Advantages of neutering your pet

Neutering is the surgical removal of the reproductive organs of a pet. This includes the ovaries and uterus in the female (spaying) or the testicles in the male (castration, neutering). Veterinarians send most pets home from the hospital the same day or the day after surgery. Pets resume normal activity within a day or two.

What are the advantages?

• Prevents messy spotting of blood in female dogs and urine spraying in female cats during heat periods
• Prevents females from attracting groups of male strays while in heat
• Decreases the male's urge to spray urine to mark territory and to fight over females in heat
• Decreases embarrassing inappropriate mounting behavior in male pets.
• Reduces or eliminates intermale fighting, irritable aggression of females in heat, and dominance aggression. Neutering does not affect guarding behavior.
• Reduces tendency to roam or try to escape, thus reducing your pet's chances of becoming lost or injured.
• Spayed females are not susceptible to life- threatening reproductive tract tumors, infection of the uterus, and complications from pregnancy.
• The incidence of breast tumors (which occur in over half of unspayed female dogs) is less than 1% in dogs spayed prior to the first heat.
• Prevents enlarged prostate (occurs in 60% of older dogs); prostate tumors and infections; and perineal hernias and tumors in males.
• Saves you money on veterinary care, since your pet is likely to remain healthier, and you won't bear the expense of medical care for your pet and her litter should she become pregnant.

Activity will decline as your pet gets older, even if you don't neuter. Neutered pets may require less food...and that means money saved. Adjust amounts of food and exercise to keep your pet in the trim.

Neutering your pet helps stop needless deaths of homeless pets

There aren't enough homes for the thousands of excess pets in our community. Even if you can place your pet's accidental or planned litter, an equal number of pets will be euthanized for lack of a home.

© 1997 - Humane Education Committee, Champaign County Humane Society, 1911 East Main, Urbana, IL 61801 USA