Spaying or Neutering Your Pet

 

Many pet owners toil with whether or not to spay/neuter their pets. There are some diseases that happen less often in animals that have been spayed or neutered. Cats and dogs are generally healthier companions when they are spayed or neutered. We at Arlington Animal Clinic do not frown upon those pet owners who want to breed their animal … Those who have fully researched the rewards and consequences of breeding, and are fully prepared to be responsible throughout the entire process from conception to whelping.

Now it’s time to do a little math!

Let’s begin with some simple addition. Yes, seeing the miracle of birth is truly life changing, but there are certain risks associated with witnessing this miracle. The cost of a spay procedure doubles if the animal has had even one heat cycle. The reason for the increase in cost is that the tissue and organs are much larger in size, more engorged with circulating blood, and the vasculature is also much more developed. For this reason there is a greater probability of complications due to blood loss and tissue trauma. The more dangerous the procedure, the more skill that is required, the more money you will pay.

Now lets multiply … Approximately 50% of unspayed females develop malignant breast tumors, as well as ovarian, uterine cancer and infection. This can almost entirely be avoided. The incidence of breast cancer in females spayed before their first heat cycle is 0.3%. The incidence of breast cancer goes up approximately 10% with each heat cycle. HOW ABOUT THAT MATH. Honestly … Isn’t that a good enough reason to give your animal the operation. Still not convinced? Many animals (just like humans) suffer from ovarian cysts that can be very painful. During a spay procedure the ovaries and uterus are completely removed, thus eliminating the chance for cystic growths, adhesions and life threatening infection. A pyometrial infection, is an infection of the uterus that IS fatal without surgical correction. The risk of a pyometrial infection also increases with age and number of heat cycles. The totally ironic component to this equation is that the only way to “cure” a pyometria is to SPAY the animal. So the end result is the same as it would have been had the animal been spayed as a puppy, or kitten. The only difference is that she had to go through a very painful, now high risk surgery where the possibilities of complications are greatly increased … as is the monetary cost to the client.

Similarly, keeping an intact male animal has its mathematical advantages and disadvantages. For many of the large breed male dogs there is a definite difference in adult appearance. For example a male Rottweiler neutered at 2 years old will have a larger head and more pronounced bone structure than a male neutered at 6 months of age. THERE IS NO BEHAVIORAL OR HEALTH ORIENTED ADVANTAGES … IT IS PURELY FOR AESTHETICS! There are, however, plenty of behavioral and health oriented disadvantages. That same perfectly aesthetic male (cat, dog, rabbit etc.) is also much more likely to show aggression, hyperactivity, stubbornness, and will always be affected dramatically if in the presence of a female in heat. They are also more likely to mark and defend territory. An intact male is harder to control because they are driven by an excess of a hormone called testosterone. From a medical stand point, neutering significantly lowers the risk of prostate glad and testicular cancer. Almost 60% of intact males suffer from prostate caner. Why not make his odds a little better!

If you are still not convinced … Every day there are 70,000 puppies and kittens born with only 10,000 human births to coincide. There just aren’t enough homes for all of these animals. There are between six and seven million animals euthanized in shelters for lack of available homes. That is 135,000 per week, or 20,000 every 24 hours for each of the 365 days a year. Animal overpopulation has reached a crisis point in this country. If all of this math still doesn’t seem to add up to you. Spaying and neutering is still always good for at least one reason … It is the responsible thing to do!

References available on request!

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