Spay and neuter helps pets live longer, healthier lives.
There are many good reasons to spay and neuter. The best reason is to reduce pet overpopulation. Other reasons to spay and neuter:
- Spayed and neutered pets enjoy a 14 to 26 percent increase in lifespan over intact animals.
- Neutering male cats and dogs decreases urine odor and marking behaviors.
- Neutering male cats and dogs decreases the tendency of roaming.
- Spay surgery eliminates messy heat cycles.
- Spaying and neutering decreases the risk of dog bites due to decreased roaming.
- Spaying and neutering pets decreases behavioral problems.
- Spaying and neutering reduces the number of pets killed in shelters.
Other benefits include:
- Health benefits for female pets include the prevention of life-threatening pyometra, which is an infected uterus. One-fourth of female dogs will develop this condition by age 10. Additional benefits include the prevention of ovarian and uterine cancers.
- The cost of your pet’s spay or neuter surgery is less than the cost of caring for a litter or the cost of veterinary treatment for injuries resulting from roaming or fighting.
- Animal control resources are maximized with fewer stray animals and dog bites, which saves taxpayer dollars.
Finally, spaying and neutering hasn’t been shown to increase the likelihood of developing obesity or other endocrine diseases.