Spay/Neuter....To be or not to be?

With literally millions of homeless dogs and cats being euthanized in animal shelters each year, this veterinarian and the Animal Care Center fully endorses early-age spay/neuter procedures to help reduce pet overpopulation.  There are many contributing factors that have led to pet overpopulation and the solution will likely be multifaceted.  However, spaying and neutering will always be the cornerstone to reducing the numbers of animals in shelters and euthanized for lack of a home.

Over the years, I have heard many excuses given by clients why they do not have their pet sterilized.  Additionally I have even heard some veterinarians.  Most excuses made by pet owners and others are not well founded and lack strong scientific support.  Excuses include: anesthetic risk and potential adverse effects such as obesity.

Facts:

Anesthetic agents used today are safer than they have ever been.  While there are always risks with anesthesia, these risks have been minimized with better veterinary medicines and anesthetic monitoring.  Compared to performing spays/neuters in older pets,  spaying/neutering at a young age has far less risks of problems.  

Spaying females prior to their first heat cycle (before 6 months of age) decreases incidence of mammy tumors by 80-90%.  Spaying significantly decreases risk of pyometra (uterine infection), a uterine disease commonly seen in older females.

Neutering males decreases roaming and other adverse sexual behaviors.  Less likely to be run over by cars and get into dog fights with other male dogs, in their search for a mate.  A great majority of dog bite wounds I see are a result of two or more males fighting over the same girl.  A good many injuries due to being hit by cars occur within a short distance from home and a result of the dog make a trip to his girlfriend's house.  Neutered dogs have better house training habits.  Neutered dogs have less likelihood of prostate cancer or prostate enlargement as he ages, both conditions commonly seen in older males.

Dogs that get fat after sterilization surgery do so because owners feed them too much.  Sterilized, these pets roam less (expending less energy) and require less caloric intake.  Like us, output has to exceed input or we gain weight.  If your spay/neutered dog is overweight, then they need to eat less and you need to exercise them more.

Other advantages of early sterilization:  Spaying females before sexual maturity avoids the stress and increased risk for complications associated with spaying dogs and cats when they are in heat or pregnant.  It is less traumatic to the pet, allows for quicker recovery (we all know that the younger we are the quicker we seem to bounce back after a surgery) and fewer complications.  Female puppies do not become pregnant, male puppies do not make them.

The number of puppies and kittens born each year in the United States far exceeds the number of available homes.  Dog and cat overpopulation is a serious problem.  As a veterinarian, I encourage getting puppies and kittens spayed/neutered within 3-4 weeks after their last vaccinations, which is approximately 4-5 months of age.  If your pet is past this age, it is still never too late.  Be a solution to the overpopulation problem and not a contributor in addition to adding years to your pet's life and welfare.