Neutering Spaying

When you get a pet, whether it is a cat or a dog, it is absolutely essential that you spay or neuter it. Neutering/spaying is the most important medical procedure that you can have done to protect your pet – and you – from problems down the road.

For those of you who are new to the world of pets, what is spaying and neutering? Well, spaying, or ovariohysterectomy, is defined as the removal of a female animal’s ovaries and uterus. Neutering, or orchidectomy, is the removal of a male animal’s testicles. While these sound like some sort of medieval torture procedures, these surgical veterinary procedures are routine and are done while the animal in under anesthesia. He or she will feel no pain during the surgery and usually is able to go home on the day or the day after the surgery is performed. Antibiotics and pain medications are usually prescribed by your veterinarian after the surgery, as with any surgery.

Why should you spay and neuter your pet? There are multitudinous reasons why this is a preferable surgery to have done. The most prominent reason is the prevention of animal overpopulation. If you have other pets in your home who have not undergone the spay and neuter procedure, or if your pet comes into contact with animals that are not fixed, it is possible for your pet to get pregnant or to impregnate the other animal. While puppies and kittens are very cute, they come in litters of 4 to 8 animals and not many people can afford to support that many pets. Thus, many people choose to give these unwanted animals to already overcrowded facilities like animal shelters and Humane Societies. Some people even decide to get rid of the baby animals themselves by shooting or drowning them. This is a tragic consequence of animal overpopulation that can easily be avoided by neutering/spaying your pet. Spay & neuter posters often reflect these sad outcomes.

If you are concerned about the cost of neutering/spaying your pet, there are many low cost spay and neuter programs out there. These facilities are funded by government and private spay and neuter grants. A spay and neuter assistance program may be an option for those who can’t afford neutering/spaying on their own. Ask your veterinarian about these programs or about their in-house options for inexpensive neutering/spaying. Be sure that these programs are run by qualified veterinarians.