Your pet’s reproductive organs produce hormones that can affect your pet’s behavior as well as their health. Intact pets have higher rates of certain cancers and diseases and also exhibit undesirable behaviors that affect your relationship with them. With a spay or neuter surgery in Kettering, OH, your pet can experience a healthier life, and you can enjoy their company for longer. What’s more is that the surgery helps the serious problem of pet overpopulation and homelessness in Kettering and the surrounding communities. Many shelters are already at capacity, so many healthy, unwanted pets face euthanasia. Dog and cat spay and neuter surgeries help control the pet population and invariably save lives.
Benefits of Spay and Neuter for Dogs and Cats
Both male and female pets benefit significantly from timely spay and neuter surgeries. The surgery can help curb undesirable behaviors as well as reduce the risk of serious diseases. Your pet’s benefits include:
Females:
- No heat cycles, which is a frustrating and messy experience
- Less desire to roam to find a mate, which also makes the desire to escape less likely
- Reduced urine-marking behavior
- Less likely to develop mammary gland tumors
- No risk of pyometra, a serious uterine infection
- Reduced risk of uterine or ovarian cancers
Males:
- Lessened aggressive behavior
- Less desire to roam to find a mate, which also makes the desire to escape less likely
- Reduced urine-marking and mounting behavior
- Less likely to develop prostate problems
- Reduced risk of testicular cancer
Reaping the Most Benefits from a Timely Surgery
Depending on your pet’s breed, sex, and species, they may benefit from a different timeline for surgery. We generally recommend that most pets be spayed or neutered after their last vaccine cycle, or at about 6 months of age. However, some pets may have greater benefits from an earlier or later surgery. For instance, female pets are less likely to develop mammary gland tumors in the future if they are spayed before their first heat cycle. In some pets, particularly kittens, their first heat cycle could come as early as 4 months, so an earlier surgery can help reduce their risk of future problems. Yet, larger breed dogs often benefit from a later surgery due to developmental concerns, so they may undergo the surgery as late as 12-18 months of age.
Schedule your puppy or kitten’s appointment today and we can discuss their options!