
bedding and carpets. Spayed pets are also easier to get along with. They tend to be
more gentle and affectionate. Spaying keeps your dog healthier.
A final positive aspect of spaying your dog is that spayed pets tend to have fewer
health problems. Spaying is the removal of the ovaries and uterus. Without these
organs, ovarian cysts, uterine infections and cancer of the reproductive tract are no
longer a concern. Studies have shown that dogs spayed before puberty have a
significantly lower chance of developing breast cancer than unspayed dogs or dogs
spayed later in life.
Spaying – The Negative Side
Spaying means sterilization.
Spaying will result in the sterilization of your dog, and she will no longer have the
ability to become pregnant. In the era of pet overpopulation with thousands of
unwanted pets being euthanized each year, this is really not so bad.
Spaying may cause weight gain.
Some pets may gain weight after spaying and as they get older. Just as with people, to
lose weight we need to either diet or exercise. Cutting back on food intake or
increasing your pets activity will help reduce weight gain.
Neutering – The Positive Side
Neutering removes the risk of pregnancy.
Pet overpopulation is a serious issue and by allowing your dog to breed, you are
adding to the problem. Although you may not own the female dog, and you are not
burdened with finding homes for those new puppies, someone else is. Even if you
accept your responsibility and choose to keep the puppies, you now have the
additional cost of vaccines, parasite control, toys and food for several pets. Neutering
makes for a calmer dog.
Another positive aspect of neutering your dog is that neutering can result in a calmer,
and sometimes cleaner, home. Without the drive to mate, your dog may be quieter
and not prone to an incessant need to seek out a mate. The neutered dog no longer
feels the need to seek out and serenade females. He no longer has the stress of
needing to mark his territory and urinate throughout the house and yard. Neutered
pets are also easier to get along with. They tend to be more gentle and affectionate.
Neutered males tend to roam less and typically are not involved in as many fights
with other animals. Neutering keeps your dog healthier.
A final positive aspect of neutering your dog is that neutered pets tend to have fewer
health problems. Neutering is the removal of the testicles. Without these organs,
testicular cancer is no longer a concern and the risk of prostate problems is reduced.
For those people who would like to sterilize their dog but do not wish to alter his
appearance, testicular implants are available.
Neutering – The Negative Side
Neutering will result in the sterilization of your dog. He will no longer be able to
reproduce, so if you intend to breed your animal, do not have him neutered.
·Neutering changes his appearance. Your dog will look different because his testicles
will no longer be present. If the absence of these organs is a cosmetic problem for you,
discuss testicular implants with your veterinarian.
Neutering may cause weight gain. Some pets gain weight after neutering. Cutting
back on his food or increasing his activity can help reduce the weight gain.
Last year about 17 million dogs and cats were turned over to animal shelters. Only
one out of every 10 taken in to the shelters found a home. This means that over 13.5
million had to be destroyed. The tragedy is that this is unnecessary. Much of the
problem could be eliminated by simple surgery: Spaying and neutering operations are
performed under general anesthesia and are quite painless. By neutering pets, owners
can help lower the numbers of unwanted and homeless creatures.
not quite sure if it is the right thing to do. If you’re wondering whether you should just
leave your dog as nature intended, consider the positive and negative aspects of
spaying and neutering before making your decision.
Pet overpopulation is a serious issue. A new litter of puppies or kittens can place
considerable burden on an owner. Extensive medical care for the mother may be
required if there are complications during pregnancy or at delivery and the
puppies/kittens need proper care and good homes. Even routine care for a female
and her puppies adds up quickly. Vaccinations, parasite control, food, toys and all the
clean up supplies need to be paid for. Even if the puppies or kittens are going to their
new homes they cannot leave their mother until they are at least 7-8 weeks old.
First, what does neutering mean? Neutering is a procedure used to "de-sex" an
animal. This procedure has been used to control animal population growth, reduce
unwanted sexual behavior in pets, and decrease or eliminate the possibility of certain
disease conditions later in life, such as pyometra or infection in the uterus.
Castration is a term used to describe the removal of the gonads (testicles) in male
animals. Spaying is a term used to describe the sterilization procedure of females. The
procedure of spaying most often consists of removal of both the ovaries and uterus,
which is called an ovariohysterectomy. Both procedures are performed under general
anesthesia and both involve a surgical incision into the abdomen..
Neutering is done most commonly at or around six months of age. However, many
veterinarians perform this procedure earlier – as early as 8 to 10 weeks in some
situations. Early neutering can be done safely and has a number of advantages,
especially in cases of pet adoption.
