Why should you spay and neuter your pets? Primarily, it prevents several issues that cause trouble for pets and humans alike. Spaying/neutering also reduces pets’ unfavourable behaviours during maturity. Plus, it helps minimize the population of wild animals in your neighbourhood. Indeed, getting your pets spayed and neutered in Scarborough helps everyone. Keep reading to learn more about the importance of pet sterilization
1. It's Healthier for Your Pet
Female pets that aren't spayed are at risk for ovarian or uterine cancers. Conversely, spayed pets can’t develop these cancers because spaying removes the uterus and ovaries. Likewise, neutering your male pets will prevent testicular cancer. The Humane Society reports that, on average, spayed dogs live 23% longer and neutered dogs live 18% longer than unsterilized dogs. Likewise, sterilized cats tend to live longer: females 39% longer and males 62% longer.
2. It's Cost-Effective
What is the cost of neutering a dog? Since it costs more to not have pets spayed or neutered. As mentioned, pet sterilization prevents serious health problems that are expensive to treat. By comparison, the upfront cost of spaying/neutering costs far less than treating preventable reproductive diseases.
3. It Prevents Problematic Behaviours
Dog breeders know quite well that it's more challenging to care for a breeding animal than a sterilized one. Female dogs require diapers when they're in heat. Otherwise, they leave stains around the house. Unneutered male dogs will hump anything they get ahold of legs, furniture, other pets, etc. They're also likely to be aggressive toward other male animals. Problems like urinary marking and excessive vocalization are also common in unsterilized animals.
4. It Prevents "Unwanted" Pets
The main reason to spay or neuter your pets is to prevent unwanted pregnancies. In truth, a basket of kittens or puppies every couple of months is not as heartwarming as it sounds. It’s downright heartbreaking. It's always challenging to find homes for all of these precious fur babies. Many will be abandoned and end up in the pound—if they don't die in the wild first. Others will be purchased as food for other animals, like large snakes. If you don't need to keep your pets fertile for breeding, prevent unplanned litters. Get them spayed and neutered.
5. It Reduces the Population of Feral Animals
Lastly, unplanned litter may survive their abandonment. Then, they'll continue reproducing until the neighborhood is overrun with feral animals. Depending on the animal/breed, this can be a dangerous problem. Specifically, wild dogs are sharp-toothed, pack-hunting carnivores. They can cause severe injury or death to human targets, especially children. When their population is unchecked, their packs grow large enough to terrorize an entire community. Do your part to minimize this problem by sterilizing your pets.
Spay and Neuter Your Pets Now
The bottom line is that pet sterilization means health and happiness for you, your pet, and your neighbours. Unless you plan to breed your animals, make sure you spay and neuter your pets right away. If you have questions or are ready to make an appointment, we're here for you. Contact Amherst Veterinary Hospital to get your pets spayed and neutered in Scarborough.