You feed your pet the highest-quality diet you can find, fluff up the plushest bed for them each night, and schedule pampering sessions at the grooming parlor every six weeks. As you spoil your furry pal with all the love and care they deserve, remember to also take care of their health and medical needs. A responsible, dedicated pet owner focuses on both aspects of their four-legged friend’s care, ensuring they do all they can to keep their pet happy and healthy for many years to come. 

A key to keeping your pet in good health is to have them spayed or neutered at the appropriate age. While the procedure should be performed on each pet’s unique timeline, all pets’ benefits are the same. By having your furry pal spayed or neutered when the time is right, you’ll both enjoy the procedure’s perks. Read our Carolina Virginia Animal Hospital team’s 5 invaluable benefits of having your pet spayed or neutered.

#1: Spaying and neutering pets helps reduce the overpopulation problem

One of the animal welfare community’s most pressing issues is pet overpopulation. Each year, countless pets end up in shelters, and many are euthanized because few homes and shelter resources are available. Spaying and neutering are effective methods to address this problem. By preventing unwanted litters, responsible pet owners reduce the number of homeless pets, helping create a more sustainable and compassionate community.

#2: Spaying and neutering pets provides health benefits

Spaying and neutering can significantly improve pets’ overall health and wellbeing, ultimately lengthening their lifespan. For females, spaying eliminates the uterine infection and mammary tumor risk. Uterine infections (i.e., pyometras) can rapidly turn life-threatening, and the future risk for pyometras increases with age and prior infections. Mammary tumors in dogs are malignant about 50% of the time; whereas they are almost always malignant in cats—up to 90% of the time. By having your pet spayed before her first heat cycle, you greatly reduce her mammary tumor development risk. Spaying later in life still provides some benefit if you adopt an older intact pet.

Having your male pet neutered prevents testicular cancer and some prostate problems. This procedure can also reduce a male dog’s risk of developing perianal fistulas, a painful condition in which draining tracts develop around the anus.

#3: Spaying and neutering pets reduces or eliminates unwanted behaviors

Unwanted behaviors, such as aggression, urine marking, and excessive vocalization, can be common in intact pets. Spaying and neutering help mitigate these behaviors by reducing hormonal influences. 

Female pets in heat can be particularly challenging, as their behavior can become erratic and distracting. Female cats become especially vocal, and cats and dogs can become irritable, develop a mild bloody discharge, and spray urine to signal to a mate.

Male pets’ hormonal urges can lead to urine marking, aggression, mounting behavior, escape attempts, or a potentially fatal injury caused by a fight or being hit by a car. Male pets can scent a female pet in heat from a tremendous distance, causing them to ignore all else in pursuit of a mate. Males often fight over mates and are typically more territorial and aggressive than neutered males. 

#4: Spaying and neutering pets improves their quality of life

Spayed and neutered pets often lead happier and more content lives. Without the overwhelming mating instinct urges, spayed and neutered pets are less likely to display troublesome behaviors that can strain the bond they share with their family. The absence of mating-related stress and behaviors contributes to a more relaxed and enjoyable environment and relationship for both the pet and their human companions.

#5: Spaying and neutering pets provides substantial cost savings

While your pet’s initial spaying or neutering cost may seem like a substantial investment, this fee pales in comparison to the potential expenses associated with caring for an intact pet. Reproductive health issues, such as infections and cancers, are often costly to treat, not to mention the physical toll they take on your furry pal. An emergency cesarean section (i.e., C-section) or pyometra treatment can cost thousands of dollars, with no guarantee that your pet will be healthy after treatment. Additionally, the costs associated with caring for a litter of puppies or kittens, including vaccinations, food, and veterinary care, can quickly add up. By having your pet spayed or neutered, you not only contribute to their overall health but save money in the long run.

If you are unsure when to have your pet spayed or neutered, discuss the best time to schedule the surgery with our Carolina Virginia Animal Hospital team.