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Benefits of Spaying or Neutering Your Pet in Lakeland, FL

There are many benefits to spaying and neutering our pets. Considering that the benefits of spaying and neutering largely outweigh the drawbacks, most vets recommend that pet owners go through with these procedures for their pets unless they are planning on having a reputable pet breeding program.

There are many benefits to spaying and neutering our pets. For one, it will cost pet owners less money in the long run. This is because paying for medical care for a bunch of newborn animals is pretty expensive. In addition to this, you can be at peace of mind knowing that you are not contributing to the pet overpopulation problem in the United States.

In this article we will be explaining all of the benefits of spaying and neutering our pets. In addition to this, we will also be providing you with some helpful things to keep in mind before getting your pets spayed or neutered. Alright, let’s get right into it.

Dog sitting at clinic waiting to be neutered

It Will Prevent Your Pet From Getting Pregnant Unexpectedly

The main, and possibly most obvious, benefit to getting your pets spayed and neutered is that it prevents unwanted pregnancies. Properly caring for newborn pets takes a lot of time, effort, and money.

Let’s face it, the average pet owner is not ready to raise a litter of puppies or kittens, and some may not even be capable of doing it properly. Not to mention, finding good homes for all of these animals can be a stressful and daunting process. Spaying your female pets will prevent you from having to deal with these things altogether.

Even if you only have male pets, unplanned litters can be a real problem. After all, your neighbors with female pets will likely not be very happy with you if your pet got theirs pregnant. Again, spaying or neutering your pet is the best way to avoid this issue altogether.

It Will Prevent You From Contributing To The Pet Overpopulation Problem

There is a pretty big pet overpopulation problem within the United States, and unplanned litters of puppies and kittens is partially to blame for so many dogs and cats being in shelters. As a result, if more people were to spay and neuter their pets then there would be less homeless pets out there.

As a result, a big benefit to spaying and neutering your pets is that you know that you are not contributing to shelter overpopulation.

It Will Save You Money

Some people look at the potential vet bill for a spay or neuter operation for their pet and decide to skip it because of the price. However, it is actually much more expensive to care for a litter of newborn animals than it is to just get your adult pet spayed or neutered. When caring for newborn puppies and kittens properly you will need to pay for:

  • Deworming and vaccinations
  • Food
  • Vet visits
  • Possible emergency vet care

As you can probably imagine, all of these things add up. This is especially true if your pet has a large litter of puppies or kittens. In addition to this, birth can sometimes have complications, even in the animal world. As a result, there is a chance that you may need to get a female pet emergency veterinary care.

In addition to this, some types of cancer and other medical conditions are not possible in spayed and neutered pets. As you can probably imagine, it is also pretty expensive to treat conditions like testicular or uterine cancer. Luckily, you will not need to worry about these kinds of conditions in spayed and neutered pets.

It Can Stop Or Reduce Behavioral Issues

Many behavioral problems in dogs and cats stem from them not being spayed or neutered. This is because intact dogs and cats run much more off of instincts than training when the prospect of mating is present. Here are some fairly common behavioral issues in dogs and cats that can be caused by their hormones and mating instincts.

  • Spraying urine
  • Attempting to escape an enclosed area (usually in search for a mate)
  • Aggressive behavior (usually due to testosterone in male dogs)
  • Becoming overly territorial

Most of the time, spaying and neutering dogs and cats either eliminates or greatly reduces these kinds of behavioral problems. This is especially true when it comes to spraying urine as a way to mark their scent and overly territorial behaviors. Attempting to escape areas is also greatly reduced when a dog or cat is spayed or neutered because they no longer have the need to search for mates.

When it comes to reducing aggressive behaviors in dogs and cats, spaying and neutering often helps. This is especially true when it comes to male pets because high testosterone levels often cause animals to act aggressively. However, aggression with other causes may not improve.

It Can Prevent Certain Types Of Cancer

Getting your pets spayed or neutered can help to prevent certain types of cancer in both males and females. In males, their chances of developing testicular cancer is eliminated once they have been neutered. Similarly, female pets are at no risk of cervical, uterine, and ovarian cancers after they have been spayed.

In addition to this, spayed female pets are at much less risk for breast cancer.

It Reduces Chances Of Uterine Infections

Spaying a female pet involves removing their ovaries and uterus. As a result, conditions affecting these internal organs are not possible in spayed female pets. Of course, this includes uterine infections and other complications with the uterus.

Not only are these conditions often painful and potentially life threatening to our pets, but it is often expensive to treat these kinds of ailments.

Husky at vet after successful spay & neuter surgery

Before You Spay Or Neuter Your Pet…

It is always a good idea to talk with your vet before getting your pet spayed or neutered. This is because different pets will need to be spayed or neutered at different ages, and your vet may have some other considerations for your pet as well. Talking with your vet about spaying or neutering will ensure that it is done safely and properly.

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Family is family, whether it has two legs or four. At Lakeland Animal Clinic, we've spent the last 40 years healing and caring for your pets. As a family-operated practice, we know that family is about more than simply being related. Animals give us the ability to develop strong bonds and feel great compassion for a fellow living creature.