Why do we recommend neutering pets?

There are multiple reasons we recommend neutering (spaying and castrating) pets. They basically fall into two categories, medical and behavioral. Most owners are familiar with the behavioral reasons.

Neutered (castrated) males will:

- not roam as much
- not chase females in heat
- tend to be less aggressive
- be less likely to "hump" or masturbate on people and inanimate objects
- mark their territory less

Neutered (spayed) females will:

- not roam as much
- not exhibit "nesting" behavior
- not have episodes of bleeding when they go through their heat cycles
- be less likely to "hump" or masturbate on people and inanimate objects

Not as many people are as familiar with the medical reasons that we are so adamant about neutering pets. First and foremost, we are always trying to decrease the number of unwanted pets that end up living in shelters or being euthanized. We want to stop pet overpopulation! That is the main reason that we always recommend sterilization. While I could have just as easily put this under the behavioral area, let's get technical for a moment. Sterilized pets cannot reproduce, it is medically impossible. Pets that are not sterilized can reproduce at the following rates:

· One unspayed female cat, and her particular offspring, can produce 420,000 kittens in seven years. · One unspayed female dog, and her particular offspring, can produce 67,000 puppies in seven years.

So call it a behavioral or medical issue, it certainly is an issue that affects us all as a society.

There are many other medical reasons to neuter our pets.

Spayed females:

- Have a markedly reduced rate of breast cancer. The earlier you spay the females, the greater the chance of eliminating this completely.
- Cannot have a "pyometra", which is a terrible uterus infection that necessitates emergency surgery.

Castrated males:
- Do not get testicular cancer
- Have markedly reduced rates of enlarged prostates, prostate cancers, and are much less prone to hernias.

As a veterinarian, beyond the fact that sterilizing pets means we have to euthanize less homeless animals, it is for these medical reasons that we recommend neutering pets.

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