Spay and Neuter For Dogs

The average lifespan of a neutered pet in the US, is 40% longer than an unneutered, one according to the ASPCA. Almost all un-spayed female dogs will eventually develop either mammary tumors (breast cancer) or a severe uterine infection called pyometra by the time they are 8-10 years old. Female dogs also go through a heat cycle about two times each year. During this time, they will have a blood-tinged vaginal discharge that can be quite messy.

Why Should I get my Dog Neutered?

Male dogs commonly develop prostate disease, perianal tumors and testicular tumors in their old age. Even more sadly, the most common reason for euthanasia of pets in the U.S. is behavior problems. These are usually aggression, running away or urinating in the house by unneutered male dogs. Intact males also have more tendencies to roam, which leads to automobile-related injuries, dogfights, and exposure to contagious diseases.

Spaying and Neutering for Overpopulation

Keep in mind also that millions of puppies are put to death in the United States each year because there are not enough homes for them all. Spaying and neutering is the responsible thing to do.

If cost is a concern for having surgery, just $15-20 per week saved from the time you get your puppy until he/ she is 6-12 months old will be more than enough to cover the surgery.

We recommend spaying (surgical removal of the ovaries and uterus) of female dogs and castration (surgical removal of the testicles) of males, for all dogs that will not be used for purebred breeding. This should be done when your pet reaches 6-12 months of age. You will need to discuss the timing of the surgery with your veterinarian as to what is most appropriate.

Your animal will be a healthier, happier pet, and you will have done your part to reduce the pet overpopulation problem.

While your pet is anesthetized for surgery, we can also remove any retained baby teeth, apply a dental sealant called SANOS and/or implant a microchip ID.

Spay and Neuter Video Transcript

Dr. Molly Kase

Hi, I’m Dr. Kase, and I’m going to talk to you about reasons to have your dog or cat spayed or neutered today. So the first reason is going to be population control. So it’s estimated that six to eight million dogs and cats end up in shelters each year. And unfortunately, approximately half of them are euthanized. There are various reasons for euthanasia in shelters, but one of the big ones is just overcrowding. They just don’t have enough space for these animals. And unfortunately, that does include puppies and kittens.

Dr. Molly Kase

A second reason to have your pet spayed or neutered is going to be preventing unwanted behaviors. So by having your pet spayed, this eliminates the heat cycle, which we all know comes with some unwanted behaviors there. And by having your animal neutered, you can decrease potentially male aggression, the wanting to roam outside the house for a meeting, which, unfortunately, can come with extra problems like getting hit by a car. So that will potentially decrease that as well.

Dr. Molly Kase

The third reason to have your pet spayed or neutered is going to be preventing some health problems. By having your dog or cat neutered, you can decrease the chance of prostatic hyperplasia, which is an enlarged prostate, and testicular cancer. And by having your pet spayed, you can eliminate the chance for uterine infections and uterine cancer, and you can also decrease the chance for mammary tumors. It’s estimated that a quarter of unspayed female dogs will get a mammary tumor in their lifetime, whereas if you do have your dog spayed before the first heat cycle, that goes down to 0.5%. So we definitely encourage this.