Why do our pets need to be neutered?

[angelia novincy]

------ More info re Spaying & Neutering, thanks to Pia Berrend (Let's Adopt! Global) ---------
Facts about Spaying and Neutering Cats and Dogs:

* Did you know that the ideal age for spaying and neutering is 3 to 5 months?

* The #1 cause of death among companion animals is euthanasia.

* Dogs are 15 times more prolific and cats are 45 times more prolific than humans.

* Neutered dogs live 1 to 3 years longer on average and cats live 3 to 5 years longer.

* 80% of all fights and animals hit by cars are intact male dogs.

* Spayed females do not have heat cycles, therefore males will not be attracted.

* Intact female dogs over 6 years of age have a 66% chance of developing pyometra (infected uterus).

* Intact male dogs over 6 years of age have a 60% chance of developing prostititis.

* Risk of mammary gland tumours, ovarian and/or uterine cancer is reduced or eliminated, especially if done before the first heat cycle.

Spaying/Neutering reduces the chance of:

* Vaginal Prolapse
* Venereal Tumors
* Perineal Hernias

Spaying/Neutering decreases:

* Roaming by ≥ 90%
* Aggression by ≥ 60% in dogs
* Dog urine marking ≥ 50%
* Cat urine marking ≥ 90%

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[angelia novincy]

Top 10 Reasons to Spay or Neuter Your Pet

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/spayneuter/spay-neuter-top-ten.aspx


Whether you’ve recently adopted a pet or you’re considering it, one of the most important health decisions you’ll make is to spay or neuter your cat or dog. Spaying—removing the ovaries and uterus of a female pet—is a veterinary procedure that requires minimal hospitalization and offers lifelong health benefits. Neutering—removing the testicles of your male dog or cat—will vastly improve your pet’s behavior and keep him close to home.
Many states and counties have established low-cost spay/neuter programs that make surgery easily affordable and accessible. To find a low-cost program near you, search our Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Provider Database (http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/spayneuter/). If you're in New York City, the ASPCA mobile spay/neuter clinic (http://www.aspca.org/aspca-nyc/mobileclinic/) offers free or low-cost spay/neuter surgery for financially needy dog and cat owners with proof of public assistance. Please contact our hotline at (877) SPAY-NYC for a listing of dates and locations in all five boroughs.
Not convinced yet? Check out our handy—and persuasive—list of the top 10 reasons to spay or neuter your pet!


Your female pet will live a longer, healthier life.
Spaying helps prevent uterine infections and breast cancer, which is fatal in about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats. Spaying your pet before her first heat offers the best protection from these diseases.
Neutering provides major health benefits for your male.
Besides preventing unwanted litters, neutering your male companion prevents testicular cancer, if done before six months of age.
Your spayed female won't go into heat.
While cycles can vary, female felines usually go into heat four to five days every three weeks during breeding season. In an effort to advertise for mates, they'll yowl and urinate more frequently—sometimes all over the house!
Your male dog won't want to roam away from home.
An intact male will do just about anything to find a mate! That includes digging his way under the fence and making like Houdini to escape from the house. And once he's free to roam, he risks injury in traffic and fights with other males.
Your neutered male will be much better behaved.
Neutered cats and dogs focus their attention on their human families. On the other hand, unneutered dogs and cats may mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house. Many aggression problems can be avoided by early neutering.
Spaying or neutering will NOT make your pet fat.
Don’t use that old excuse! Lack of exercise and overfeeding will cause your pet to pack on the extra pounds—not neutering. Your pet will remain fit and trim as long as you continue to provide exercise and monitor food intake.
It is highly cost-effective.
The cost of your pet's spay/neuter surgery is a lot less than the cost of having and caring for a litter. It also beats the cost of treatment when your unneutered tom escapes and gets into fights with the neighborhood stray!
Spaying and neutering your pet is good for the community.
Stray animals pose a real problem in many parts of the country. They can prey on wildlife, cause car accidents, damage the local fauna and frighten children. Spaying and neutering packs a powerful punch in reducing the number of animals on the streets.
Your pet doesn't need to have a litter for your children to learn about the miracle of birth.
Letting your pet produce offspring you have no intention of keeping is not a good lesson for your children—especially when so many unwanted animals end up in shelters. There are tons of books and videos available to teach your children about birth in a more responsible way.
Spaying and neutering helps fight pet overpopulation.
Every year, millions of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized or suffer as strays. These high numbers are the result of unplanned litters that could have been prevented by spaying or neutering.

