We are all aware of the pet overpopulation problem here in the
United States. Thousands of wonderful animals are euthanized
every year for the simple crime of not having a permanent home.
In light of this disturbing fact, February 22 has been declared
National Spay day. The romantic notion of “letting” your
dog have a litter or giving your children the opportunity to
witness the miracle of birth is clearly overshadowed by the many
unwanted dogs are cats sitting in shelters or worse, wandering
the streets.
A spay is actually an ovariohysterectomy
in which both ovaries and the uterus are removed. There are
many benefits to you and your pet when you choose to have her
spayed in addition to not producing litters. Firstly, she will
not go into heat. Female dogs cycle approximately every six
months during which time they bleed for 1-3 weeks and then
enter a phase when they can be bred. Female cats do not bleed,
but instead show behavior changes including vocalizing constantly.
Cats are seasonal breeders, which means that starting in the
early spring and going until the late fall, they continuously
go through heat cycles until they are either spayed or bred.
Secondly, behavior problems that sometimes accompany heat cycles
such as aggression and urinating outside the litterbox will
obviously not be an issue. Thirdly, spaying decreases the risk
of many diseases. Intact dogs and cats are prone to developing
a pyometra, which is an infection in the uterus. This is a
life-threatening condition in which the infection can spread
to other parts of the body through the bloodstream. Pets also
cannot get cancer of the uterus or ovaries since they are removed.
If spayed before the first heat, the risk of breast cancer,
which is quite common in intact females, decreases by over
95%. If spayed before the second heat, the risk still decreases
85%.
Although it is spay day, just a note
on the benefits of neutering male pets. The behavior issues
of spraying (in cats) or lifting legs on everything (in dogs)
are often greatly reduced when they are neutered. Also, the
incidence of some prostate problems, anal gland tumors, and
perianal tumors are decreased and testicular cancer is obviously
eliminated.
Many
owners are concerned about the risk of surgery in their pets.
Although a spay is considered routine — our practice
performs approximately a thousand a year — it is
not minor. All pets undergoing any surgical procedure are sedated
initially to decrease both stress and the amount of anesthesia
required. An IV catheter is placed and fluids are infused throughout
the procedure. The patients are constantly monitored by
an assistant who checks oxygen levels, respiratory rate, pulse,
blood pressure, and body temperature for the entire duration
anesthesia. After the surgery, they are closely observed
until they are awake and comfortable. Pain medication is
given before surgery and for several days afterwards. It
is amazing how quickly they go back to their normal selves
within just a day or two.
If you have any questions or concerns
about spaying your pet, please do not hesitate to call us.
Owning a pet is a responsibility, a privilege and a joy and
we want to be a part of keeping that bond strong and secure
for many years.
We are all aware of the pet overpopulation problem here in the
United States. Thousands of wonderful animals are euthanized
every year for the simple crime of not having a permanent home.
In light of this disturbing fact, February 22 has been declared
National Spay day. The romantic notion of “letting” your
dog have a litter or giving your children the opportunity to
witness the miracle of birth is clearly overshadowed by the many
unwanted dogs are cats sitting in shelters or worse, wandering
the streets.
A spay is actually an ovariohysterectomy
in which both ovaries and the uterus are removed. There are
many benefits to you and your pet when you choose to have her
spayed in addition to not producing litters. Firstly, she will
not go into heat. Female dogs cycle approximately every six
months during which time they bleed for 1-3 weeks and then
enter a phase when they can be bred. Female cats do not bleed,
but instead show behavior changes including vocalizing constantly.
Cats are seasonal breeders, which means that starting in the
early spring and going until the late fall, they continuously
go through heat cycles until they are either spayed or bred.
Secondly, behavior problems that sometimes accompany heat cycles
such as aggression and urinating outside the litterbox will
obviously not be an issue. Thirdly, spaying decreases the risk
of many diseases. Intact dogs and cats are prone to developing
a pyometra, which is an infection in the uterus. This is a
life-threatening condition in which the infection can spread
to other parts of the body through the bloodstream. Pets also
cannot get cancer of the uterus or ovaries since they are removed.
If spayed before the first heat, the risk of breast cancer,
which is quite common in intact females, decreases by over
95%. If spayed before the second heat, the risk still decreases
85%.
Many
owners are concerned about the risk of surgery in their pets.
Although a spay is considered routine — our practice
performs approximately a thousand a year — it is
not minor. All pets undergoing any surgical procedure are sedated
initially to decrease both stress and the amount of anesthesia
required. An IV catheter is placed and fluids are infused throughout
the procedure. The patients are constantly monitored by
an assistant who checks oxygen levels, respiratory rate, pulse,
blood pressure, and body temperature for the entire duration
anesthesia. After the surgery, they are closely observed
until they are awake and comfortable. Pain medication is
given before surgery and for several days afterwards. It
is amazing how quickly they go back to their normal selves
within just a day or two.
