Deciding On Fixing Your Pet
Deciding to spay/neuter your pet is a delicate matter. For one, this procedure impacts the animal’s long-term health and costs a lot of money. However, a University of Georgia study shows that the average lifespan of spayed/neutered cats and dogs is, to some extent, longer vis-à-vis the lifespan of unaltered animals.
Reduced lifespan demonstrated by unaltered animals can, in part, be linked to an increased urge to roam—with this habit exposing the pets to fights, injuries, infections, and trauma, among other accidental mishaps.
Let’s discuss the benefits and risks attributable to fixing your pet.
Benefits of Fixing Your Pet
Fixing your pet will lead to a longer and healthier life devoid of some mitigatable diseases and infections. But that’s not all; it also helps limit the risk of various forms of cancer, such as breast cancer, testicular cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and other uterine infections, such as pyometra.
Other benefits that come with fixing your pet include the following:
- Curbing and regulating unwanted behaviors and mannerisms: such behaviors include urine marking and a pet’s tendency to take their potty breaks in odd places. Neutering or spaying also limits other inclinations like howling in dogs and roaming away from home. Neutering also sees to it that subsequently reinforced habits stick.
- Neutering and spaying as a means to fix your pet can help address behavioral problems such as the ones associated with females on their heat cycle.
- Fixing your pet by neutering minimizes instances of fighting between your pet and other animals either for dominance or mating rights.
- Spaying your pet to fix them reduces the risk of diseases from parasites such as fleas and ticks.
- In the long run, fixing your pet decreases the burden directed to animal shelters since the number of unwanted pets and strays is significantly reduced.
- Most importantly, fixing your pet is cost-effective since it reduces the likelihood of engaging in undesirable behavior that can bring infections. Treatment and surgery costs attributed to most illnesses from which unneutered or spayed pets suffer can cause a substantial financial dent. That’s why fixing your pet is advisable to avoid such costs. As an added benefit, neutering helps mitigate pet overpopulation in your household.
- Lastly, it is good for the community since fixing reduces the number of strays.
Risks of Fixing Your Pet
When you fix your pet by neutering them, it decreases its metabolism and maturation. As such, your pet can struggle with weight issues, which, when left unmonitored, can lead to further health complications.
Tip: once you fix your pet, it is essential to adjust its diet under the guidance and help of your veterinarian.
Safeguard Your Pets’ Health
In sum, spaying and neutering your pet protects them from unwanted diseases and reinforces good animal behavior. Although it is not a magic bullet to all your pet’s problems, it does go a long way in ensuring that your furry friend lives a longer and more fulfilling life.
Contact Hebron Veterinary Hospital
Contact us at (860) 228-4324 or visit our contact page if you need help with your decisions about fixing your pet. We are here for you. Also, be sure to give us a call if it’s time for any of your other pet’s regular wellness or preventative care visit.