Why You Need To Sterilize Your Pets
The choice to spay or neuter your pet may be one of the most important decisions you make impacting their long-term health—and your wallet!
The average lifespan of spayed and neutered cats and dogs is demonstrably longer than the lifespan of those not. A University of Georgia study, based on the medical records of more than 70,000 animal patients, found that the life expectancy of neutered male dogs was 13.8% longer and that of spayed female dogs was 26.3% longer. The average age of death of intact dogs was 7.9 years versus a significantly older 9.4 years for altered dogs.
Another study, conducted by Banfield Pet Hospitals on a database of 2.2 million dogs and 460,000 cats reflected similar findings, concluding that neutered male dogs lived 18% longer and spayed female dogs lived 23% longer. Spayed female cats in the study lived 39% longer and neutered male cats lived 62% longer.
The reduced lifespan of unaltered pets can, in part, be attributed to an increased urge to roam (exposing them to fights with other animals resulting in injuries and infections), to trauma from vehicle strikes and to other accidental mishaps.
A contributor to the increased longevity of altered pets is their reduced risk of certain types of cancers. Intact female cats and dogs have a greater chance of developing pyometra (a potentially fatal uterine infection) and uterine, mammary gland and other cancers of the reproductive system. Neutering male pets eliminates their risk of testicular cancer and results in lower rates of prostate cancer.
A handful of studies conducted at UC Davis may appear to challenge the health benefits of widespread spaying/neutering of companion pets, by raising concerns that these surgeries may predispose some altered dogs to certain orthopedic conditions and cancers. As a result, they have caused some pet owners to question altering their pets at an early age or altering them at all. However, on closer examination, the results of these studies pertain specifically to male dogs of certain large breeds and their conclusions should not be generalized to other breeds of dogs, or other species, including cats.
These are the best general recommendations that can be drawn from a thorough analysis of research currently available:
- Owned cats should be altered before 5 months old.
- Owned female dogs should be spayed before 5 months old.
- Owned small breed male dogs should be neutered before 5 months old.
- Owned large breed male dogs who are house pets should be neutered after growth stops between 12 to 15 months old due to orthopaedic concerns.
- Owned large breed male dogs who roam freely should be neutered before 5 months old due to the population concerns of unintended breeding.
- Shelter animals should be altered prior to adoption, as early as 6 weeks old.
- Community cats should be altered via TNR (trap-neuter-return) at any age after 6 weeks old.
Intact dogs are more prone to urine-marking than neutered dogs. Although urine-marking is usually associated with male dogs, females may do it too. Spaying or neutering your dog should reduce urine-marking and may even stop it altogether.
For cats, the urge to spray is extremely strong in those not altered, so the simplest solution is to alter by 5 months old before the problem arises. Neutering solves 90% of all marking issues, even in cats that have been doing it for a while. It can also minimize howling, the urge to roam and fighting with other males.
In both cats and dogs, the longer you wait, the greater the risk of the surgery not doing the trick because the animal has practiced the behavior for a longer period of time, thereby reinforcing the habit.
Other behavioral problems that can be alleviated by spay/neuter include:
While having your pets spayed/neutered can help curb undesirable behaviors, it will not change their fundamental personalities.
When you consider the potential long-term medical costs incurred for an unaltered pet, the savings afforded by spay/neuter are clear, especially given the plethora of low-cost spay/neuter clinics now available.
Caring for a pet with reproductive system cancer or pyometra can easily run thousands of dollars—five to 10 times as much as a routine spay or neuter surgery. In cases where intact dogs and cats may fight, treatment of their related injuries can also result in high veterinary costs.
Another aspect of being conscientious about pet overpopulation is to spay and neuter pet rabbits. Rabbits reproduce faster than dogs and cats and are now the #2 species surrendered to some shelters. Neutering male rabbits can also reduce hormone-driven behaviors such as lunging, mounting, spraying and boxing.
And as with dogs and cats, spayed female rabbits are less likely to get ovarian, mammary and uterine cancers which can be prevalent in mature intact females.
By spaying or neutering your pet, you can help protect them against certain illnesses, help address unwanted behaviors, save money and save lives by reducing overpopulation. Contact your veterinarian or your local low-cost spay/neuter clinic to discuss and/or schedule your pet’s appointment and encourage your family and friends to do the same. If your community does not have affordable, accessible spay/neuter and wellness services available, advocate for this funding so that all pet owners have local access to quality medical care for their pets.
Originally published by Humane Society US here