When it comes to caring for pets, Bob Barker said it best – “Have your pets spayed or neutered.” While the choice isn’t always black and white, at Stone Ridge Veterinary Medical Center, our recommendations echo that of Bob for the vast majority of our patients.
Read on to learn about all the reasons why we recommend to spay or neuter your pet.
The Choice to Spay or Neuter Your Pet
Having a pet “fixed” is a big decision. A spay or neuter surgery involves removing the reproductive organs (the uterus and ovaries in a female and testicles in a male). By doing so, we eliminate a pet’s ability to reproduce and remove the reproductive hormones from circulation.
The veterinarians at Stone Ridge Veterinary Medical Center feel that for most pets, spaying or neutering is the best choice. There are many compelling reasons to spay or neuter your pet.
Do your part to help the overpopulation problem — Our nation’s animal shelters and rescues are overflowing with deserving pets that need homes. In fact many are euthanized due to lack of resources. There are over six million animals without permanent homes in the United States, meaning we need to be much more responsible when it comes to breeding. Accidental and novice breeding efforts add to the pet overpopulation problem and can be eliminated through responsible pet ownership.
Keep your pet healthy — Spaying or neutering has health benefits for pets! Removing a pet’s reproductive organs can increase life expectancy by reducing or eliminating the risk of testicular cancer, uterine and ovarian cancer, pyometra (uterus infection), mammary cancer, and prostatic hyperplasia. Having your pet spayed or neutered can literally save their life.
Put a stop to behavioral problems — Spaying or neutering also decreases undesirable behaviors such as aggression, mounting, urine marking, barking, or roaming that can lead to escape and injury.
The Best Care
While the choice to spay or neuter your pet may be clear cut, it can still be scary when it’s time for your pet to go under the knife. We want you to be comfortable that if your pet is having surgery with us, they are in the right place.
We take your pet’s care to heart. Our pet patients are anesthetized according to the best and most current practices, including an individualized anesthetic plan based on their pre-surgery examination and blood work. They also receive aggressive pre- and post- surgical pain management to aid in recovery and healing.
Having your pet spayed or neutered is an important decision, and one we are happy to help you with. If you have questions about the procedure, or if you are unsure about whether it is right for your pet, please call us so that one of our professionals can help you in your decision.
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