3 Reasons Why You Should Neuter Your Pet

Neutering is a procedure where a veterinarian renders your pet sterile. Females get spayed, a painless surgery where their ovaries are removed. Males, on the other hand, are castrated. But, why should you have your dog or cat undergo any of these?

Whether they're a dog or cat, neutering your furry friend is highly beneficial. This goes not only for them but for you as well. It’s recommended by vets everywhere, and here are their main points why.

Prevents Overpopulation

Domestic animals might be excellent pets, but they sure do multiply quickly. To put things into perspective, unlike humans who take around 9 months to give birth to one baby, dogs and cats have a maximum of 8 per litter and can breed around 2 to 3 times per year. Add to that the fact that they can repeatedly reproduce for 7 years; your neighborhood can be practically flooded with kittens and puppies from just a healthy pair. Ay, Chihuahua!

Improves Health

Neutering is also great for your pet's health. For example, by removing a female cat's reproductive organs, the chances of developing tumors in her cervix and ovaries practically drop to zero. Plus, since birthing hormones won’t be produced, the risk of mammary cancer and other progesterone-related illnesses reduces as well. This also goes for males. By neutering them, problems with their prostate and testicles will be averted.

Aside from those, their risk of them acquiring sexually transmitted diseases is greatly reduced.

Controls Wild Hormones

While your dog or cat comes from a domesticated breed, feral hormones are still there, albeit not as pronounced as their wild brothers and sisters. It might be what makes them what they are, but intense instincts, especially those which stem from reproducing, invite danger to their well-being.

Male dogs, for example, are highly driven by their mating instincts. They have a strong sense to reproduce, which kicks in almost spontaneously. This is the reason why you can see them mounting not only other males, but other breeds, species, or even objects. Plus, their high testosterone also makes them territorial, aggressive, and easily distracted.

As for females, they give off a scent that attracts male dogs, often in droves. Meanwhile, if she doesn't get one during her estrous cycle, she can develop tendencies to escape your home and roam distances just to look for a partner.

Neutering improves your pet's health and safety. As for when's the best time to do it, that depends on the species and breed. If you want to learn more about this, talk with a veterinarian from an animal hospital in Jacksonville Beach.