Importance of Spaying/Neutering Your Pet

Population control is one of the many reasons why people consider desexing their cats or dogs. Not all pet parents can take care of multiple dogs at home. What more if you need to tend to numerous puppies at a time? Are you wondering whether or not you have to get your beloved animal companion spayed or neutered? Here are some excellent reasons why it can be beneficial.

 

Medical Benefits

Spaying can help your female pet live longer and become healthier. Spaying aids in preventing uterine infections as well as breast tumors. These are malignant in approximately 90 percent of cats and 50 percent of dogs. Experts agree that you can protect your pets from these serious diseases by spaying your pet before her first heat. In the same token, neutering your male pet helps prevent certain prostate issues as well as testicular cancer.

 

Behavioral Benefits

Your pet’s sex hormones influence the way they behave. Spaying or neutering your animal companion can help lessen or even eradicate certain behaviors. For instance, spayed females won’t go into heat. As you know, heat cycles can vary. But female cats often go into heat for as long as five days every few weeks during the breeding season. In certain climates, this can occur all year round. Cats generally yowl and even urinate at undesirable locations to find a mate. Female dogs, on the other hand, can become more social or reserved.


If you want to curb unwanted behaviors, spaying or neutering can help. You will see that neutered dogs are less likely to roam away from your home searching for their mates. Many dogs fight with other roaming dogs, end up in traffic accidents and further trouble because of this behavior. Spaying or neutering can help your pet become more well-behaved. The procedure will lead to reduced mounting behavior, intermale aggression, and marking of territories with urine.

 

Cost Benefits

It will cost you much less if you spay or neuter your pet than paying for life-threatening medical emergencies and treatments. The procedure is also much more cost-effective than the time and money required to properly raise a litter of puppies and kittens. Besides, unplanned pregnancies can cause uncontrolled population growth. As you know, pet overpopulation results in increased homelessness, leading to public health issues. These include safety concerns like animal bites from roaming pets and disease transmission from an infected pet to other animals and even humans.

 

Any companion animal that’s bigger than a hamster can be potentially spayed or neutered. These include guinea pigs, ferrets, and rabbits, among others. Experts generally recommend that you spay or neuter your beloved pet while they are still young. For most dogs, the best time is when they are between six and nine months old. Adult dogs can also undergo the procedure. But older dogs and those with pre-existing health problems are often more prone to complications following the surgery.

 

Learn more about the importance of spaying / neutering your pet, contact Kankakee Animal Hospital today in Kankakee, IL at (815) 332-0600.