What are spaying and neutering?
Spaying (medically referred to as ovariohysterectomy) and neutering (medically referred to as castration) refer to the surgical sterilization of an animal.  In other words spaying and neutering ensures that your pet cannot reproduce.  Spaying (the surgical procedure for females) is done by removing the reproductive organs including the ovaries oviduct and uterus.  Neutering (the procedure for males) is done by removing the testicles from the scrotum.  In both cases the operation is performed while the pet is under general anesthesia.

Often times with male animals they are released to go home on the same day.  With females they may be released later that day or the next morning dependent on many factors such as health status prior to surgery age and if the animal was currently in heat or pregnant.  Nevertheless animals that are spayed or neutered recover relatively quickly and suffer no long-term effects from the surgery.

What are the health benefits of spaying my female pet?
Dogs and cats that are spayed live longer healthier lives.  Spaying eliminates the risk of uterine and ovarian cancers as well as the potential of pregnancy complications.  It also significantly reduces the risk of breast cancer in females.

Spaying your cat or dog eliminates the heat cycle which means you won’t have to listen to the sounds of your female in heat trying to get out and find a mate.  Also with the absence of a heat cycle unwelcome males won’t try to seek out your female pet.

What are the health benefits of neutering my male pet?
As with spaying neutering also aids in a longer healthier life for your pet.  Neutering eliminates the risk of testicular cancer and also reduces prostate problems. 

Neutering reduces the distracting and destructive behavior associated with the male’s efforts to find a mate.  Also it eliminates sexual discomfort distress or distraction . . . making your pet happier and more content.  In cats neutering can stop or reduce marking behavior.

What other benefits does sterilization provide?
Spayed and neutered pets make better more affectionate companions and exhibit fewer behavior problems.  Sterilizing your pets reduces the urge to roam.  This makes it less likely that you will lose your pet which in turn makes your pet less likely to contract a disease get in a fight get injured or become a victim to cruelty poison or traffic.

Sterilizing dogs and cats not only reduces animal companion overpopulation homelessness and euthanasia but also benefits individual cats and dogs their guardians and society in general.  Spaying and neutering reduces the risk of many health problems.  It also makes them more affectionate companions and reduces many behavior and temperament problems.  Studies show that animals that are spayed or neutered are less likely to bite their guardians and other people.

Finally spaying and neutering prevents pets from having litters of puppies and kittens – some of which will probably end up being euthanized due to already crowded shelters.

What about all the myths regarding sterilization?
To debunk some myths regarding sterilization spaying and neutering will not make your pet fat.  Most pets gain weight because they don’t get sufficient exercise.  In a healthy dog or cat free of hypothyroidism endocrine dysfunction or other medical disorders overfeeding and insufficient exercise are the sole causes of a pet being overweight – not being sterilized.

Contrary to popular belief female cats and dogs should NOT have at least one litter before spaying.  Spaying your pet before her first heat will significantly reduce her chances of developing breast cancer later in life.  And since vets perform spay procedures in pets as young as 2 months there is no reason to put off the procedure.

Also it is equally important that males are sterilized along with the females.  As with people it takes two to procreate and the fact is that males produce more offspring than females in a lifetime. 

Neutering does not affect a dog’s natural instinct to protect home and family.  Those instincts are determined by his genetics not by male sex hormones.

What risks are involved with these procedures?
Spaying a dog or cat should not be considered routine just because it is performed daily in most animal hospitals.  Any surgery involves risk.  The risks of the surgery (and the expense) go up if the animal is overweight in heat or pregnant.  If in heat or pregnant there is more blood supply to the uterus therefore increasing the risk of excessive bleeding. 

Even with healthy young animals surgery is always a risk.  Nonetheless with the huge improvements in anesthesia testing and other areas of veterinary medicine any risks associated with spaying or neutering are minimal. The risk does increase however with the animal's age or the presence of disease. Having your pet spayed or neutered at an early age and before any problems develop helps ensure that the procedure will be as safe as possible.