February is nationally recognized as "Spay/Neuter Awareness Month". The purpose is to encourage people to have their pets spayed/neutered before the spring and summer months when there is a rampant overproduction of puppies and kittens.
During that time the Humane Educational Society has an unmanageable increase in animal intake. Spay/neutering helps to decrease those numbers and saves pets' lives.
Here are some of the medical benefits:
- Your female pet will live a longer, healthier life. Spaying helps prevent uterine infections and breast tumors, which are malignant or cancerous in about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats. Spaying your pet before her first heat offers the best protection from these diseases.
- Neutering your male companion prevents testicular cancer and some prostate problems.
And behavioral benefits:
- Your spayed female pet won't go into heat. In an effort to advertise for mates, they'll yowl and urinate more frequently-sometimes all over the house!
- Your male dog will be less likely to roam away from home. An intact male will do just about anything to find a mate, including finding creative ways escape from the house. Once he's free to roam, he risks injury in traffic and fights with other male animals.
- Your neutered male may be better behaved. Unneutered dogs and cats are more likely to mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house. Your dog might be less likely to mount other dogs, people and inanimate objects after he's neutered. Some aggression problems may be avoided by early neutering.
Contact your veterinarian to schedule an appointment for your pet to be spayed or neutered. Please do your part to prevent unwanted litters.
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