Are You Wondering Why You Should Spay Or Neuter Your Pet?
Join in the fight against pet overpopulation. Pet overpopulation is a huge problem that sweeps our nation. Due to the fact that no one wants them or that there isn’t enough room or funding at shelters across the nation to care for them over 12 million animals are euthanized each year. Many more are suffering and leading lives of quiet desperation on the streets. Many of these are the result of unwanted, unplanned litters that could have been prevented by spaying or neutering. Rarely surviving for more than a few years on their own strays die painfully by starvation, disease, freezing or being hit by cars. It is estimated that today there are over 60 million cats in America, alone. More than 70,000 dogs and cats are born each day due to uncontrolled breeding. If these facts alone aren't enough to convince you, please, we implore you to read on....
Here are a couple of reasons to have your animal altered:
. Neutering will reduce the need to breed, and that has a calming effect on many animals.
. Eliminates “Spraying” or “Territorial Marking”; a strong smelling urine sprayed on surfaces by male dogs and cats.
. Neutered male dogs and cats tend to stop roaming and fighting and lose their desire to mark their territory with urine.
. Sterilization makes your pet less of a problem for your neighbors.
. A sterilized pet is friendlier with other pets and is less likely to bite unprovoked.
The benefits to your pet’s health and life expectancy is the best argument for spaying and neutering:
. Problems and potential risks involved with pregnancy and birth are eliminated.
. Sterilized pets tend to live an average of two to three years longer than unsterilized pets.
. The likelihood of developing mammary tumors or uterine infections increases the longer a female goes unspayed. A female spayed before sexual maturity (6 – 9 months of age) has one-seventh the risk of an intact female of developing mammary cancer. Breast cancer can be fatal in about 50% of female dogs.
. Neutering a male dog by six months of age prevents testicular cancer, prostate disease and hernias.
. Spaying a female dog helps prevent pyometra (a pus-filled uterus) and breast cancer and having this done before the first heat offers the best protection from these diseases. Treatment of pyometra requires hospitalization, intraveneous fluids, antibiotics and spaying.
. Sterilization reduces the incidence of injury and disease.
. Chances of uterine infection is common in older animals and is eliminated by spaying.
Aside from being able to enjoy your pet more, they themselves will be spared much anguish and the cost advantages to you are enormous.
One male running loose for just a few hours can impregnate many females, adding to the serious problem of unwanted puppies and kittens.
Please encourage spaying and neutering in our community.
