Issue 1
Spay/Neuter
Having your pet spayed or neutered can be a life-saving decision.
In females, spaying before heat cycles begin (by six months of age
as a general rule) reduces the risk of breast tumors by over 95
percent! This is important because, in dogs, 40 percent of breast
tumors are malignant, meaning that they spread to other organs and
can result in death. In cats, over 90 percent are malignant and
almost always result in euthanasia due to the extreme illness that
follows.
In
addition, spaying eliminates the chances of ovarian and uterine
tumors, as well as life-threatening uterine infections. Likewise,
neutering males eliminates the chances of testicular tumors and
greatly reduces the risks of prostatic tumors, overgrowth and infection.
Indirect medical benefits include less disease and injury from fighting,
and from car accidents when intact animals roam in search of mates.
There
are numerous behavioral advantages to spaying and/or neutering as
well. Female cats in heat will yowl constantly for weeks, and often
try to escape. Female dogs, on the other hand, will drip blood for
weeks and attract a lot of undesired attention from male dogs.
Neutering
males helps to prevent roaming. Their urine tends to smell less
and they have less tendency to spray. Neutering can also save you
the embarrassment of intact male dogs mounting (humping) people,
other animals and various household objects (pillows, etc.). Neutering
will also decrease hormone-induced aggression.
Spaying
and neutering result in lower registration fees, less medical costs,
less costs due to bites (law suits, rabies observation, etc.), and
also contribute to helping decrease pet overpopulation. Each year,
over 14 million animals are euthanized due to lack of homes. Many
of these are young animals, and even purebreds! There are waiting
lists of over five months to get animals into no-kill shelters,
due to overcrowding. By being responsible and preventing the birth
of unwanted litters, more of these animals will have a chance.
Neutering
and spaying pets will give them longer and happier lives, time in
which they will continue to bring you joy and companionship. If
you have further questions regarding spaying and/or neutering, please
call us at (847) 516-8190.
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