BuckBasset: Spay or Neuter Your Pet!

The Importance of Spaying or Neutering your Pet

Did you know:

	Every day 10,000 humans are born in the U.S.
	Every day 70,000 puppies and kittens are born in the U.S.
	At this rate there will never be enough homes for these animals!
	Every year 4 to 6 million animals are euthanized because there are no homes available!

Don't like these statistics? What can you do?

Spay and neuter your pet! In addition to saving lives, spaying and neutering can also drastically improve your pet's health and life expectancy. The idea that pets become fat or lazy when they are spayed or neutered is a myth. Sterilized pets lead healthier, longer lives. Spaying a female eliminates the possibility of uterine and ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the risk of breast cancer. Neutering a male reduces the risk of both prostate enlargement and prostate cancer. Neutering also will make your pet more affectionate and less likely to roam, get in fights, or become lost.

Some important facts to know about spaying/neutering your dog:

	Spayed and neutered dogs are often times better, more affectionate, companions for the family.
	Spaying a female dog eliminates its heat cycle, which can last twenty-one days, twice a year. Females in heat often cry incessantly, show nervous behavior, and attract unwanted male animals.
	Spayed and neutered pets are less likely to bite. Unaltered animals often exhibit more behavior and temperament problems than those that have been spayed or neutered.
	Spayed and neutered dogs live longer and healthier lives.
	Spaying female dogs eliminates the possibility of uterine and ovarian cancer as well as it reduces the chances of breast cancer.
	Neutering male dogs will reduce the risk of prostrate cancer.
	Neutered/spayed dogs are less likely to want to roam and fight.
	Communities spend millions of dollars to control and eliminate unwanted animals. Irresponsible breeding contributes to the problem of dog bites and attacks. Animal shelters are overburdened with surplus animals.

Excuses! Excuses! Excuses!

My dog will get fat and lazy after being spayed/neutered. Spaying/neutering will result in a generally overall lower level of activity as well as the tendency to wander. It affect the dog's overall hormonal balance which also includes a lower appetite. An over weight dog would probably be over weight no matter what...a result of being over fed and not properly exercised.

But we want another dog just like Rover! Rarely will 2 purebred dogs produce another just like it. Don't count on them being anything like their parents. Mixed breeds create offspring that are even more drastically different than the parents because of genetics.

I don't want Rover's personality to change! The change in Rover will be for the better. He will be more affectionate and have less tendencies to wander and become aggressive towards other dogs. He will be less like to mark his territory when altered.

We can sell the puppies to make money. Talk to any reputable breeder and you will find out that most are not in it for the money! Many don't even break even after paying for the vet costs, vaccinations of the puppies and other health care costs. The mother and the puppies must be fed high quality dog foods to insure proper nutrition is being met. Most of this eats up any chance of a profit. Breeders breed dogs they love...and their ultimate goal is to preserve and even enhance the quality of the breed. It takes a lot of time, energy and research to truly produce a quality bred dog.

We want our children to witness the miracle of birth. The fact is that often times a dog will give birth in the middle of the night and/or find a place of her own for privacy reasons. Any intrusions by anyone not totally qualified may cause the mother to become unnecessarily upset resulting in possible injury to the puppies and the mother's unwillingness to care for them.

I am concerned about my dog going under anesthesia. This is a very common concern among pet owners. Although there is always a slight risk involved, the anesthetics currently used by veterinarians are very safe. Many veterinarians use equipment that monitors heart and respiratory rates during surgery to ensure that their patients are doing well under anesthesia. Thus, the medical benefits of having your pet spayed or neutered far outweigh the slight risk involved with undergoing anesthesia. Consult your veterinarian if your are concerned about this aspect of the procedure.

Still not sure about the need to spay or neuter your pet? Here is a list of resources available online with more information pertaining to the need to spay/neuter your dog. Click each link for more details and information. If you have any questions please contact your vet, local animal shelter or rescue!

The Dog Hause: Why Spay or Neuter Your Pet

Reasons To Spay/Neuter Dogs - Here are a list of reasons why you should make the right decision

PetCare Online - Reasons to Spay or Neuter

Care2 Make A Difference - Why to Spay or Neuter Your Dog

Why I Spay or Neuter My Dogs by Daniel Tratnak

The Ultimate Responsibility is in Your Hands

Reasons To Spay or Neuter

PetRescue.com - Spay or Neuter

Spaying or Neutering - Separating Myth From Fact

Reasons To Spay or Neuter

Beltway Animal Hospital - Important Reasons To Spay or Neuter Your Pet