Pet Population Control

Population Control of Pets Starts With You!

By Tara Monohan

For The Seville Wadsworth Veterinary Clinic

Have you recently added a furry friend to your family ?  Are you considering adding one?  Did you know that one of the most important health decisions you will make is whetehr or not  to spay or neuter your cat or dog. At Seville Wadsworth Veterinary Clinic, we are pet lovers ourselves.  We see the negative effects of intact animals, which include overpopulation, uterine infections, enlarge prostates and various reproductive cancers.

In Ohio, there are homeless animals in nearly every community.  This includes our communities such as: Seville, Wadsworth, Rittman, Creston, Lodi and Medina.  There are  10,000 humans born in the United States.  This compares to the approximately 70,000 puppies and kittens that are born on a daily basis. As long as these birth rates exist, there will never be enough homes for all of the animals. As a result, millions of healthy, loving cats, dogs, kittens and puppies face early deaths as a form of animal control. Others are left to fend for themselves against automobiles, the elements, other animals and cruel humans. What can you do to stop the suffering? Spay and neuter your pets!

What is spaying and neutering? Spaying is a surgical procedure where the ovaries and uterus are removed from a female pet. Neutering is a surgical procedure where the testicles and spermatic cord are removed from a male pet. When done by a licensed veterinarian, routine spay/neuter surgery is actually less dangerous than the stress and complications possible in pregnancy.

Not convinced yet? Here are some more benefits of spaying/neutering your pet. The number one benefit is that your pet will live a happier, longer life. Spaying your female helps prevent uterine infections and breast cancer. Spaying your pet before the first heat cycle offers the best protection from these diseases. Neutering your male pet eliminates the risk of testicular cancer and greatly reduces the risk of prostate cancer, prostatitis and perianal tumors. Altered pets have less desire to roam, therefore making her/him less likely to be injured in fights or auto accidents. It also eliminates or reduces spraying or marking in males neutered before six months of age or before the onset of these behaviors.

Contrary to popular belief, spaying or neutering does NOT lead to Obesity. The factors of increased age and neutering/ spaying your pet does decrease the baseline metabolic rate.  This can be dealt with by giving the right amount of food and exercise. DUe to the decrease metabolic rate, he/she will require fewer calories to maintain a proper weight and should be fed less.  This means that he/she will be less expensive to feed! Altered pets are still good watch dogs. If anything, they are more content with home and family and are more devoted. An altered pet does not feel deprived by being spayed or neutered but an unaltered pet when in heat or when they sense a female nearby will feel extreme frustration. This frustration often leads to behavior problems and aggression.

Think it is too expensive? The cost of spaying or neutering is minor compared to the cost of feeding and raising litters. In addition, problems during labor and delivery could lead to a costly Caesarian section. An altered pet often requires fewer veterinary bills. The capture, care and eventual destruction of unwanted animals costs taxpayers and private humanitarian agencies over a billion dollars a year.

At Seville Wadsworth Veterinary Clinic our staff members can answer your questions about spaying or neutering your pet or any other procedure your pet may require. Please don’t hesitate to ask. Contact us at (330)336-5823 or info@sevillevetclinic.com.

For more information, visit our website at  www.sevillevetclinic.com.