Top Reasons to Neuter Your Male Pet or Spay Your Female Pet

Each year nearly 4 million pets are euthanized in the United States. This number is staggering when you consider how many options there are available to spay or neuter your pet. In most cases if you get a puppy from a shelter, the animal will be required to be spayed or neutered before it leaves. It’s easy for the owners of female pets to realize when they are contributing to pet overpopulation, but the owners of male dogs need to understand the impact that their dog is having on the unwanted pet population as well.

1. For male pets, eliminate the risk of testicular cancer. The testicles are removed during the neutering surgery so without testicles, there is no chance for testicular cancer. If you have a male pet that has only one descended testicle, it is especially important that both testicles are removed. Retained testicles are much more likely to develop cancer.

2. For female pets, greatly reduce the risk of breast or mammary cancer. If a female dog is spayed prior to her first heat, she is very unlikely to ever develop breast cancer.

3. For males, reduce the risk of prostate enlargement or abscesses. Without the influence of testosterone from the testicles, prostatic problems are much less likely. Enlarged prostates can cause difficulty in urinating and also can lead to constipation.

4. Keep your pets at home – Intact pets are much more likely to wander. Males will wander off in search of a mate and are much more likely to become injured by other dogs or hit by a car. In rural areas, it is not unheard of for dogs to be shot when they wander onto someone’s property and pick fights with other dogs or bother female dogs.

5. Reduces aggressiveness and undesirable behavior – It’s embarrassing when your puppy mounts a leg. While this is just play behavior, adult intact males will mount legs as a sexual behavior and this is pretty undesirable, especially at a dinner party! Neutered dogs are also less likely to be aggressive to people or other dogs, especially important if you live in a neighborhood or have people to your home frequently. Neutered cats are less likely to get into fights and cat fights usually result in unwanted veterinary bills.

6. Decrease odors in your home – Neutered pets are unlikely to have any marking behavior, which can leave unwanted stains or smells in your house.

7. Don’t spread bad genes. Professional breeders are responsible and work hard to ensure the integrity of their lines. Many pets are sold as “pet” quality, which means that there is something about them that makes them undesirable as a show animal. Don’t risk passing this undesirable trait on or making it worse. Your pet can be a wonderful pet without having puppies or kittens.

Remember, your pet does not feel that he or she is missing out by not contributing to the pet population of the world. Please have your pet spayed or neutered to control the pet population.