Spaying

Spaying, called ovariohysterectomy, is the surgical removal of your pet's ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus. It eliminates all heat cycles and the accompanying unwanted bleeding, nervousness, and desire to mate.

Female pets are often mature enough to reproduce at the age of 6-9 months. They will experience a reproductive, or "heat," cycle every 6 months, usually once in the spring and again in the fall. Each cycle begins with proestrus, or "bleeding," prior to the true heat cycle, when the female is receptive to the reproductive advances of males. The entire cycle may be as short as a few days or as long as 3-4 weeks. Often, the female dog will experience personality changes during heat cycles, becoming short-tempered or anxious.

Spaying your pet before her first heat cycle greatly reduces her chances of developing mammary cancer later in life. It will also protect her from uterine infections and difficult or dangerous pregnancies.

Neutering

Neutering, called orchiectomy or castration, is the surgical removal of your pet's testicles. If done at an early age, it eliminates reproductive behavior.

After they reach sexual maturity at 6-9 months of age, male pets are able to breed any time they are exposed to a receptive female. Un-neutered pets are prone to wander in search of a female in heat, which frequently exposes them to diseases, fights, and traffic. They also tend to "mark" their territory by spraying urine on furniture, walls, shrubs, etc. This tendency is greatly reduced when the pet is neutered. Aggressive behavior may also be reduced.

Neutered pets are less likely to develop prostatic disease and are no longer at risk for testicular cancer and infections. They will retain their unique personality, but are less likely to roam.

Timing

Generally, a female should be spayed before her first estrus or heat period, at about six months of age. Males can be neutered between 6 months and one year of age. Under some circumstances, the spay or neuter surgery can be done when your pet is even younger. Your vet will recommend the most appropriate time for your particular pet's surgery.

Misconceptions

Owners of male dogs fear that their pet's personality will change, or they won't be as effective as hunters without the aggressive testosterone edge.

Owners of female pets may want to make money by breeding their new pet - creating puppies or kitties "just like their mother."

Parents often want to give their children the opportunity to experience the "miracle of birth."

New pet owners are very nervous about their puppy or kitten having surgery, and worry about rumored dangers of anesthesia.

Realities

Population Control: Your pet is a companion, friend, and member of your family. But not all pets are as cherished as yours. In animal shelters throughout North America, up to 6,000,000 dogs and cats are euthanized each year. Although these figures seem staggering, it's easy to understand when you consider this: If one pair of cats produces 8 kittens per year, and each of those kittens produces an average of 8 kittens per year, there are almost 300,000 cats in the "family tree" by the 6th year. In fact, for every kitten or puppy that finds a happy home, four others are unwanted, unloved, and possibly neglected or abused.

Personality & Behavior: After being altered, pets are generally less aggressive toward other pets and have more tolerant personalities. Spraying, which is often done to mark territory, diminishes or ceases.

Neutered or spayed animals also no longer need to roam in search of a mate, so they stay home and avoid traumatic accidents. This gives them a much lower risk of contracting contagious diseases and they get into fewer fights.

Spaying or neutering your pet may reduce their metabolism. Consult with your vet to determine if your pet's food intake should be adjusted accordingly.

Breeding: Even if you breed two purebred animals, it rarely results in offspring that are exactly like either of their parents. With mixed breeds, it is virtually impossible.

Even experienced breeders are fortunate if they break-even on purebred litters. The cost of raising such a litter - which includes stud fees, vaccinations, other health care costs, and quality food - eats up most of the anticipated profit. Experienced breeders breed animals that they like, and try to improve the standards of the breeds they raise.

As for the miracle of birth, mothers need privacy and often give birth in the middle of the night or in a secret place. Therefore, any unnecessary intrusion can seriously upset them and may result in their unwillingness to care for the offspring, or even injuries to the owner or babies.

Anesthesia: Understandably, many owners are concerned about putting their puppy or kitten under anesthesia. Although there is always a slight risk involved, the anesthetics we currently use are very safe and a Veterinary Technician monitors your pet's heart and respiratory rates throughout the procedure. To further minimize risk, we can run pre-anesthetic blood tests to evaluate your pet's kidney and liver function before proceeding with surgery. Thus, the medical benefits of having your pet spayed or neutered far outweigh the slight risks involved with undergoing anesthesia.

Long-Term Health: Neutering males decreases their chance of developing prostatic disease or hernias and eliminates their chance of developing testicular cancer. It also reduces problems with territorial and sexual aggression, inappropriate urination (marking or spraying), and other undesirable behaviors.

Spaying females decreases their chance of developing breast cancer; in fact, the risk is almost nil if spaying is done before the second heat cycle. It also eliminates the chance that your pet will develop a potentially fatal infection of the uterus called "pyometra," and eliminates heat cycle mood swings, undesirable behaviors, and spotting.

Conclusion

Spaying and neutering greatly increases the life span of your pet and their quality of life as well.