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What is neutering?

To accomplish surgical neutering, a veterinarian removes certain reproductive organs. If your cat or dog is a female, the veterinarian will remove her ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus. The proper name for this operation is an ovariohysterectomy, although it is commonly called "spaying."

The testicles are removed from a male animal. This operation is properly called an orchiectomy, although it is usually referred to as castration, or simply "neutering."

What are the advantages?

For you, the operation results in added convenience. It eliminates blood stains on carpets and floors, and usually stops tomcats from spraying strong-smelling urine on furniture and drapes. You'll no longer have annoying or menacing suitors to contend with. There's no need to confine your pet during "heat" periods, and no unwanted litters to take care of or find homes for. Your pet will be more likely to stay home and devote attention to you and your family.

For dogs and cats, surgical neutering eliminates a female's chances of developing uterine infections and reduces the possibility that she might develop mammary cancer. Males usually become less aggressive and spend more time at home, (yet will still protect you and your home, regardless) thus decreasing their chances of being injured in fights or automobile accidents.

Your community will also benefit. Unwanted animals have become a very real concern in many places. Stray animals can easily become a public nuisance, soiling parks and streets,

ruining shrubbery, frightening children and elderly people, creating noise and other disturbances, causing automobile accidents, and sometimes even killing livestock or other pets.

As a potential source of rabies and other less serious diseases, they can be a public health hazard. The capture, impoundment and eventual destruction of unwanted animals costs taxpayers and private humanitarian agencies millions of dollars each year. Over 1,000 animals in Hillsborough County, Florida alone are euthanized due to unavailable homes. Cities, Counties, and States are only able to keep these animals living in shelters for so long. The money to care for all of them is so limited that there is no alternative.

Will it change my pet's intelligence or disposition?

Only for the better! The operation has no effect on intelligence. And most neutered pets tend to be more gentle and affectionate. They become less interested in other animals and spend more time with the family.

Will it make my pet fat?

Removing the ovaries or testicles does affect metabolism. This seems to make many neutered pets put on weight more easily if permitted to overeat. The diet of every dog and cat should be carefully regulated to prevent excess weight, and this is particularly true after a neutering operation.

Is the operation painful?

Spaying and neutering operations are performed painlessly because your pet is under general anesthesia. After the surgery there may be some discomfort, but this is part of the normal healing process and can be controlled with medication if necessary.

When should my pet have the operation?

Generally speaking, as early as possible. We recommend that a female be spayed before her first estrus or "heat" period (around 6 months of age) and a male dog or a tomcat can also be neutered at 6 months.

Is the operation expensive?

Professional fees for spaying and neutering reflect the difficulty of the procedures involved. The actual fee varies from one area to another, depending largely on the economics of maintaining a veterinary hospital in a particular community. The size, age, sex and health of your pet affect the cost of the operation.

If the fee seems high, remember that surgical neutering is permanent. It's a life-time investment in your pet that can solve a number of problems for you, your pet, and society already burdened with too many dogs and cats. In fact, it could save you money in the long run. The cost of boarding your pet during just one or two "heat" periods, for example, probably would pay for an ovariohysterectomy.

A litter--wanted or unwanted--also means added expenses. A nursing mother needs extra food and care, and once weaned, the offspring must be fed as well. New pups and kittens also need inoculations and they may have to be treated for parasites. Even if your pet never has a litter, she could develop "female disorders" that would require surgery similar to or even more serious than spaying.

What are the alternatives?

The oldest (and in some respects the easiest) way to prevent mating is to keep your pet confined during its fertile periods. Once they reach sexual maturity, male animals can mate any time they are not confined.

Females can become pregnant only during their estrus or "heat" periods. These cycles usually occur twice a year in dogs, and at least two or three times a year in cats. Many cats "come into heat" as often as once every 2 or 3 weeks during certain months.

Since pets are capable of mating so much of the time, confinement is not particularly convenient for the owner. It also does nothing to eliminate such problems as spotting and spraying, or susceptibility to uterine infection, mammary cancer, and many other health related problems.

At present, other than confining your animal, the sure way to keep your pet from mating is to have it surgically neutered.

Will it stop the "pet population explosion"?

