Hundreds
of thousands of dog spays and dog neuters are performed annually
by veterinarians all across North America, and yet there still
is a growing population of homeless and unwanted dogs and
cats. If you do not plan to breed your pet, consult with your
veterinarian about the pros and cons of surgical sterilization.
Spaying
and neutering does not "make a pet fat and lazy".
In a healthy dog, free of hypothyroidism, endocrine dysfunction,
or other medical disorders, overfeeding and insufficient exercise
are the sole causes of a pet being overweight. Don't blame
the spay or neuter surgery if your pet is overweight.
SPAY...
the medical term is ovariohysterectomy. In this major abdominal
surgery the pet's ovaries and uterus are removed. There is
no evidence that a pet suffers from any personality or emotional
harm by having their ovaries removed. The uterus is also removed
to insure that it does not become a source of infection over
a period of time. See Pyometra. If the surgeon simply tied
or obstructed the Fallopian tubes (the channel where the eggs
must pass into the uterus) in order to make the female dog
sterile, she would still come into heat, attract males, and
attempt to breed. Experience has shown that the best procedure
is to perform a complete ovariohysterectomy.
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NEUTER...
another term is castration. In this surgery the doctor makes
an incision in front of the scrotum and through that incision
accesses each testicle. The fibrous coverings of the testicles
are incised and each testicle is removed after securely ligating
the blood vessels that attach to each testicle. The benefits
of having a dog neutered are well documented. And to simply
do a vasectomy to render the male sterile would not alleviate
the scent marking, desire to breed, territorial defense and
other testosterone driven behaviors.
The
surgical procedures are performed under general anesthesia and
employing sterile instruments and a sterile surgical field.
Medical emergencies can arise if a cat becomes infected during
these procedures. No surgeon approaches a spay or neuter as
if it were "routine" because each surgery is different
from every other, each pet is different, and while neutering
might be deemed a minor surgery a spay certainly qualifies as
a major procedure.
There
are no medical, emotional or sociological reasons for a female
dog to "have just one litter". It is misinformation
to believe that "having just one litter" is somehow
good for the dog psychologically or medically. And the emotional
or educational benefit of experiencing the birth and care-taking
of a litter of puppies for your children should be a very carefully
analyzed proposition. Will your children accompany you to the
animal shelter when you drop off those last six 5 month old
puppies you "just weren't able to find homes for"?
If you do choose to allow your cat to have a litter, please
be certain that there are committed pet caretakers waiting and
wanting to provide a home for them. Don't contribute to the
pathetic destruction of tens of thousands of animals euthanized
yearly in pounds and shelters. You do have the power and intelligence
to make a difference.
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