This morning we performed several neuters here at the clinic, so I figured I would talk about the advantages of having your dog or cat neutered, and why we recommend it for your pets. One very important reason to have your pet neutered is to help reduce pet overpopulation. Each year, millions of animals end up at shelters in the US, and almost half of them are euthanized because there are not enough homes. So having your pet neutered is an easy way to help reduce the euthanasia of homeless dogs and cats.
Neutering also has several health benefits. A neutered dog is less likely to develop prostate enlargement and infections of the prostate gland. Neutering can also help prevent some types of cancer such as testicular cancer.
Last of all, neutering makes for a better behaved pet. Neutered cats are less likely to spray, roam and get into fights with other cars. Neutered dogs are less likely to roam, mark their territory (which includes your house), and mount inappropriate objects. Neutering also helps decrease aggression. So overall, there are many advantages to having your dog or cat neutered.
Here at the clinic, we neuter animals as young as twelve weeks of age, and we find that the younger animals actually recover better after the surgery. However, an animal can be neutered at any age after twelve weeks, and even older animals still have the same benefits of being neutered. For those of you who may be interested in the female side of things, we will definitely have a post in the near future about having your pet spayed.
