Good Reasons to 'Fix' Your Pet

Irresponsible pet owners do a terrible disservice when they choose not to spay or neuter their pets. These owners actually put their pets in danger! Being a pet owner is a tremendous responsibility, one that should not be taken lightly. Pet owners need to be good stewards of their four legged friends; part of that stewardship is controlling their pet’s reproduction. There are so many beneficial reasons for pet owners to spay and neuter their pets.

Spaying and neutering is beneficial for your cat or dog. It can eliminate or reduce a number of health problems, which can be difficult and expensive to treat. Intact female dogs and cats are prone to pyrometra which is puss in the uterus. Intact females are also prone to breast cancer. Neutering your male cat or dog eliminates testicular cancer and can reduce prostate cancer as well as some types of hernias. These diseases are costly, require surgery, extended hospitalization, and expensive medications.

My mom had an intact female miniature dachshund named Schatzie, and when Schatzie was about twelve years old she developed pyometra and had to have surgery to save her life. The doctor told us that if we had waited another couple of days her uterus would have exploded, and she would have died a very painful death. He also wondered why Schatzie was not spayed. Unfortunately my mom did not understand the consequences. After about four or five days of hospitalization my mom took Shatzie home. The bill was around seven hundred dollars, this was 1980’s money. Schatzie had stitches that started at her thorax and continued down to her pelvic region. Schatzie had about three weeks worth of antibiotics and a weeks worth of pain medication. It was heartbreaking to watch her wince in pain. After a long and arduous recovery Schatzie eventually returned back to her normal, loveable, energetic self, but at such a cost.

Spaying and Neutering a cat or dog is beneficial to owners. Dogs and cats that are sterilized make for more affectionate companions. They focus their attention on their human families. They do not concern themselves with finding a mate. Female dogs come into their first heat around nine months of age, after that about every six months. The duration of her heat last about seven to fifteen days and includes a bloody discharge which could stain the carpet and furniture. Cats come into heat usually in the spring. During this time they tend to yowl and urinate frequently, this last for about five days every three weeks! Spaying will eliminate these behaviors, and will allow pet owners to sleep better at night. Neutering a male cat makes them less likely to spray which is their way of marking their territory and saying “Hey ladies -- here I am!” The urine odor of an intact male is strong and foul smelling; if he sprays in his owners home the smell is nearly impossible to get rid of. Intact male dogs and cats have a tendency to runaway or roam the neighborhood in search for a female. This could make for a very upset owner who searches for their pet only to find that their pet has been hit by a car or gotten into a fight vying for a female. Once again this could be costly for the owner not only in Veterinarian bills, but what if “Brutus the Poodle mates with “Fifi” the Miniature Doberman and gets caught? “Fifi’s” owner might insist on “Brutus’s” owner to incur some of, if not all medical expenses, even though both pet owners were irresponsible by not having their pets sterilized. “Brutus” did trespass on to “Fifi’s” property.

Spaying and neutering are beneficial to the community. Spaying and neutering will reduce the number of abandoned and stray animals. Homeless pets can wreck havoc in communities by getting into trash cans, scaring small children, and urinating and defecating on lawns. Some dogs and cats can become aggressive when looking for mates. They have been known to get into fights with other animals, and for attacking people. Communities must also spend their tax dollars on shelters for unwanted pets, for animal control to pick up stray pets, and to investigate such operations as puppy mills. Dogs kept in puppy mills live in slum-like conditions are often sick, and are ill-fed; they are generally purebred dogs that have been overbred for the sake of a quick buck.

Overpopulation of cats and dogs is truly one of the saddest consequences of not spaying or neutering. Just walk into any animal shelter, or Humane Society there are no empty cages or kennels some animals are even doubled up, many come in sick from living without adequate care, food or shelter. A lot of animals come to shelters with behavior problems, these pets are usually the first to get euthanized. Ask any of the staff at the Humane Society what devastates them the most is euthanizing a dog or cat that would have made a wonderful pet all because that animal has been there too long and they need to make room for new arrivals. All of this could be prevented by simply spaying or neutering.

I have the good fortune of working at a career that I love, which is the Veterinarian field. As an unregistered technician; part of the job includes assisting the Veterinarian in client education. When the opportunity presents itself technicians will tell the client that it is almost time to spay or neuter their pet, and when would be a good time to schedule surgery? If they decline, technicians will often ask pet owners why they choose not to. Here are some of the responses technicians have come across.

“Well it doesn’t fit into my budget.” Technicians then proceed to tell them that spaying or neutering is a one time cost. They explain about the possible diseases it can prevent, and how much it would cost to have these operations, should their pet have the misfortune of getting. Technicians also tell them to please check out their local Animal Shelter or Humane Society, often some will offer low cost spay or neuter, or they can inform pet owners on were they can take their pet.

From some of the male clientele: “I do not want my dog to feel like less of a man.” In a very diplomatic way technicians inform the client that they are projecting how they would feel onto their pet. Technicians inform them that dogs do not have the concept of a sexual identity. He will not be traumatized by having his testicles removed. Some may argue that their pet’s personality will change. Technicians will tell them inform that their pet’s personality will not change but can prevent and stop some unpleasant behaviors.

A couple of clients have said “I do not want my pet to become fat.”
Veterinarians and technicians will tell them lack of exercise and overfeeding are the causes of overweight pets.

Spaying and neutering is still an option and not a mandate. Progress is slowly being made; most Humane Societies will not allow dogs or cats to go to a home until they have sterilized them. The cost is minimal especially when considering the negative outcomes.

The cost of neutering a one year old Boxer, weighing about fifty-five pounds at the Chula Vista Humane Society comes to sixty dollars. This includes neutering, vaccines, deworming, getting rid of external parasites such as fleas, ticks, and mites, and the placement of a microchip.
Yes, Chumley is one very lucky and healthy Boxer, the pet owners could not be more thrilled, and the community will not have to incur the financial burden of an unwanted pet due the inexcusable act of not neutering.