Why You Need to Get Your Dog Spayed or Neutered
There are millions of dogs in the United States that are euthanized every year because they have no home. Animal shelters and the Humane Society in no way can handle and save every dog that does not have a home. Why take the chance of your dog possibly adding to the millions of dogs that have to be euthanized because you did not spay or neuter them. Let professional breeders be the ones that allow dogs to procreate and not the average pet owner.
Male dogs who are not neutered will do just about anything to get a female dog who is in heat. This means that they will find some way to escape and run away from your home. Neutered dogs are less likely to escape and roam to find other dogs. This lessens the chance that your dog may be hit by a car, attacked by another animal or just lost forever.
Both female and male dogs have less likely of a chance to get cancer in their reproductive organs when they are spayed and neutered. This means that they may live longer and you won't have to deal with them dying early from reproductive cancer.
When a dog is spayed or neutered they become more loving to people. There complete focus is not on trying to find another dog, so they can be playful and energetic with you.
Male dogs that are neutered are less likely to bite than males dogs who are not neutered. Unaltered male dogs will fight over females in heat, which means they are more aggressive than a neutered dog.
Dogs do not know that they are neutered. They are not human and they don't think like that. You will feel worse about neutering your dog than you dog ever will.
Spaying and neutering are simple operations. Yes, your dog will have to go under with general anesthetic, but thousands of dogs are spayed and neutered without any complications at all. Giving birth and being pregnant is riskier for a dog than getting then spayed.
So if you want to help control the pet population and all together get a happier dog, get your dogs spayed and neutered.
Published by Tiffany Bell
Tiffany enjoys staying healthy and helping others with weight loss and diet information that she has learned over the past years. View profile
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17 Comments
Post a CommentI haven't researched what MJ and Carrie have said, but I still agree that spaying/neutering risks are few and a much better alternative to the varied risks of keeping an un-altered pet.
(cont.) . . [those puppies will come from] the ever-more-profitable puppy mills. Puppy mill owners LOVE spay/neuter.
Of course spayed and neutered animals are less likely to get cancer of their reproductive organs, since their reproductive organs have been removed. Unfortunately, they're also MORE likely to develop osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, prostate cancer (in males), incontinence (in females), CCL injuries, and a host of other health problems.
I used to be a proponent of mandatory spay/neuter, but then I actually started reading the medical literature and realized that most of what I'd been told and believed about the benefits of gonadectomy was one-sided and often just plain untrue.
As for overpopulation - mandatory spay/neuter will never fix that. When "responsible" pet owners are all spaying and neutering, people will still buy puppies that they will end up turning into shelters when they realize they don't really want a dog for 10 or 15 years. Instead of those puppies coming from Fifi down the street who got knocked up when Rover jumped the back fence, those puppies will come from
Here are the missing articles:
http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf
Long-Term Health Risks and Benefits Associated with Spay / Neuter in Dogs
Laura J. Sanborn, M.S.
May 14, 2007
http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/pdf/10.2460/javma.231.11.1665
Determining the optimal age for gonadectomy of dogs and cats,
Margaret V. Root Kustritz, dvm, phd, dact
You can find others as well, if you care to do your research. As a caveat, there is no doubt that the owner of an intact animal has a much greater responsibility to prevent an unwanted litter. Both articles will urge the reader to consider all points carefully and make up their own mind as to the decision that is best for them and their pet.
I hope people do their research and read several more articles on neutering than just this very simplistic one. This article acknowledges that there are CONs, as well as pros, to neutering but does not identify them. Many serious health risks have been identified in neutered male and female dogs as well as detrimental behavioural changes. Many of the behavioural problems owners do have with intact dogs are in reality, training problems. As an example, Veterinary research proves that neutered males have higher incidences of prostate cancer. Many prostate problems are reduced by neutering but, sadly, prostate cancer is not one of them. Prostate cancer is actually 4 times more likely in a neutered male than in an intact male. Here are some Veterinary research articles to check out if you want to educate yourself on this topic.
http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf
Long-Term Health Risks and Benefits Associated with Spay / Neuter in Dogs
Lau
They do get fat though.
Well-reasoned thoughts.
Excellent, excellent!
Cats, too...
Excellent work & info :)