Neutered cats and dogs focus their attention
on their human families. On the other hand, unsterilized,
unsupervised males roam in search of a mate, risking injury
in traffic and in fights with other males. They mark territory
by spraying strong-smelling urine on surfaces. Indoors,
male dogs may embarrass you by mounting furniture and
human legs when stimulated. Don't confuse aggressiveness
with protectiveness; a neutered dog protects his home
and family just as well as an unneutered dog, and many
aggression problems can be avoided by early neutering.
|
| Females |
While their cycles vary greatly, most
female cats exhibit the following signs when in heat.
For four or five days, every three weeks, they yowl and
urinate more frequently - sometimes all over the house
- advertising for males. Often they attract unneutered
males who spray urine around the females' home. Female
dogs also attract males from great distances. Female dogs
generally have a bloody discharge for about a week, and
can conceive for another week or so.
|
| Good
Medicine |
Did you know that a spayed or neutered
animal will live a longer, healthier life?
Spaying a female (removing the ovaries
and uterus) or neutering a male (removing the testicles)
are veterinary procedures performed with the same general
anesthesia used in human medicine. Both surgeries usually
require minimal hospitalization.
Neutering a male cat or dog by six
months of age prevents testicular cancer, prostate disease,
and hernias. Spaying a female cat or dog helps prevent
pyometra (a pus-filled uterus) and breast cancer; having
this done before the first heat offers the best protection
from these diseases. Treatment of pyometra requires hospitalization,
intravenous (IV) fluids, antibiotics, and spaying. Breast
cancer can be fatal in about 50 percent of female dogs
and 90 percent of female cats. With an older, seriously
ill animal, anesthesia and surgery are complicated and
costly.
|
| Responsible
Care |
Did you know that you can help prevent
the suffering and death of millions of animals?
One cat or dog who has babies and
whose babies have babies can be responsible for the birth
of 50 to 200 kittens or puppies in one year! Almost everyone
loves puppies and kittens, but some people lose interest
when these animals grow up. As a result, millions of cats
and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized annually
or suffer as strays. Rarely surviving for more than a
few years on their own, strays die painfully by starvation,
disease, freezing, or being hit by cars.
|
| Just
the Facts, Please |
Myth
A female cat or dog should have a
litter before she is spayed. |
Fact |
The sooner you spay your female,
the better her health will be in the future. As long as
a kitten or puppy weighs more than 2 pounds and is 2 months
old, he or she can be neutered or spayed. Many veterinarians
are practicing perfectly safe early sterilization. The likelihood
of developing mammary tumors or uterine infections increases
the longer a female goes unspayed. In fact, a female spayed
before sexual maturity (6-9 months of age) has one seventh
the risk of an intact female of developing mammary cancer.
|
Myth
Spaying or neutering will alter my pet's
personality. |
| Fact
|
Any slight changes will be positive.
Regardless of the age when spayed or neutered, your pet
will remain a caring, loving, and protective companion.
Neutering will reduce the need to breed, and that has a
calming effect on many animals. Both neutered male canines
and felines tend to stop roaming and fighting and lose the
desire to mark their territory with urine.
|
Myth
Companion animals will become fat
and lazy if they are neutered. |
| Fact
|
Absolutely not! Lack of exercise
and overfeeding make pets fat and lazy - not neutering.
Your pet will not gain weight if you provide exercise and
monitor food intake. Neutering is good for your pet, since
sterilized pets tend to live an average of two to three
years longer than unsterilized ones.
|
Myth
Sterilization is a dangerous and painful
surgery for my pet. |
| Fact
|
Spaying and neutering are
the most common surgeries performed on animals. With a minimal
amount of home care, your pet will resume normal behavior
in a couple of days.
|
Myth
Children should witness the miracle
of birth. |
| Fact
|
Countless books and videos
are available to teach your children about birth in a responsible
manner. Letting your pet produce offspring you have no intention
of keeping is teaching your children irresponsibility. Anyone
who has seen an animal euthanized in a shelter for lack
of a home knows the truth behind this dangerous myth.
|
|
So please be a responsible owner &
spay or neuter your pet.
|
|
|