Spaying and neutering pets should help reduce the problem of surplus cats and dogs, but surgery alone is not enough. Un-owned animals are a major part of the problem. In addition to creating a public nuisance and possible health hazard, stray dogs and cats give birth to unwanted pups and kittens at an alarming rate.

Many communities have tremendously reduced or nearly eliminated their unwanted animal populations simply by enforcing existing animal control regulations. Others have come to grips with the problem by passing more stringent laws and enforcing them rigidly. In Hillsborough County, a law has finally been passed for un-neutered animals that are loose and/or un-licensed will be fined at a much higher expense to the owner than previously enforced laws.

As a concerned citizen, you should do everything you can to see that leash laws and other animal control regulations in your community are up to date and adequately enforced. And, as a responsible pet owner, you should make sure your pet does not contribute to the problem!

Well, to be blunt, get real! If you have your own children or know others that do, are the kids “personality clones” of one another? Do they have the same disposition and demeanor as one another? Certainly not.

Common Scenario:

There is a German Shepherd that has such a great personality, so an owner breeds her with another German Shepherd. When the time comes for her to give birth, the dog is in obvious distress. When taken to the vet, it is diagnosed that she must have a c-section in order to save the life of the pups and the mother. If lucky, the veterinarian and staff are able to save the pups and the mother. This is not always reality, as much as we try. Let’s be optimistic and say all survive the ordeal. Now, the pet owner is not only facing fees for the surgical procedure, anesthetic, hospitalization, further treatment, and post-op medications and check-ups, but the hopes that the mother will take to the pups and allow them to nurse from her. Think like a dog for a moment: The last thing you remember was feeling very ill, in pain, and confused. The next thing you know, you awake in a place other than your normal environment and there are infant puppies that are trying to nurse from you! Where did they come from? You don’t feel well. What now?

Also, something else to consider: what if the pups can’t be saved? Now you, the owner, must deal with the emotional and physical aspects of the mother.

Hoping the pups do survive, according to most states (including Florida) in order to legally adopt out the pups, you must follow the guidelines of the Pet Lemon Law. This means that before you can legally adopt out/sell the pups, you must have each one vet checked and each one is to receive a Health Certificate. Each pup must have a physical examination, the first DHPP-C, Bordetella, Fecal exam, and a deworming. This is to protect you and the adoptive owners. If there are any health problems with any pup after the sale within a certain amount of time, YOU, the seller, will be held responsible and may have to pay for the pup’s health care that you are legally responsible to pay for; such as birth defects, hereditary mange, etc. Breeding is not cheap and should NEVER be attempted for purposes of “making back the money you spent on adopting/purchasing your own dog,” or “wanting your children to experience the miracle of birth” These are never reasonable justifications for breeding any dog or cat…especially mixed breeds.

* Are both dogs of the same full-breeds?

* Does your dog or the dog you plan to mate him/her with have ANY health conditions? This includes hereditary mange, aggression problems, birth defects, or allergies?

* Are you prepared to pay additional veterinary expenses in case of complications of pregnancy?

* Do you have good homes already lined up for the puppies/kittens? (Keep in mind, there can be from one to sixteen in a litter!!)

* Have you taken into consideration all the homeless animals already ALIVE waiting for a home in shelters?

* Taking all of this into consideration…is it REALLY worth breeding?

All we can ask is that you have at least evaluated these questions before you breed. If you do still decide that breeding your pet is what you want, please consider spaying/neutering when the breeding is over. At least you will be eliminating a percentage (yet smaller percentage if mature, but still valuable) potential health problems, behavior problems, and unwanted pregnancies in the future…for your pet and others you may not even be aware of!

Other Notes: Did you know that in Hillsborough County ( and MANY other counties) you ARE CONSIDERED the owner of any stray animal(s) that you feed and they become legally yours? You are responsible for them from there after. If the county animal control catches you feeding these animals (don’t think your neighbors are not aware) you are thereby responsible for the yearly rabies vaccination and license for each and every animal you are feeding. This goes for cats and dogs! Though it may sound harsh, when you start feeding strays, they WILL multiply and all surround your home seeking food. Though you may have full caring intentions with your heart, you need to consider all the consequences involved.©

~Heidi Lapin, A.H.O.T.