Why Spay or Neuter a Pet?

What Is Spaying And Neutering?

Removing the reproductive organs of a male or female animal is called neutering. Specifically, the procedure for females is called spaying. The procedure for males is called castration, but is also loosely referred to as neutering.

Although the obvious benefit of spaying and neutering is prevention of accidental, unwanted pregnancies, these procedures can benefit pets and owners in other ways as well.

Females

Besides preventing unwanted pregnancies and litters, spaying can benefit your pet’s physical health and can help avoid behavioral problems that can damage the human-pet relationship.

Females may be spayed when they are as young as 2 to 4 months old, although many veterinarians still choose to perform the procedure when pets are 5 to 6 months old. All animals are individuals, so talk with your veterinarian about the best time to spay your particular pet.

Physical Benefits of an Early Spay

Most female dogs and cats become sexually mature around 6 to 9 months of age. Spaying a dog or cat before her first estrus cycle (or “heat”) substantially reduces her chance of developing ovarian or uterine cancer. Spaying early may also reduce her risk of developing breast cancer (the second most common malignancy in pets). In addition, spayed pets will not develop pyometra (an infection in the uterus), which can be life threatening and require emergency surgery. Pyometra is common in older, unspayed females.

Of course, spaying also prevents unplanned pregnancies and unwanted litters. Pregnancies that occur when females are very young can adversely affect their health and the health of their offspring.

Female dogs in heat will have a noticeable bloody discharge. Although pet-sized panties and sanitary pads are available to assist in controlling this discharge, for pet owners, spaying eliminates the need to cope with resulting stains on carpets and furniture.

Intact (unspayed) females may also experience “false” pregnancies. During false pregnancies many of the physical and behavioral changes associated with pregnancy are evident, despite the fact that an egg has not been fertilized.

Behavioral Benefits of an Early Spay

During the stage of the heat cycle when females are receptive to males, they may attempt to escape from the house or they may attract unwelcome male suitors. Females may also begin marking their territory with urine, especially if there are other pets (male or female) in the household or immediate neighborhood. Female cats in heat may pace incessantly and engage in plaintive meowing. Spaying your female can help prevent many of these undesirable behaviors.

Males

Besides taking away his ability to impregnate a female, neutering can benefit your pet’s physical health and can help avoid behavioral problems that can damage the human-pet relationship.

Males may be spayed when they are as young as 2 to 4 months old, although many veterinarians still choose to perform the procedure when pets are 5 to 6 months old. All animals are individuals, so talk with your veterinarian about the best time to spay your particular pet.

Physical Benefits of an Early Neuter

Male dogs and cats usually become sexually mature between 4 and 7 months of age. Neutering substantially reduces the chance of males developing testicular cancer and can help prevent development of perianal tumors and some diseases of the prostate.

Behavioral Benefits of an Early Neuter

As males mature, they become increasingly protective of their territory. Undesirable behaviors associated with territorial protection include aggression toward other animals (particularly males) that enter a male’s self-established territorial boundaries and urine marking of those boundaries. Fights caused by territorial aggression often result in severe injury to one or both animals involved. Stains and odors resulting from urine sprayed on walls, carpets, and furniture can be difficult to impossible to remove.

Intact (unneutered) males will also actively seek out receptive females, which means that roaming and escape are potential problems. Males that roam may be injured by other animals, be hit by cars, consume garbage or contaminated water, or become lost. Roaming animals also cause problems for communities by getting into trash containers, defecating in public areas or on private lawns, ruining shrubbery, creating noise and other disturbances, and posing a risk of injury and disease to themselves and to community residents.

Research has shown that neutering may prevent or effect positive changes in all of these behaviors. The behavior most consistently impacted by neutering is roaming behavior.

Surgery

To accomplish surgical neutering, a veterinarian removes certain reproductive organs. The procedure is performed with the pet under general anesthesia.

If your dog or cat is a female, the veterinarian will remove her ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus. Although commonly referred to as spaying, the technically correct name for the operation is an “ovariohysterectomy” and it eliminates the production of eggs.

If your dog or cat is a male, the veterinarian will remove his testicles. Although usually referred to as castration or neutering, this operation is properly called an “orchiectomy” and it eliminates the production of sperm.

Before performing the procedure, your veterinarian will conduct a thorough physical examination of your pet and may do certain laboratory tests to ensure that there are no underlying medical problems such as kidney or liver disease, diabetes, or chronic infections that could put your pet at increased risk for complications during or after surgery.

Prior to surgery, pet owners will be given instructions to withhold food and water for a specified time. Following these instructions carefully is important to maximize your pet’s safety during anesthesia.

After surgery, your pet will be carefully monitored as it recovers. Any postoperative pain or discomfort is usually relatively short in duration and can be controlled with medication. Some veterinarians may choose to keep your pet overnight after the surgery for observation, whereas others may prefer to send your pet home the same day as the surgery. In either case, once your pet returns home, you should follow your veterinarian’s instructions carefully to ensure that your pet recovers completely and successfully from his/her operation.