It’s Spring! Time to Spay or Neuter Your Pet

You love your pet. You buy only the most delicious foods, the best toys and grooming products on the market. When your dog or cat is sick, you schedule an appointment with the vet, then stick by their side through any tests. There’s also making the choice to spay or neuter. Preventing pet overpopulation aside, spaying or neutering cats and dogs at an early age has numerous health benefits. This procedure is also said to extend the quality of your pet’s life. The decision to spay or neuter is usually the owner’s, often with the help of their pet’s veterinarian.

All pet parents should be aware of common pet health concerns. Below is a list of reasons to spay or neuter your pet in Saint Francisville, LA.

Cancer prevention in males

Neutering removes the testicles, eliminating the possibility of testicular cancer in male pets. This procedure can be done on pets born with testes and pets born without testes. Male pets born with only one testicle or none have a higher risk for developing certain types of cancers—neutering is particularly beneficial in this case.

Reduce prostate issues

Neutering doesn’t completely prevent prostate cancer in pets, but having this procedure done does reduce the chances of prostatic hypertrophy (enlargement). Also, male dogs are highly susceptible to prostatitis. In fact, if an older male dog gets neutered, it’s mainly for the treatment of an enlarged prostate gland and perineal hernia.

Lessen territorial behaviors

Pet spaying and neutering procedures do not change your pet’s general personality. However, either procedure can result in a change in certain behaviors, such as territorial urine marking or spraying. Something else veterinarians have noticed as the result of neutering is a decrease in male pets seeking female pets in heat. This may help reduce the number of male dogs leaving the house to follow and track down a female’s scent.

Prevent pyometra

Pyometra is an infection of the uterus. As perhaps one of the most common health risks, pyometra can be avoided once the female pet has been spayed. This condition can lead to serious and sometimes life-threatening illnesses in seemingly-healthy female dogs. Even more frightening is that while there are treatment options for dogs that have been diagnosed with pyometra, the treatments all too often come too late to be effective. With this in mind, spaying your dog is the most effective way to prevent pyometra.

Cancer prevention in females

Female pets are also vulnerable to various types of cancers. Yet another health complication in intact females is the development of reproductive cancers. Ovarian, breast and uterine cancers are frequent occurrences in intact female pets, while breast (mammary) cancers are more critical in cats due to the fact that a cat’s chances of getting these is significantly higher than a dog’s chances. Each heat cycle increases the risk of mammary tumors, so spay early.

For more information about these and other reasons to spay or neuter your pet in Saint Francisville, LA, don’t hesitate to contact St. Francisville Animal Hospital. Call us anytime to schedule important veterinary services!

Categorised in: Dog Health