[angelia novincy]

http://www.dogland.co.uk/GettingYourDogNeutered.html


We’ve all heard that spaying or neutering dogs helps control the pet population. But are there any other benefits to spaying/neutering? Are there any negative repercussions to having a dog spayed/neutered?
The only negative repercussion is that the procedure whether it is performed on females (spaying – removal of the reproductive organs) or neutering (removal of the testicles) is that it is irreversible. Therefore, you cannot change your mind and decide to breed your dog once the operation has occurred. Other than that, there is nothing but positive benefits to spaying/neutering.
Males

When it comes to male dogs, the greatest benefit to neutering is that is cuts down on roaming. Intact male dogs can sniff out a female in heat from virtually miles away. The male dog can be so driven by this scent that he will do anything he can – dig under the fence, run across busy streets and dodge cars (if lucky), as well as get into scraps with other dogs or cats, in order to get to her. “Once dogs establish a habit of roaming for whatever reason motivates them, it is hard to break that habit,” reports Mike Richards, DVM. Other negative behaviours curtailed by neutering include leg humping, jumping as well as urine marking, aggression towards other male dogs and/or territorial aggression, all of which are related to the high levels of testosterone present in the adolescent male dog.
Neutering has also proven to shrink the prostate “thus preventing both prostatitis as well as the uncomfortable benign hyperplasia (enlargement) that occurs with aging,” according to the Mar Vista Animal Medical Center. Certain types of hernias, testicle and anus tumours are also prevented by neutering.

On average, vets recommend neutering dogs between six and 12 months of age. There are reports of dogs being neutered as young as eight weeks of age, but there is no evidence to prove undergoing this procedure at such a young age is more beneficial to the dog than waiting until he is older.
However, neutering is not something that should be put off past 12 months of age. “Your one-year-old or two-year-old intact male dog may be acting like a neutered male in terms of being easy to live with,” according to trainer and author Kathy Diamond Davis. “But chances are that if you leave even an easy-going fellow intact to the age of three years, you’ll see undesirable behaviours.
“The age of three is primetime for an intact male dog to be involved with a terrible tragedy, such as those dogs who have killed children.”
It is obvious that not all dogs are going to kill children; however, owners of intact males need to be aware of the heightened risk of aggression that intact males possess.
Females

Like males, intact females, or bitches, can become aggressive and exhibit erratic behaviours due to hormonal fluctuations. Females typically have two cycles per year – one every six to nine months. Along with the hormonal fluctuations, bitches can create quite a mess via the discharging of blood. There are dog nappies to help owners keep their house clean. However, it is not necessary for a female to suffer any of this. If you are not going to breed your dog, then veterinarians recommend that females be spayed prior to their first heat cycle. “[The spaying procedure] can be difficult and time consuming on bitches that have had several heats or have been bred,” according to the Dog Owner’s Guide.
Myths

Many owners come up with any number of excuses to avoid spaying/neutering their dogs. These include the belief that their dog will become fat and lazy following the operation. “The truth is that most pets get fat and lazy because their owners feed them too much and don’t give them enough exercise,” reports the Spay/Neuter Hotline. Another common myth is that once spayed/neutered, a dog’s personality will change – his/her playfulness, friendliness and sociability with people will be curtailed. “A dog’s personality is formed more by genetics and environment than by sex hormones,” according to the Hotline.
Perhaps the most disturbing reason owners don’t spay/neuter their dog is the cost. The procedure can be costly, however, it is one-time charge and many vet clinics will gladly make payment arrangements with owners when it comes to spaying/neutering a dog. Local humane societies will also often sponsor reduced-rate spay/neuter clinics for this very reason. “It’s a bargain compared to the cost of having a litter and ensuring the health of the mother and litter,” add the Hotline. “Two months of pregnancy and another two months until the litter is weaned can add up to significant veterinary bills and food costs [and that is if no] complications develop.”

[angelia novincy]

Apakah Anda baru saja mengadopsi hewan peliharaan atau Anda sedang mempertimbangkan untuk mengadopsi?

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/200502_178123925567207_165492153497051_386538_4399 09_n.jpg
Credit: Let's Adopt! (USA)


Salah satu keputusan kesehatan yang paling penting yang Anda harus buat adalah spaying atau neutering kucing atau anjing. Spaying adalah operasi untuk mengangkat indung telur dan rahim hewan betina. Spaying memerlukan rawat inap dalam waktu singkat dan menawarkan manfaat kesehatan seumur hidup. Neutering adalah operasi pengangkatan testis anjing atau kucing jantan dan ini akan membuat perilaku hewan peliharaan Anda lebih baik dan membuatnya tetap tinggal di dalam rumah.

