Spay and Neuter Your Pets!
Goodfor You, Your Pet, and the Community
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<![endif]>PreventA Litter - It's Good for You
<![if !supportLists]>·<![endif]>Spayed and neutered pets are better, more affectionate, companions.
<![if !supportLists]>·<![endif]>Neutered cats are less likely to spray and mark territory.
<![if !supportLists]>·<![endif]>Spaying a female dog or cat eliminates its heat cycle, which can lasttwenty-one days, twice a year, in dogs, and anywhere from three to fifteendays, three or more times a year, in cats. Females in heat often cryincessantly, show nervous behavior, and attract unwanted male animals.
<![if !supportLists]>·<![endif]>Spayed and neutered pets are less likely to bite. Unaltered animalsoften exhibit more behavior and temperament problems than those that have beenspayed or neutered.
<![if !vml]><![endif]>Preventa Litter - It's Good for Your Pet
- Spayed and neutered dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives.
- Spaying female dogs and cats eliminates the possibility of uterine or ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the incidence of breast cancer.
- Neutering male dogs and cats reduces the incidence of prostate cancer.
- Neutered animals are less likely to roam and fight.
<![if !vml]><![endif]>PreventA Litter - It's Good for the Community
- Communities spend millions of dollars to control and eliminate unwanted animals. Irresponsible breeding contributes to the problem of dog bites and attacks. Animal shelters are overburdened with surplus animals.
Health Benefits of Spaying andNeutering
Spayed animalsno longer feel the need to roam to look for a mate. The result is that theystay home and have less chance of being involved in traumatic accidents such asbeing hit by a car. They also have a much lower incidence of contractingcontagious diseases, and get into fewer fights.
In males,neutering decreases the chances of developing prostatic disease and hernias,and eliminates the chances of developing testicular cancer. It also reducesproblems with territorial and sexual aggression, inappropriate urination(spraying) and other undesirable male behaviors.
In Females,spaying decreases the incidence of breast cancer (the rate goes down to almostzero if the spaying is done before the first heat cycle!). It eliminates thechance of developing a serious and potentially fatal infection of the uterusexperienced by many mature unspayed animals (pyometra). Spay surgery alsoeliminates the heat cycle and associated mood swings and undesirable behaviors,messy spotting (in dogs) and the attraction of all available males to youryard.
Five Good Reasons Why You ShouldSpay or Neuter Your Pet
1) Spaying orneutering increases your pet's chances for a longer, healthier life.
<![if !supportLists]>·<![endif]>Spaying your pet before her first estrous cycle (that is, before shereaches sexual maturity) greatly reduces her chances of developing breastcancer and completely eliminates the threat of uterine and ovarian cancer anduterine infection, which are common occurrences in unaltered females.
- Neutering your male dog or cat prevents testicular tumors and may prevent prostate problems. Neutering also decreases the possibility of perianal tumors and hernias, which are commonly observed in older, unaltered dogs. Because neutered cats are less likely to roam, the threat of abscesses caused by bites and diseases transmitted by fighting are greatly reduced.
2) An altereddog or cat is a better pet for your family.
<![if !supportLists]>·<![endif]>Males neutered early in life are less aggressive toward other malesand are not distracted by females in heat. Therefore, a neutered male will beless tempted to leave your property and cross that dangerous highway searchingfor a mate. Neutered males also are less likely to mark every one of your (oryour neighbor's) expensive shrubs with his urine as well as inside the house.
- Spaying your female pet eliminates the problem of stray males camping in your yard and decreases her desire to roam and breed.
3) No familywants to cope with an unwanted pregnancy.
Spaying preventsyour pet from giving birth to unwanted puppies or kittens.
4) Spayingresults in a cleaner female dog and home.
Because femaledogs pass bloody fluid for about ten days, twice a year, as a part of theirestrous cycle, constant care must be taken to avoid carpet stains in homes withsuch animals. Spaying your dog eliminates this problem.
5) You arehelping to alleviate the dog and cat overpopulation problem.
Each year,millions of unwanted dogs and cats are euthanized (killed) at shelters acrossthe country. Although pet behavioral problems are the main reasons animals aregiven to shelters, many orphans are the result of accidental breeding byfree-roaming, unaltered pets. The more pets spayed or neutered, the fewer dogsand cats will have to be destroyed. Delaware Humane Association does noteuthanized; however, hundreds of dogs and cats are turned away each yearbecause there is simply not enough room at the shelter to accommodate them.
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Six Common Excuses for NotSpaying or Neutering Pets
1) My petwill get fat and lazy.
Neutering orspaying may diminish your pet's overall activity level, natural tendency towander, and hormonal balances, which may influence appetite. Pets that becomefat and lazy after being altered usually are overfed and do not get enoughexercise.
2) We wantanother pet just like Rover and Fluffy.
Breeding twopurebred animals rarely results in offspring that are exactly like one of theparents. With mixed breeds, it is virtually impossible to have offspring thatare exactly like one of the parents.
3) My pet'spersonality will change.
Any change willbe for the better. After being altered, your pet will be less aggressive towardother dogs or cats, have a better personality, and will be less likely towander. Spraying (urine marking), which is often done by dogs and cats to marktheir territory, diminishes or ceases after pets are altered.
4) We cansell puppies or kittens and make money.
Even well-knownbreeders are fortunate if they break even on raising purebred litters. The costof raising such a litter -- which includes stud fees, vaccinations and otherhealth care costs, and feeding a quality food -- consumes most of the"profit." Well-known breeders raise breeds that they like. Thesebreeders also try to improve the standard of the breeds they raise.
5) Mychildren should witness our pet giving birth.
Pets often havetheir litters in the middle of the night or in a place of their own choosing.Because pets need privacy when giving birth, any unnecessary intrusion cancause the mother to become seriously upset. These intrusions can result in anunwillingness to care for the offspring or in injury to the owners or to thepet.
6) I amconcerned about my pet undergoing anesthesia.
Placing a petunder anesthesia is a very common concern of owners. Although there is always aslight risk involved, the anesthetics currently used by veterinarians are verysafe. Many veterinarians use equipment that monitors heart and respiratoryrates during surgery to ensure that their patients are doing well underanesthesia. Thus, the medical benefits of having your pet spayed or neuteredfar outweigh the slight risk involved with undergoing anesthesia. Consult yourveterinarian if your are concerned about this aspect of the procedure.
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