Spaying and Neutering Your Pet

The most obvious reason to spay or neuter your pet is to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Unwanted pet pregnancies can produce babies that end up on the streets and in shelters. Many of the animals that go to shelters are euthanized, and at North Central Animal Hospital in Phoenix, AZ, we’d like to prevent that from happening.

In addition to this core benefit of spaying and neutering your pet, there are many other benefits that should be considered.

Extra Benefits of Spaying and Neutering

• Better behavior. Animals that haven’t been spayed or neutered may urinate frequently, sometimes all over the house. Females in heat will yowl, and males will dig their way under fences and run into traffic. Males during the mating season may even become more aggressive. Spaying or neutering your pet can help you avoid these behaviors.
• Reduced occurrence of disease. Female dogs and cats who have been spayed have a reduced chance of getting uterine infections and breast cancer. Male dogs and cats who have been neutered have fewer occurrences of testicular cancer, if done before 6 months of age.
• Less desire to roam. Pets that have been spayed or neutered are happier to stay put in your house and are less likely to roam. Pets that haven’t been spayed or neutered may go to great lengths to seek a mate, which could result in a loss of your pet. In fact, some reports indicate that as many as 85% of dogs that are hit by cars are not spayed or neutered.
• Greater longevity. Pets who get spayed or neutered are so much healthier than unaltered pets that they tend to live longer. In fact, reports show that in Georgia, the state where dogs rank lowest in terms of their longevity, only 56% of the dogs are spayed or neutered.

Make Your Pet’s Spay or Neuter Appointment Today

To get the full benefits of spaying or neutering your pet, it’s important to get the procedure done when your pet is young. Call North Central Animal Hospital today and set up an appointment to get your pet spayed or neutered.