Baby animals are great, but not when you have to feed them, clean up after them and find them new homes. They take time and money to care for. A spay & neuter operation spares you the stress of dealing with unwanted baby animals. Arbor Ridge Pet Clinic looks at the benefits of getting your pet spayed or neutered.
Does Not Contribute to Homeless Pet Population
Even if you find homes for all of the babies, you lose control over what happens to them. You never know if they will wind up in a shelter and be put to sleep. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) estimates that over 1.5 million homeless dogs and cats are euthanized every year in the nation’s shelters. No numbers are kept for other pet species, but it’s estimated to be nearly as high.
Spayed and Neutered Pets Live Longer
Studies have shown that spayed and neutered dogs and cats live longer. One 2013 study by Banfield Pet of nearly three million dogs and cats showed that spayed and neutered pets lived up to 62% longer than pets left entire.
Spayed and Neutered Pets Are Healthier
When a veterinarian removes the reproductive organs from a female or the testes of a male, that pet’s chances of getting cancers of those organs disappear. Female dogs spayed before they come into heat for the first time have about a 99% less chance of getting mammary cancer. Females left entire are prone to infections in the uterus. Spayed and neutered pets are also less likely to get degenerative diseases or vascular diseases.
Spayed and Neutered Pets are Better Behaved
Neutered males are usually less aggressive than males left entire. Spayed and neutered pets are less likely to roam, making them less likely to get hurt in fights over mates or get hit by traffic crossing streets looking for mates. Spayed and neutered dogs are usually easier to train since they pay more attention to their owners than dogs left entire. Male kittens will not start spraying if neutered before six months old.
Spayed and Neutered Pets Can Have More Friends
Social animals like dogs, rabbits, and guinea pigs usually do better in the company of their kind. With spaying and neutering, you can keep males and females without worrying about babies. Both rabbits and guinea pigs can be safely spayed or neutered, as long as they are generally healthy, and your veterinarian is familiar with operating on those species.
Schedule an Appointment with Our Veterinarian for Spay and Neuter Services in Fitchburg, WI
If you have questions about the benefits of a spay & neuter operation for your pet and live in the Fitchburg, WI area, contact Arbor Ridge Pet Clinic at (608) 274-3880 to make an appointment today.