Did you know that dog and cat spaying and neutering help control the pet homelessness crisis?
Every year, thousands of healthy cats and dogs are euthanized across the United States because there are not enough shelters for them. Aside from these, your dogs and cats may benefit medically and behaviorally from these procedures.
Although you can get your pets spayed and neutered anytime, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) suggests that you sterilize your cats when they’re five months old. This provides benefits to cats while their kittens are growing. For the small-breed adult dogs that weigh less than 45 lbs, the AAHA recommends they will be spayed before they go into heat at 5 or 6 weeks or be neutered at six weeks. On the other hand, large-breed adult dogs weighing over 45 pounds have to be neutered after growing by approximately 9-15 weeks and spayed between 5-15 weeks.
Benefits of Spaying and Neutering
1. Female Pets will Live Longer and Healthier Lives.
Spaying helps in the prevention of uterine infections and breast tumors. Whether it’s malignant or cancerous, about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats are affected by these diseases. Ensure to have your pets spayed before their first heat to receive the best protection from these life-threatening illnesses.
2. Neutering Male Pets Prevent Testicular Cancer and Prostate Cancer.
Neutering lessens the possibility of perianal tumors and hernias that are common in older, unaltered dogs. Because neutered cats are less likely to wander around, the risk of abscesses caused by bites and diseases transferred through fighting is minimized.
If you’re on the lookout for emergency vet services around Baltimore, check out Falls Road Animal Hospital. They are a full-service animal hospital with compassionate and experienced multi-practice vets. You can visit their website for more information about animal emergencies, so next time your furry friend suffers from emergency conditions, you’ll know what to do.
3. Altered Dogs are Better Pets at Home.
Altered dogs are less likely to leave your property and meet possible accidents on the highway as they are not distracted by females in heat. They also become less aggressive towards other male dogs when they’re neutered early in life. It can even spare you from humiliation since they are less likely to urinate in your neighbor’s expensive shrubs.
When you spay your female pets, their desire to roam and breed is reduced so you can avoid stray males roaming in your backyard.
4. Unwanted Pregnancy Could be Prevented.
If your family isn’t prepared for kittens and dogs, spaying or neutering eliminates this problem.
5. Spaying Makes Your Female Dogs and House Become Cleaner.
Since female dogs pass bloody fluids for about ten days twice a year as part of their estrous cycle, you have to clean your house often, especially your carpet, to avoid stains. Spaying will solve this problem.
6. Spaying and Neutering Help Prevent Pet Overpopulation.
Behavioral problems and homelessness are some of the reasons why unaltered animals are wandering around, leading to accidental breeding. Through spaying and neutering, fewer dogs and cats will be born.
