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Spay and Neuter Your Pets!
Prevent A Litter - It's Good For You
- Spayed and neutered pets are better, more affectionate companions.
- Neutered cats are less likely to spray and mark territory.
- Spaying a female dog or cat eliminates its heat cycle, which can last twenty-one days, twice a year, in dogs and anywhere
from three to fifteen days, three or more times a year, in cats. Females in heat often cry incessantly, show nervous behavior,
and attract unwanted male animals.
- Spayed and neutered pets are less likely to bite. Unaltered animals more often exhibit more behavior and temperament problems
than those that have been spayed or neutered.
Prevent A Litter - It's Good For Your Pet
- Spayed and neutered dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives.
- Spaying female dogs and cats eliminates the possibility of uterine or ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the incidence of breast
cancer.
- Neutering male dogs and cats reduces the incidence of prostate cancer.
- Neutered animals are less likely to roam and fight.
Prevent A Litter - It's Good For The Community
- Communities spend milions of dollars to control and eliminate unwanted animals. Irresponsible breeding contributes to the problem
of dog bites and attacks. Animal shelters are overburdened with surplus animals.
Spay/Neuter General Information
Spaying (ovario-hysterectomy) is the surgical removal of the reproductive organs (ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes)
of the female animal.
Neutering (orchectomy or castration) is the surgical removal of the reproductive glands (testes) of the male animal.
The outer is left, only the testes are removed. Appearance depends upon the dog's age at the time of the surgery.
When to spay/neuter:
Dogs and cats, both males and females, should be spayed or neutered by 6 months of age. Currently some clinics are
performing surgeries on animals as young as 8 weeks of age. The procedure is becoming more common and is available in
many areas. Older animals can be done as long as they are in good health. All sterilization surgery is performed under
general anesthesia by a licensed veterinarian.
Female dogs and cats can be spayed when in heat. These surgeries can take longer, and can therefore cost more. Spaying before
having a first litter or heat cycle is usually a simpler and less costly procedure.
The Breeding Cycle:
The heat [breeding] cycle for dogs is once or twice a year starting as early as 6 months of age. Duration is 3 weeks. The heat
cycles in cats start as early as 6 months and occur every 3-4 weeks from early spring through early fall. Female cats can become
pregnant again as soon as 10 days after giving birth (while still nursing the first litter).
The gestation period for both dogs and cats is 63 days.
Information obtained from The Humane Society of the United States.
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