Why It’s Important to Spay/Neuter Your Pet

Being a pet parent comes with many responsibilities. It may not be one of your first thoughts, but getting your pet spayed/neutered should definitely be near the top of your priority list. Spaying/neutering is the process of removing reproductive organs so that your pet can no longer create babies. However, preventing unwanted pregnancy is only really the tip of the iceberg when it comes to reasons why it’s important to spay or neuter your pet. Let’s explore them in more detail. 

Do your bit to reduce overpopulation

Did you know that around 8 million animals enter shelters in the United States every single year? Overpopulation is a massive problem in many countries, including the U.S. caused by a number of different factors:

• Owners no longer having the time or inclination to take care of an animal
• Owners no longer being able to afford to have a pet
• Moving to a new area, country, job or home that makes having a pet difficult or impossible
• Wanting to start again with a young animal
• A pet developing health or behavioral problems that owners don’t want to deal with

Unfortunately, less than 50% of animals going into shelters each year are adopted, with many living in shelters long-term or even for the rest of their lives. Countless others are euthanized because there simply aren’t the resources to care for them. 

When you choose to spay/neuter your pet, you are playing a small but vital role in helping to reduce the number of animals living wild or in shelters now or in the future.

 

Health benefits of spaying female animals

Many people are surprised to discover that there are a range of health benefits associated with spaying female animals. Not only will spaying prevent your female from developing uterine or ovarian cancers, but it can also virtually eliminate her risk of breast cancer, which is fatal in around 50% of dogs and 90% of cats. She can also avoid pyometra – a very painful and often deadly uterine infection. 

Females who are spayed are all less likely to be overly vocal and they won’t experience any messy heat cycles either. By spaying her and preventing her from coming into season, you can also ensure that your female furbaby won’t get hassled as much by any randy males that might be nearby! 

Health benefits of neutering males

It’s not just females that can reap health benefits from spaying. If you neuter your male pet, you can prevent them from developing testicular cancer and massively reduce their risk of prostate cancer too. Many males also develop undesirable behaviors when they aren’t neutered, including spaying urine to mark their territory, roaming to try and find a mate (and getting lost or hurt in the process!), humping and aggressive tendencies like barking, growling or snapping. These can be dramatically reduced through neutering. 

If your pet hasn’t yet been spayed or neutered and you would like to find out more about the process, or to schedule an appointment, please contact our experienced and knowledgeable veterinary team today.