Spaying – The Positive Side
· Spaying removes the risk of pregnancy.
Pet overpopulation is a serious issue and by allowing your dog to have litters, you are
adding to the problem. Finding homes for your new family additions is not as easy as
you may think. Even if you choose to keep the puppies, you now have the additional
cost of vaccines, parasite control, toys and food for several pets. In addition to costs,
the health of the mother can be in jeopardy during delivery. Some new mothers can
have serious complications delivering puppies and can even develop health problems
during nursing. All these potential problems can be avoided by spaying your dog.
Spaying makes for a cleaner, calmer dog.
A female dog that is not spayed will go through regular heat cycles throughout her
life. For the owner this means having to deal with a bloody discharge every few
months, in addition to unwanted attention from male counterparts and unnecessary
anxiety for her.
Without the drive to mate, your dog may be quieter and not prone to an incessant
need to seek out a mate. The spayed dog no longer attracts males and their annoying
advances and serenades. Dogs won’t have a bloody discharge for several days while
they are in heat. Without proper protective products, the discharge can stain sofas,
bedding and carpets. Spayed pets are also easier to get along with. They tend to be
more gentle and affectionate. Spaying keeps your dog healthier.
A final positive aspect of spaying your dog is that spayed pets tend to have fewer
health problems. Spaying is the removal of the ovaries and uterus. Without these
organs, ovarian cysts, uterine infections and cancer of the reproductive tract are no
longer a concern. Studies have shown that dogs spayed before puberty have a
significantly lower chance of developing breast cancer than unspayed dogs or dogs
spayed later in life.
Spaying – The Negative Side
Spaying means sterilization.
Spaying will result in the sterilization of your dog, and she will no longer have the
ability to become pregnant. In the era of pet overpopulation with thousands of
unwanted pets being euthanized each year, this is really not so bad.
Spaying may cause weight gain.
Some pets may gain weight after spaying and as they get older. Just as with people, to
lose weight we need to either diet or exercise. Cutting back on food intake or
increasing your pets activity will help reduce weight gain.
Neutering – The Positive Side
Neutering removes the risk of pregnancy.
Pet overpopulation is a serious issue and by allowing your dog to breed, you are
adding to the problem. Although you may not own the female dog, and you are not
burdened with finding homes for those new puppies, someone else is. Even if you
accept your responsibility and choose to keep the puppies, you now have the
additional cost of vaccines, parasite control, toys and food for several pets. Neutering
makes for a calmer dog.
Another positive aspect of neutering your dog is that neutering can result in a calmer,
and sometimes cleaner, home. Without the drive to mate, your dog may be quieter
and not prone to an incessant need to seek out a mate. The neutered dog no longer
feels the need to seek out and serenade females. He no longer has the stress of
needing to mark his territory and urinate throughout the house and yard. Neutered
pets are also easier to get along with. They tend to be more gentle and affectionate.
Neutered males tend to roam less and typically are not involved in as many fights
with other animals. Neutering keeps your dog healthier.
A final positive aspect of neutering your dog is that neutered pets tend to have fewer
health problems. Neutering is the removal of the testicles. Without these organs,
testicular cancer is no longer a concern and the risk of prostate problems is reduced.
For those people who would like to sterilize their dog but do not wish to alter his
appearance, testicular implants are available.
Neutering – The Negative Side
Neutering will result in the sterilization of your dog. He will no longer be able to
reproduce, so if you intend to breed your animal, do not have him neutered.
·Neutering changes his appearance. Your dog will look different because his testicles
will no longer be present. If the absence of these organs is a cosmetic problem for you,
discuss testicular implants with your veterinarian.
Neutering may cause weight gain. Some pets gain weight after neutering. Cutting
back on his food or increasing his activity can help reduce the weight gain.
Last year about 17 million dogs and cats were turned over to animal shelters. Only
one out of every 10 taken in to the shelters found a home. This means that over 13.5
million had to be destroyed. The tragedy is that this is unnecessary. Much of the
problem could be eliminated by simple surgery: Spaying and neutering operations are
performed under general anesthesia and are quite painless. By neutering pets, owners
can help lower the numbers of unwanted and homeless creatures.
| The Importance of Spay/Neuter |
961 Morrissey Blvd.
Dorchester, MA
02122
Phone:
617-288-2333
Fax: 617-288-9282
Dorchester, MA
02122
Phone:
617-288-2333
Fax: 617-288-9282
| Neponset Animal Hospital |
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