Stream Valley Veterinary Hospital 2009 / Taking and Giving, or, Why you should have your Pe

Taking and Giving, or, Why you should have your Pet “Fixed”

by Shannon Pecora, M.A.

Stream Valley Veterinary Hospital

It can be a heart-rending decision for pet owners: “Should I spay or neuter my pet?” Some of us feel that this surgery takes something away from our pets—both literally and figuratively. So why should you even bother to put your pet through this serious surgical event?

Yes, it’s true that surgery can be a scary thing to face. And yes, the spay or neuter does take away your pet’s ability to reproduce. However, if you’re comfortable with your vet’s quality of care, then you know that your pet will be treated with kindness and careful attention before, during, and after the surgery. Also, if you know that you won’t breed your pet, then you aren’t truly taking away from quality of life.

In fact, by having your pet spayed or neutered, you’re actually helping improve quality of life. For example, this anesthetic event affords the opportunity to microchip your pets at a time when they can’t feel the pinch of the large needle that implants the chip. The doctor can also take this time to extract any retained baby teeth in a puppy or kitten’s mouth. If these teeth don’t fall out on their own, they can cause overcrowding and other such dental problems. Furthermore, while your pet is sleeping, the vet can look for signs of hip dysplasia by taking x-rays of him without causing any discomfort.

Additionally, “intact” dogs and cats may tend to be more territorial, both in terms of aggression and urinary marking. Females in heat or unneutered males who sense a nearby female in heat are more likely to try to run away as their instincts drive them to search for a mate. The spay or neuter surgery will help reduce those urges and may help to generally improve your pet’s demeanor or maintain already good behavior.

More seriously, this surgery might also lengthen your pet’s life span by preventing certain illnesses. In both males and females, early “alteration” surgery helps prevent cancer of the reproductive organs, such as the prostate and ovaries. As with humans, reproductive cancers in intact pets are relatively common and potentially terminal.

Unspayed females are prone to pyometra, an infection of the uterus. The infection, and even the treatment for it, can be dangerous and possibly fatal. The most conventional treatment is surgical removal of the uterus and ovaries, but this is nothing like a routine spay; there is a chance for septic infection to spread to other organs, and performing surgery on an ill patient is always risky.

So while you may be struggling with the decision of whether to spay or neuter your pet—particularly with Father’s Day right around the corner—consider all the benefits that the procedure has to offer. Instead of worrying that you’re taking something away from your pet, think of it as offering the gift of improved health.