The Benefits of Spaying and Neutering Your Pet
Do you want to spend the time, money, and dedication it takes to become a professional breeder? If the answer is no—as it is for most pet parents—we recommend spaying and neutering your dogs and cats. Pet sterilization comes with several benefits. Plus, it helps limit pet overpopulation and homelessness. Our veterinary team at Bayside Animal Hospital would like to share the 3 benefits of spaying or neutering your pet.
3 Benefits of Pet Sterilization
1. Neutering Male Pets Prevents Testicular Cancer
Testicular cancer is common in older, unneutered male dogs. Cats can get testicular tumors too, but it’s rare. Without testicles, your pet can’t get this disease. Even though the prognosis is good if the cancer is caught early, the treatment is to remove your pet’s testicles. Why not do that from the get-go and avoid testicular cancer altogether?
2. Spaying Female Pets Helps Prevent Breast Cancer and Uterine Infections
Compared with spayed cats, unspayed felines are seven times more likely to develop breast tumors. Roughly 90% of breast tumors in cats are cancerous. Spaying your kitty before she turns six months old dramatically reduces her risk of this potentially deadly disease.
Dogs can also develop breast tumors, but only about 50% of breast tumors in dogs are malignant. Still, we recommend spaying your pup. This helps you avoid the costly and emotionally draining cancer treatment process. The ideal time to spay depends on your dog’s size. When you bring her in to Bayside Animal Hospital for a wellness check, our veterinary team can share the best timeline for your pet.
Unspayed dogs and cats can also develop a uterine infection (pyometra). While the name might sound less scary to us than “cancer,” a uterine infection requires immediate medical treatment. It can make your beloved pet incredibly sick. Without aggressive treatment—and sometimes even with it—pyometra can be fatal.
Since spayed cats and dogs no longer have a uterus, there’s no chance they’ll develop this serious condition.
3. Pet Sterilization Helps Prevent Unwanted Behaviors
There are all sorts of not-so-fun behaviors that accompany pets who haven’t been sterilized. Unneutered male cats are infamous for spraying pee on the walls. Female dogs bleed every time they’re in heat, which means you’ll either have to put a diaper on your pup or routinely clean blood off your floors. Or both.
Of course, this isn’t an unwanted behavior so much as it is a fact of life, but it’s less than pleasant.
Unneutered male dogs are notorious for humping other dogs, people, and even air. They can also be more aggressive than sterilized males—and more likely to wander away from the house in search of a mate.
Local Spay and Neuter Clinics in Granite Bay
If your pet needs to be spayed or neutered, reach out to the caring team at Bayside Animal Hospital. Our experienced veterinarians provide advanced veterinary spay and neuter services for dogs and cats. If you want to learn more about the benefits of spaying and neutering before you make a decision, feel free to give us a call at (916) 791‑8387. We’re here to support you and your pet!