Why Spay or Neuter Your Pet?

Spaying and neutering is one of the greatest gifts you can provide your pet, your family and your community. These routine medical procedures not only reduce the number of animals who enter shelters, but they may also prevent medical and behavioral problems from developing in a cat or dog. This allows your pet to lead a longer, healthier and happier life.

Spaying or neutering is unlikely to change a pet’s temperament, basic personality or levels of playfulness and general activity. However, it can reduce the incidence of some behavioral issues, especially sexual behaviors, such as mounting, howling and the urge to roam. And despite what some believe, pets show no signs of “missing” mating or breeding.

The word “spay” refers to the sterilization of female pets. The term “neuter,” while more commonly used to refer to the castration of male pets, can be used to describe the sterilization of either female or male pets through the removal of reproductive organs.

Pets are Homeless Everywhere…

In every community, in every state, there are homeless animals. In the U.S., there are an estimated 6-8 million homeless animals entering animal shelters every year. Barely half of these animals are adopted. Tragically, the rest are euthanized. These are healthy, sweet pets that would have made great companions.

The number of homeless animals varies by state. In some states there are as many as 300,000 homeless animals euthanized in animal shelters every year. These are not the offspring of homeless “street” animals. These are the puppies and kittens of cherished family pets and even purebreds.

Many people are surprised to learn that nationwide, more than 2.7 million healthy, adoptable cats and dogs are euthanized in shelters annually. Spay/neuter is the only permanent, 100 percent effective method of birth control for dogs and cats.

Your Pet’s Health

A USA Today (May 7, 2013) article cites that pets which live in the states with the highest rates of spaying/neutering also live the longest. According to the report, neutered male dogs live 18% longer than un-neutered male dogs and spayed female dogs live 23% longer than non-spayed female dogs. The report goes on to add that in Mississippi, the lowest-ranking state for pet longevity, 44% of the dogs are not neutered or spayed.

Part of the reduced lifespan of unaltered pets can be attributed to their increased urge to roam, exposing them to fights with other animals, getting struck by cars, and other mishaps.

Another contributor to the increased longevity of altered pets involves the reduced risk of certain types of cancers.

Non-spayed female cats and dogs have a far greater chance of developing pyometra (a fatal uterine infection), uterine cancer, and other cancers of the reproductive system.

Medical evidence indicates that females spayed before their first heat are typically healthier. (Many veterinarians now sterilize dogs and cats as young as eight weeks of age.)

Male pets which are neutered eliminate their chances of getting testicular cancer, and it is thought they have lowered rates of prostate cancer as well.

Curbing Bad Behavior

Unneutered dogs are much more assertive and prone to urine-marking (lifting the leg) than neutered dogs. Although it is most often associated with male dogs, females may do it as well. Spaying or neutering your dog should reduce urine-marking and may stop it altogether.

For unneutered cats the urge to spray is extremely strong and the simplest solution is to get yours neutered or spayed by 4 months of age, before there’s even a problem. Neutering solves 90% of all marking issues – even in cats that have been doing it for awhile. It can also minimize howling, the urge to roam, and fighting with other males.

In both cats and dogs, the longer you wait the greater the risk you run of the surgery not doing the trick. This is because the behavior is so ingrained.
Other behavioral problems that can be ameliorated by spay/neuter include:

• Roaming, especially when females are “in heat.”
• Aggression: Studies also show that most dog bites involve dogs who are unaltered.
• Excessive barking, mounting, and other dominance-related behaviors.

While getting your pets spayed/neutered can help curb undesirable behaviors, it will not change their fundamental personality like their protective instinct.

Cost Cutting
When you factor in the long-term costs potentially incurred by a non-altered pet, the savings afforded by spay/neuter are clear. This is especially true given the plethora of low-cost spay/neuter clinics.

Caring for a pet with reproductive system cancer or pyometra can easily run into the thousands of dollars. This is five to ten times as much as a routine spay surgery. Additionally, unaltered pets can be more destructive or high-strung around other dogs. Serious fighting is more common between unaltered pets of the same gender and can incur high veterinary costs.

Renewing your pet’s license can be more expensive as well. Many counties have spay/neuter laws that require pets to be sterilized, or require people with unaltered pets to pay higher license renewal fees.

For Central Oregonians looking for affordable spay and neuter services, contact Bend Spay & Neuter Project at 541-617-1010 or visit their website at bendsnip.org.