Belum yakin juga?
Lihatlah daftar 10 alasan utama untuk mensterilkan hewan peliharaan Anda!


Hewan peliharaan betina Anda akan hidup lebih lama dan lebih sehat. Spaying membantu mencegah infeksi rahim dan kanker payudara, yang berakibat fatal pada sekitar 50 persen dari anjing dan 90 persen dari jumlah kucing. Spaying hewan peliharaan Anda sebelum menstruasi pertama menawarkan perlindungan terbaik dari penyakit ini.
Neutering memberikan banyak manfaat kesehatan bagi hewan jantan Anda. Selain mencegah anak-anak (puppies atau kittens) yang tidak diinginkan, sterilisasi peliharaan Anda mencegah kanker testis, jika dilakukan sebelum usia enam bulan.
Peliharaan bentina Anda yang sudah disteril tidak akan mendapatkan menstruasi. Sementara siklus dapat bervariasi, kucing betina biasanya menstruasi empat sampai lima hari setiap tiga minggu selama musim kawin. Dalam upaya untuk mecari pasangan, mereka akan melolong dan buang air kecil lebih sering – dan kadang kadang di seluruh bagian rumah!
Anjing jantan Anda tidak akan ingin pergi jauh dari rumah. Anjing jantan akan melakukan apa saja untuk mencari jodoh jika belum disteril! Dia akan berusaha dengan cara menggali tanah di bawah pagar atau lompat pagar untuk pergi dari rumah. Begitu anjing jantan bebas berkeliaran, dia beresiko terluka dalam kecelakaan lalu lintas dan dalam perkelahian dengan anjing jantan lain.
Kucing dan anjing jantan yang sudah dikebiri akan berperilaku jauh lebih baik. Mereka akan memusatkan perhatian mereka pada keluarga manusia. Di sisi lain, anjing dan kucing yang tidak disteril sering menandai wilayah mereka dengan menyemprotkan urin berbau tajam di seluruh bagian rumah. Banyak masalah agresi yang dapat dihindari dengan sterilisasi.
Spaying atau neutering TIDAK akan membuat hewan peliharaan Anda menjadi gemuk. Jangan menggunakan alasan lama! Kurangnya latihan/jalan dan memberikan makanan yang terlalu banyak akan menyebabkan hewan peliharaan anda bertambah gemuk. Hewan peliharaan Anda akan tetap fit dan proporsional jika Anda terus memberikan latihan dan memantau asupan makanan.
Spaying atau neutering hemat biaya. Biaya steril jauh lebih kecil dari biaya memiliki dan merawat anak-anak kucing dan anjing. Hal ini juga menekan biaya pengobatan ketika hewan peliharaan yang belum disteril kabur dari rumah dan terluka karena berkelahi dengan hewan liar!
Spaying dan neutering hewan peliharaan Anda adalah tindakan yang baik untuk lingkungan Anda. Hewan-hewan stray (hidup di jalanan) menimbulkan masalah di banyak tempat. Mereka dapat menyebabkan kecelakaan mobil, merusak fauna lokal dan menakut-nakuti anak-anak. Sterilisasi sangat efektif dalam mengurangi jumlah hewan di jalanan.
Hewan peliharaan Anda tidak perlu melahirkan jika anak-anak Anda mau belajar tentang mukjizat kelahiran. Membiarkan hewan peliharaan Anda menghasilkan keturunan dan Anda tidak punya niat merawatnya bukanlah pelajaran yang baik untuk anak-anak Anda – kenyataan yang ada saat ini adalah banyaknya hewan yang tidak diinginkan berakhir di tempat penampungan. Ada banyak buku dan video yang tersedia untuk mengajar anak-anak Anda tentang kelahiran dengan cara yang lebih bertanggung jawab.
Spaying dan neutering membantu mengurangi jumlah populasi hewan yang sudah terlalu banyak. Setiap tahun, jutaan kucing dan anjing dari segala usia dan keturunan di euthanasia (disuntik mati) atau menderita sebagai hewan liar. Angka-angka yang tinggi ini adalah hasil dari perkawinan yang tidak direncanakan yang dapat dicegah oleh spaying atau neutering.

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Credit: Let's Adopt! Global - wall photos


Sumber:
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/spayneuter/spay-neuter-top-ten.aspx
http://www.dogland.co.uk/GettingYourDogNeutered.html

Diterjemahkan oleh Kimberly Kim & Vitri Mayastuti
Untuk Let's Adopt (Indonesia)

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