Plenty of reasons!There is, of course, the obvious. A heartbreaking number of dogs and cats are euthanized every day in this country simply because they don't have anybody to look after them. Spaying and neutering helps amazingly well to curb pet overpopulation.
But what if you have no intention of letting Bailey out of the house without her being on a leash? What if you know for an absolute fact that Jake can't dig out of the backyard and go visit the cute little Shih Tzu down the street?
Behaviorally, spaying and neutering can solve many little problems: male cats are less likely to spray. Male dogs are less likely to roam. Female cats and dogs never go into heat and never attract every male within a five-mile radius.
More importantly, however, are the benefits to our pets' health that come from spaying and neutering.
Spaying a female dog or cat decreases the potential for developing:
-- Mammary glad tumors (breast cancer)
-- Pyometra (uterine infections that are often fatal)
-- Ovarian and uterine tumors (cancer)
Neutering a male dog or cat decreases the potential for developing:
-- Prostate disease (enlarged prostate, prostate abscess)
-- Perianal adenoma and adenocarcinomas (cancer around the anus)
-- Testicular cancer
Any time an animal comes to the hospital and is diagnosed with one of these diseases, chances are very good that it hasn't been spayed or neutered. You can imagine how the owner feels when he or she realizes that the disease could have been avoided.
In general, we recommend that all animals be spayed or neutered. If we really do feel that our pets are members of our family, we should treat them with the love and respect they deserve, which includes doing everything we can to ensure a long life of good health. Spaying and neutering will do just that.
And by the way? No, male dogs are NOT embarassed that their testicles are missing. That's a human thing.
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