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Spay/Neuter Facts
- "Spaying" and "neutering" are safe, simple operations that sterilize
a dog or a cat so that it does not reproduce. Although "neutering" can
apply to the sterilization surgery on both male and female animals, it
is generally used to refer to the surgery on male animals, in contrast
with spaying females. A male is neutered by surgically removing his testicles
and a female is spayed by removing her ovaries and uterus. These are among
the most common procedures performed by veterinarians. There are very
few risks to these surgeries, and the benefits far outweigh the risks.
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- Your pet will be much healthier. The average
life expectancy of spayed and neutered pets is twice that of unaltered
pets. The risk of contracting many common cancers such as breast, uterine,
prostate, and testicular, is greatly reduced, if not eliminated. In addition,
because unaltered animals tend to roam and fight more, altering greatly
reduces the risk of injuries, illnesses, and infections that can result
from these behaviors.
Altered pets make better companion animals. They are better able
to focus on their relationship with family members, as well as being more
easily trained and controlled.
Pets that have been spayed or neutered exhibit less problem and nuisance
behaviors such as marking their territory, digging, excessive barking,
and roaming. Cats in heat often yowl and urinate more frequently,
and dogs in heat have a bloody discharge during their heat cycle. Animals
that are spayed do not have heat cycles.
It will save you money. City registration fees are less and you
will avoid the large food and veterinary bills that come with unplanned
puppies and kittens.
It is your responsibility as a pet owner.
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- You contribute to the overwhelming problem of
homeless and unwanted kittens, puppies, dogs and cats being killed in
the Metroplex. Even if you find homes for your pet's puppies or kittens,
those homes could have gone to the more than 200,000 healthy animals that
are put to sleep in Dallas area shelters every year. That's almost 548
animals every day! Be a part of the solution and have your pet(s) fixed.
Please don't contribute to the problem.
You are also putting your pet at risk for developing unnecessary behavior
problems as well as potentially avoidable and costly health issues.
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- Myth: My
dog will no longer be a good guard dog. He needs to be aggressive to be
a guard dog and having him neutered will take away his aggressiveness.
Fact: A dog’s natural instinct to
protect his territory will not be affected by spaying or neutering. In
fact, a neutered dog will be more likely to stay close to home without
the urge to search out a mate. Most pets will be more reliable and responsible
after neutering and are often easier to train because of stabilized hormones.
A male aggressive dog that has not been neutered can be unpredictable
and hard to control. That makes him a danger to you and your family rather
than a source of protection. What makes a good guard dog is training,
not whether he has been neutered. Being neutered also does not affect
a dog’s hunting ability.
Myth: Breeding my pet is a good idea.
My pet is a purebred and I want to breed her to make some money.
Fact: Even well-known breeders are
fortunate if they break even on raising purebred litters. The cost of
raising such a litter -- which includes stud fees, vaccinations and other
health care costs, and feeding a quality food -- consumes most of the
"profit". Just because you have papers doesn’t mean it is a
good idea. Do you have a five-generation pedigree for the animal? Does
your pet have a minimum of eight titles? Did you know that it is estimated
that about 25 - 30% of animals that wind up in shelters are purebreds.
Myth: Spaying or neutering will make
my pet fat and lazy.
Fact: Overfeeding and under-exercising
a pet makes him fat and lazy. Animals that have been spayed or neutered
do not require as much food, so simply cut back on the amount you are
feeding and remember to play with and exercise your pet.
Myth: Spaying and neutering are painful
procedures.
Fact: Spay and neuter surgeries are
always performed under general anesthesia. As with most surgeries, there
may be some mild discomfort after the surgery. Most dogs and cats are
back to their normal activity levels within 1-3 days.
Myth: Spaying or neutering will make
my pet fat and lazy.
Fact: Overfeeding and under-exercising
a pet makes him fat and lazy. Animals that have been spayed or neutered
do not require as much food, so simply cut back on the amount you are
feeding and remember to play with and exercise your pet.
For Men: "I wouldn't want that
done to me." Your pet is not
you! His psychology and biology are quite different. His hormones developed
in the wild to produce as many offspring as possible so his species could
survive. He will be a much happier and healthier pet when you have him
neutered and will never know the difference.
Myth: Spaying and neutering are too
expensive.
Fact: The price of spay/neuter surgery
varies widely among private veterinarians. The Metroplex has several
free or reduced cost programs to provide financial assistance. Altering
will save money over the lifetime of your pet in vet care, and costs incurred
from caring for unplanned litters.
Myth: One litter can’t make that big
of a difference.
Fact: There are millions of homeless
kittens, puppies, dogs and cats. It’s an overwhelming problem that continues
to get bigger one animal at a time. In the Dallas Ft. Worth area alone,
every three minutes a dog or cat is killed because they don’t have a home
– that’s an estimated 200,000 dogs and cats every year. One litter
certainly makes a difference!
Myth: My pet never leaves the yard.
Fact: Remember pets get out unexpectedly
sometimes. Also, other people’s pets get in. Our rescue groups routinely
get calls from people needing to place litters who said "I don’t
know what happened, my pet never goes outside or leaves the yard!"
Myth: We’ll find a good home for all
of the puppies/kittens.
Fact: Every home you find takes away
from a potential home for an existing unwanted animal. There are already
not not enough good homes.
Myth: The Animal Shelter will find
them a good home.
Fact: Animal Shelters do their best,
but in Dallas Ft. Worth, it is estimated that 200,000 animals are killed
every year because a good home could not be found.
Myth: Kids should have a chance to
watch kittens and puppies being born.
Fact: Kids should be taught about
the pet overpopulation problem and not encouraged to contribute to the
problem. There are other ways for parents to explain about the wonders
of birth without creating more unwanted animals.
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- Puppies and kittens can be spayed when they are
very young. Many veterinarians
are now performing early spay/neuter on animals as young as 6 to 8 weeks.
Studies have shown that early spaying/neutering is safe and results
in no significant health differences than animals that were spayed/neutered
at an older age. An added
benefit is that animals altered at an early age seem to recover more quickly
and painlessly than those altered later in life.
- Go to Donations Page.
- Go
to Texas Department of Transportation.
