Jennifer Trachtman, DVM, strongly urges her clients to make sure their pets stay as healthy as possible by spaying and neutering them at the appropriate weights or ages. She says vets have learned that the optimum age to neuter males is when they have stopped growing. This allows for healthiest bone growth, especially in dogs. There’s still no clear agreement whether this benefit outweighs the risks of mammary cancer carried by females who have one or two estrus cycles, or heats.

Certified Veterinary Technician Tara Berard, now Practice Manager at Rhode Island’s largest emergency and specialist veterinary hospital, has been in the field for more than 20 years and has seen surgeries improve and better understanding of animals’ developmental needs in relation to spay/neuter. She says, “in males, there’s proven benefit in neutering after growth has stopped – healthier skeletal structure prevents all sorts of problems.” She agrees with Dr. Trachtman that there’s no clear data showing this is true for females. Mammary and uterine disease and cancers are much more likely in intact females who’ve had one or two heats before spaying.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, ASPCA, writes “there are not enough homes for the number of dogs and cats we have, and thousands more are born every day.” The Society states:

Not only is this a horrendous number of possibly unhomed animals, but the health hazards for dogs and cats who experience repeated pregnancies are terrible. Dr. Trachtmans says, “female dogs have a high risk of pyometra, a uterine infection, which can be deadly. They’re also more likely to get mammary and uterine or ovarian cancers, and the risk is higher with each heat. Intact male dogs are more likely to get prostatic diseases.”

According to Dr. Trachtman and the ASPCA, spaying and neutering animals is a public health issue. Millions of animals are euthanized yearly in the US because there are no homes for them. Strays can carry illnesses that can spread to other stray or homed animals, including deadly diseases like heartworm infection. Humans can get tick diseases and parasites from strays.

There are so many different myths and excuses related to humans not wanting to spay/neuter their pets. Just a few:

The ASPCA responds with “the cost of altering your pet is much cheaper than the cost of having a litter – vet check-ups, special diet, feeding and medical costs for kittens or puppies. The WORST is what to do with the unadopted babies.” Dr. Tractman says, “Some owners worry that their pets won’t have the hormones they need after being fixed, but these hormones also come from other organs in the body. Also, people worry that spay/neuter operations aren’t ‘natural,’ and that pets should get to experience being parents at least once, but in the wild there are natural population controls that don’t exist with companion pets.”

Emergency spay/neuter operations occur often in strays. In males, prostatic diseases can be life threatening and require emergency neuter. Females with pyometra need emergency spay surgery. Cancer is the biggest concern for intact animals of both sexes.

We as pet sitters may have clients reluctant to fix their pets. How do vets deal with these cases? Dr. Trachtman says, “The most important thing is education, how to manage pain, and fear for the pet before, during and after surgery; expectations for recovery time, and the long-term health benefits for the pet.” Educate yourself about spay/neuter! Ask your vet, research online, especially through the accepted experts, and practice how you would respond to your clients who are nervous about fixing their puppy or kitten.

Per the ASPCA, “Spaying and neutering are both usually simple operations. Spaying a female dog or cat is the removal of their reproductive organs. A male dog or cat is neutered by removing both testicles. Your veterinarian can explain details and discuss the best age to sterilize      your pet.”

Holly Holmes