Neutering refers to the surgery that renders a male pet incapable of reproducing. The surgery (orchiectomy) involves an external incision into the scrotal sac and the removal of the testicles. The testicles produce sperm and are the main source of the hormone testosterone.
Spaying refers to the surgery for a female pet. Surgical sterilization (ovariohysterectomy) involves an incision into the abdominal cavity to remove the ovaries and uterus. Ovaries produce eggs at each heat cycle and also produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone.
Veterinarians perform these common operations while the pet is under general anesthesia, during which the animal feels no pain. After the short surgery, the animal may experience discomfort as part of the normal healing process, however many animals, particularly males, seem to experience little or no discomfort. Your vet can provide pain relief medication if needed. Depending on the individual animal, he or she will stay at the vet’s office for a few hours or overnight. The pet is usually back to normal within several days.
Benefits for the pet:
Safety - neutered/spayed pets, especially males, are less likely to roam. When we spay or neuter pets, we are removing the hormones that feed the instinct to find a mate and reproduce. Sterilized animals are less driven to escape, wander and look for mates, and less likely to get hit by cars and get into fights with other animals while roaming in search of females in heat. Neutering will not necessarily stop a dog from being aggressive or marking territory if the dog has already learned these behaviors. That's why neutering before reaching sexual maturity – approx. 6 months of age – is such a good idea.
Health - The risk of cancer is drastically decreased in sterilized animals. The earlier you spay or neuter your pet, the lower the risk. Neutered males cannot develop testicular tumors, the second most common malignancy in males. The chance of developing prostate cancer and/or an enlarged prostate is greatly reduced. Neutering also reduces the risk of rectal tumors. Spaying the female eliminates the possibility of uterine or ovarian cancer. Spayed females have a much lower incidence of mammary tumors and breast cancer because the hormones, estrogen and progesterone, that stimulate breast cancer have been eliminated. An intact female has 7 times the risk of developing breast tumors as compared to a female spayed before her first heat cycle (six to nine months of age). Breast cancer is fatal in about 50 percent of female dogs. Spaying also helps prevent uterine infections (pyometria).
These are simple procedures and the younger the pet is spayed/neutered, the faster the recovery.
Benefits for pet people:
Neutered dogs are less likely to mark furniture and rugs with urine.
Neutered pets are less likely to roam or display some of the variable behavior and temperament problems that intact pets do.
Spayed females will not have heat cycles that soil rugs and furniture, and will not exhibit the marking-like behavior that females in heat can have.
Spayed females usually shed less fur.
While spaying/neutering will not "calm down" your pet, removing the urge to mate can help focus a pet’s attention on the caregiver, aiding in training and helping the pet to be a better companion.
Benefits for the community:
Tax-savings - Communities spend millions of dollars to manage the approximately 8-10 million abandoned animals taken in by public animal shelters. The cost of a spay or neuter surgery is less than the cost of one euthanasia at these shelters.
Bettering the community - Dogs are domesticated and do not usually fair well on their own outside. It is very frightening and lonely to be an abandoned animal. Stray and homeless dogs may get into trash cans, defecate on private lawns, get sick, seek shelter under cars, frighten people, and possibly resort to biting out of fear. Spaying and neutering reduces the number of animals born to suffer eventual homelessness.
Improving society - Since there are not nearly enough homes for them all, approximately 4-6 million abandoned but loving and worthy animals die nationwide from euthanasia every year. This is a social tragedy that individual citizens can reverse by spaying and neutering their pets, and giving them a home for life.
When to spay and neuter:
There is a large body of evidence to support the early spaying and neutering of animals, before their first heat cycle and sexual maturity. Older animals can be safely spayed or neutered, however, research indicates that younger animals heal faster and are lower surgical risks. The American Veterinary Medical Association, The Humane Society of the United States, the American Kennel Club, the American Humane Association and many other organizations endorse early spay/neutering, starting at 8-9 weeks. As long as a pup or kitten weighs more than 2 pounds and is 8-9 weeks old, he/she can be neutered or spayed.
Sterilization does not change the pet’s personality or cause weight gain. Spayed/neutered animals are as active, playful, protective and watchful as those that are intact. The only behavioral changes are ones for the better – marking and roaming are decreased or eliminated. While an animal’s metabolism may change after the surgery, obesity results only when people overfeed and/or under-exercise their pets.
Breeding should be done by only the most ethical, dedicated breeders who are thoroughly knowledgeable about heredity, genetics, health issues and testing, temperament, conformation, puppy rearing and placement, and the complete pedigree, history and traits of the individual dogs to be mated. These are NOT pet store breeders, puppy mills or backyard breeders. They are people who raise and breed only the best to the best in order to improve the breed. They have qualified homes lined up for the puppies before breeding; they do not overbreed, and will always take back a dog if a placement doesn't work out.
Sterilization of companion animals is the key to reducing the tragedy of homeless animals.
"DON'T LITTER" - spay and neuter your pets!
Sue Sanders, Puppy Instructor
Great Companions
Member of the APDT
