Why Spay & Neuter Your Pet

You've probably seen hundreds of ads, commercials, and bumper stickers urging you to spay and neuter your pets. Did you heed that advice? If not, you should. Millions of dogs and cats are euthanized each year because of overpopulation. Sometimes it ends up that owners can't or don't want to care for new litters, or there just aren’t enough homes for them all. There are so many reasons to spay and neuter your pets, but we’re going to give you some of the best ones.

Health Benefits

• Your female pets will have longer, healthier lives. Spaying helps prevent against uterine infections as well as breast tumors. These end up being cancerous in about 50% of dogs and 90% of cats. For the most effective prevention, spay your pet before her first heat.
• Neutering your male pets will prevent against testicular cancer and some prostate problems. These diseases are more common in male pets who are not fixed.

Behavioral Benefits

• Your female pets won’t go into heat. During breeding season, female cats usually go into heat for several days every three weeks and will yowl and urinate more often to attract a mate. FYI, they don’t just go in their litter boxes — your cat could urinate all over the house.
• Your male dog won’t go a’wandering. Non-neutered males will do basically anything to find a mate, including escape the house by any means necessary. Once they’re out, they risk getting hit by cars or getting into fights with other animals.
• Neutered males may behave better. How embarrassing is it when your intact dog mounts guests visiting your home? Neutered dogs don’t have a big urge to do this. You could also avoid some aggression problems if you neuter them early.

Dogs can be fixed as early as eight weeks as long as they are healthy, but the common age to perform the procedure is between six to nine months. Cats can be fixed as young as eight weeks as well. The veterinarians at Berkeley Heights Animal Hospital can safely spay or neuter your pet to prevent issues or unwanted pregnancies. Call us today at 908-464-0023 to schedule an appointment!