ARE THERE PROBLEMS RELATED TO SPAYING/ NEUTERING PETS?

LAST WEEK I ADDRESSED THE PROS AND CONS OF SPAYING FEMALE DOGS.  (ATICLE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST OR ON OUR FACE BOOK PAGE.)  THERE WAS A PUSH FOR SPAY/NEUTER CLINICS BACK IN THE 60’S AND 70’S BECAUSE OF THE OVERPOPULATION OF DOGS AND CATS, WHICH HAS DECREASED SOMEWHAT BUT IS STILL A PROBLEM.  RESPONSIBLE OWNERSHIP MEANT ADHERING TO SUCH   PRACTICES.  EVEN TODAY, AT VERY YOUNG AGES, KITTENS AND PUPPIES GET CUT AND SNIPPED, BEFORE BEING ADOPTED OUT, TO PREVENT PROCREATION.  THERE ARE INDEED MANY IRRESPONSIBLE PET PARENTS WHO FIND A KITTEN OR A PUPPY FROM AN OOPS SITUATION AND CONTINUE THE NEGLECT OF SEEING THAT NEITHER GET INPRENATED OR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR INPRENATING RECEPTIVE FEMALES.  DOGS, AND ESPECIALLY CATS, REPRODUCE QUICKLY PRODUCING THOUSANDS OF ANIMALS WITHIN A FEW GENERATIONS.  IN MANY BUT NOT ALL COUNTRIES, STERILIZATION IS THE ONLY METHOD OF CONTROL. 

SPAYING OR NEUTERING OR DE-SEXING ARE TERMS THAT REFER TO THE REMOVAL OF THE OVARIES AND UTERUS (HYSTERECTOMY) OF FEMALE ANIMALS. A FEMALE OR MALE DOG THAT IS NOT STERILIZED IS REFERED TO AS INTACT.  IN THE LAST DECADE THERE HAS BEEN INCREASING DATA THAT SPAYING/NEUTERING AT A YOUND AGE, BEFORE FULL HORMONAL DEVELOPMENT, CAN RESULT IN SERIOUS MEDICAL PROBLEMS FOR PETS.  I AM ALWAYS ALARMED AND DISMAYED TO FIND OUT THAT MY CUSTOMERS MAY HAVE BEEN ADVISED TO CONSIDER SUCH OPERATIONS AT SIX MONTHS OF AGE.  REPUTABLE RESEARCH HAS BEEN GAINING FAVOR AGAINST EARLY SPAY/NEUTER BECAUSE THE REPRODUCTIVE HORMONES ARE NECESSARY FOR HEALTHY LEGS AND JOINTS AND WARDING OFF POTENTIAL CANCERS.  OTHER NEGATIVE MANIFESTATIONS OF EARLY STERILATION CAN BE OBESITY, INCONTINENCE, FEAR/AGGRESSION, AND THE ADVENT OF AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES SUCH AS DIABETES.  THE PARSEMUS FOUNDATION (info@parsemusfoundation.org), CAN PROVIDE DATA AND REFERENCES YOU CAN USE WHEN DISCUSSING THE RISKS AND BENEFITS WITH A KNOWLEDGEABLE VETERINARIAN. 

THERE ARE HORMONE SPARING METHODS AVAILABLE THAT MAY BE MORE BENEFICIAL TO YOUR PET. OSS, OR OVARY SPARING SPAY FOR FEMALES, AND VASECTOMY FOR MALES.  OPINIONS AND RESULTS ARE OFTEN BASED ON THE BREED, SIZE, AGE, AND OTHER FACTORS.  THIS ARTICLE SUGGESTS TAKING NOTE “OF THE INFORMATION ABOUT GONADECTOMY RISKS FOR SPECIFIC BREEDS AND MIXED BREED DOGS PUBLISHED BY HART AND COLLEAGUES (2020) AND STAY ABREAST OF RECENT UPDATES IN THIS RAPIDLY EVOLVING AREA OF RESEARCH.”  THERE IS TRAINING AND BEHAVIORAL ADVICE SITES ON FACE BOOK FOR INTACT DOGS THAT MAY BE VERY HELPFUL.

MY PERSONAL ADVICE IS TO DEFINITELY DELAY EARLY GONADECTOMY FOR YOUNG DOGS.  UNLESS OF COURSE THERE IS A MEDICAL ISSUE, LIKE THE TESTICALES HAVE NOT DROPPED, OR PROBLEMATIC HERNEAS, ETC.  AS LONG AS YOUR DOG IS NOT AGGRESSIVE TO OTHER DOGS, HAS GOOD HOUSE AND PEOPLE MANNERS, IS NOT GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO ESCAPE YOUR ATTENTION OR YARD, THEN WAIT.

UNLESS WE CAN FIND A QUALIFIED GROOMER, WE WILL NO LONGER BE GROOMING. HOWEVER, WE ARE ABLE TO HELP WITH (AGREEABLE) CAT AND DOG NAIL TRIMMING.  ONE GROOMING TABLE IS FOR SALE.  IF SOMETHING CHANGES, WE WILL PUBLISH THE INFORMATION. 

THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE WAGGING TAIL PET NUTRITION CENTER #1 AGAIN.  HOPE TO SEE YOU AT WHALE OF A DAY IN TOWN BANK THIS SATURDAY WHERE WE WILL HAVE A BOOTH  AND GOODIES.