This low-cost surgery offers you and your pet many, many
advantages.
Peace of mind: Did you know that a spayed or neutered
(sterilized) animal is better behaved?
Males--- Neutered cats and dogs focus their attention on
their human families. On the other hand, unsterilized, unsupervised
males roam in search of a mate, risking injury in traffic and in fights
with other males. They mark territory by spraying strong-smelling urine
on surfaces. Indoors, male dogs may embarrass you by mounting furniture
and human legs when stimulated. Don't confuse aggressiveness with
protectiveness; a neutered dog protects his home and family just as well
as an unneutered dog, and many aggression problems can be avoided by
early neutering.
Females--- While their cycles vary greatly, most female
cats exhibit the following signs when in heat. For four days, every
three weeks, they yowl and urinate more frequently -- sometimes all over
the house -- advertising for mates. Often, they attract unneutered males
who spray urine around the females' home. Female dogs also attract males
from great distances. Female dogs generally have a bloody discharge for
about a week, and can conceive for another week or so.
Good Medicine: Did you know that a spayed or neutered
animal will live a longer, healthier life?
Spaying a female (removing ovaries and uterus) or
neutering a male (removing the testicles) are veterinary procedures
performed with the same general anesthesia used in human medicine. Both
surgeries usually require minimal hospitalization.
Neutering a male cat or dog by six months of age
prevents testicular cancer, prostate disease and hernias. Spaying a
female cat or dog helps prevent pyometra (a pus-filled uterus) and
breast cancer; having this done before the first heat offers the best
protection from these diseases. Treatment of pyometra requires
hospitalization, intravenous (IV) fluids, antibiotics and spaying.
Breast cancer can be fatal in about 50 percent of female dogs and 90
percent of female cats. With an older, seriously ill animal, anesthesia
and surgery are complicated and costly.
Responsible Care: Did you know that you can help prevent
the suffering and death of millions of animals?
One cat or dog who has babies can be responsible for the
birth of 50 to 200 kittens or puppies in one year! Almost everyone loves
puppies and kittens, but some people lose interest when these animals
grow up. As a result, millions of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds
are euthanized annually or suffer as strays. Rarely surviving for more
than a few years on their own, strays die painfully by starvation,
disease, freezing or being hit by cars.
Go on to National
Homeless Animals' Day and Candlelight Vigil
Return to 28 July 1999 Issue
Return to Newsletters
** Fair Use Notice**
This document may contain copyrighted material, use of which has not been
specifically authorized by the copyright owners. I believe that this
not-for-profit, educational use on the Web constitutes a fair use of the
copyrighted material (as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright
Law). If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your
own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright
owner.
