Spay Day is February 26, 2013
Do you believe your beautiful pedigreed pooch just has to be bred, or that your cat can’t possible get outside to become pregnant, or that you long to have just one litter from Fluffy? If so, listen in to the unified pet health message of Spay Day. Shelter staff, veterinarians, and animal advocates all join together to encourage spaying and neutering. It’s the right thing to do for your pet’s health, and is a step forward in addressing pet overpopulation issues. With approximately 4 million dogs and cats euthanized at U.S. shelters every year, pet owners can do their part to avoid unintended and unnecessary breeding.
Your individual decisions on altering your pet do matter. Animals, left to do what they will, result in a lot of generations of whiskers and tails in just a short period of time. A pair of dogs can produce 67,000 puppies in 3 years’ time. And cats in that same time frame can prosper to over 420,000 kittens.
Common Spay & Neuter Fallacies
Isn’t it better to let my female dog go into heat before I spay her?
FALSE. You can minimize the risk of breast cancer to zero by spaying before the first heat. Allow her to have a few heat cycles, and your dog has a 25% chance of developing breast cancer. The health benefits for females also include preventing uterine cancer and the life-threatening reproductive infection, pyometra.
Isn’t it better to let a female dog have at least one litter of pups?
FALSE. There is no psychological or health benefit in allowing a female dog to have a litter. It does not make her a better, more affectionate pet. On the contrary, some pregnant female dogs are quite protective and aggressive to anyone disturbing her brood.
My dog is a purebred dog with a pedigree so it is meant to be bred.
FALSE. Having purebred papers doesn’t mean an animal has to be bred. There is no shortage of purebred animals, with purebred dogs accounting for 30% of all animals currently in shelters.
It’s a great experience to allow children witness the beauty of birth by letting your pet have a litter.
STOP. What really is beautiful is to impart children with a sense of value toward animal life. Yes, birth is a miracle to behold. But there are many books and videos that demonstrate birth in a responsible manner, without unnecessary pet breeding.
Teach your children to care for your existing pets, from puppyhood or kitten hood until senior pet years. Children learn responsibility while caring for a pet and develop an appreciation for the human-animal bond by living it daily.
Won’t spaying or neutering my pet make my pet fat?
FALSE. You directly control what, when and how much your pet eats. The fate of your pet’s waistline lies in your hands. Your pet’s metabolism may slow down some after spaying or neutering, but with sensible feeding and regular exercise you can maintain a healthy weight for your pet.
It’s expensive to spay or neuter my pet.
FALSE. There are many affordable solutions to ensuring your pet is spayed or neutered. Some veterinary hospitals and shelters offer special programs on Spay Day. And other facilities offer year round low-cost options.
Still not convinced spaying & neutering is worth it? Consider that the cost of spay or neuter is less than the cost of raising kittens or pups for a year. And don’t ignore the possible realities of pregnancy problems. An emergency C-section for a pet having labor difficulties costs $1000 or more.
I want my dog to guard the house. Won’t spaying or neutering make my pet less protective?
FALSE. There is no relation between your pet having reproductive organs and performing as a guard dog. A dog’s protective behavior is based on instinct and training. Surgically spaying or neutering doesn’t change your pet’s devotion to protect home and family members. And once a dog is spayed or neutered, it has less desire to roam away from home to find a mate.
Take action now
Of course you want to do what’s best for your pet. Life is busy with family demands, work and a stream of errands. But don’t delay this important step to keep your pet healthy for a lifetime together with you.
For more information on Spay Day www.humanesociety.org/issues/spay_day/
For spay and neuter specials for dogs, cats, rabbits and potbelly pigs in Las Vegas, call Lone Mountain Animal Hospital 702-645-3116 or visit the clinic webpage www.lmah.net/specials.php