Bayside Animal Hospital

Spaying and Neutering can add years to your pet's life!

Did you know there is something you can do for your dog or cat that could extend its life, make it healthier and happier, and eliminate some potentially costly veterinary bills? Well, a routine spay or neuter can do all of those things. Here are some reasons why you should consider having your pet spayed (female) or neutered (male).

For females, neutering at an early age will reduce the risk for several potentially costly medical conditions. If your female cat or dog is spayed before her first estrus cycle (heat), her chances of developing breast cancer will be greatly reduced, and the threat of uterine and ovarian cancer will be eliminated. Spaying will also eliminate the possibility of pyometra (infection of the uterus) which is a life-threatening condition requiring emergency surgery. Finally, spayed dogs and cats tend to be more relaxed when spayed because they don't feel the biological urge to roam and find a mate while in heat.

For males, neutering at an early age will eliminate the chance for testicular cancer. It also causes most males to be less territorial and less likely to fight with other males. Furthermore, as in females, neutered males will be more relaxed because they will no longer want to roam when they sense a nearby female in heat.

You may be concerned about the risk of anesthesia. At Bayside Animal Hospital, we use the newest techniques in modern gas anesthesia and monitoring equipment to make the procedure safe. Pre-anesthetic bloodwork is offered so that your doctor may be alerted to any underlying diseases and choose the most appropriate anesthetic protocol for your pet. You may worry that your pet will become obese and lazy if spayed. These problems can be avoided by maintaining proper diet and exercise.

If you are considering breeding your female, be aware that having puppies is time consuming, demanding, and expensive. It may also be risky because many pregnant dogs require caesarian section surgery. The cost is great in terms of the puppies that cannot be sold or given away that end up being put to sleep at local shelters. Unfortunately, there are more dogs than good homes.

We hope that the above-mentioned benefits will help in your decision-making process. Please call our office if you wish to schedule surgery or to ask any questions you may have regarding this or any other procedure.