There are many responsibilities associated with pet ownership, all of which help to keep your furbaby happy and healthy. Something that is often overlooked, at least until your first veterinary visit, is scheduling to get your pet spayed/neutered. Spaying/neutering essentially refer to the same thing – the removal of the reproductive organs. Spaying is normally used to refer to the procedure in females while neutering or castrating is used to describe it in males. Spaying/neutering is an elective procedure, which means that owners have to make the choice for their pets to have it. While the idea of putting your animal through non-essential surgery may seem scary, the benefits of this procedure far outweigh the risks. Here are a few of the reasons why spaying/neutering your pet is important.
Spaying/neutering prevents diseases
Our animals can develop health problems and serious diseases too. Fortunately, spaying/neutering has been shown to be an effective way of reducing or even eliminating the risks associated with certain diseases. For example, removing the uterus and ovaries in females will lower the level of hormones that encourage the growth of cancerous tumors such as those found in the ovaries and breasts. Reducing the risk of breast cancer is particularly important since breast cancer has a very high fatality rate in animals – around 50% of dogs and 90% of cats will succumb to the disease. Similarly, in males, the risk of testicular cancer is eliminated by neutering.
Spaying/neutering helps to stop behavior problems
Even the most normally well-behaved pet can develop behavior problems from time to time, and studies have shown that animals that are intact are more likely to develop undesirable behaviors as a result of not being spayed/neutered.
Some of the unwanted behaviors that you may wish to avoid could include:
Urine marking and spraying
Excessive urination
Excessive vocalization – yowling, whining, screeching, and yapping
Aggression
Unsurprisingly, they can make your home and life with your pet rather unpleasant. However, neutering can significantly reduce the likelihood that your pet will develop such issues.
Spaying/neutering will stop your male pet from roaming
Roaming can be a worrying habit for many owners. Most cats like to spend at least some time outdoors, but if your pet is away for days at a time, they may be roaming. This happens when their hormones push them to look for a mate, and the drive is so significant that it can cause them to go much further than they would normally. If your pet wanders far away to an area they are unfamiliar with, it can be easy for them to become lost or injured. Neutering males has been shown to reduce their desire to roam, making it easier for you to keep them safe.
Spaying/neutering helps to keep the animal population under control
It’s a very sad fact that countless animals in the United States are living in shelters and foster accommodation due to being abandoned. Many more live on the streets, and a devastating number are euthanized as there simply aren’t the resources to offer them the care that they need. While this situation can’t be resolved overnight, getting your pet spayed/neutered will help to reduce the risk of unwanted/unplanned pregnancy and will be a small step in helping to prevent further overpopulation.
If your pet hasn’t yet been spayed/neutered and you would like more information about the procedure and why it is important, please contact our animal care team.
