Spaying or neutering is an important component of routine wellness care that helps your pet live a long, healthy life while reducing the homeless pet population. Our team at Neighborhood Veterinary Centers shares comprehensive insights into spaying or neutering health benefits for your pet. 

Health benefits of spaying or neutering your pet

Spayed and neutered pets tend to live longer, healthier lives than those who have not undergone the procedure. Reproductive organ removal decreases a pet’s chances of certain diseases, contributing to an overall improved quality of life. Health benefits include:

  • Reduced mammary cancer risk — Spaying your pet before her first heat cycle drastically reduces her mammary cancer risk. With each heat cycle, your pet’s chance of developing mammary tumors increases. 
  • Reduced pyometra risk — As your female pet goes through a heat cycle, her uterus becomes the perfect environment for bacterial growth. A uterine infection (i.e., pyometra) can rapidly become life-threatening and often requires emergency surgery and hospitalization for a favorable prognosis. An intact female pet who survives a pyometra has an increased risk for developing a future pyometra, and subsequent infections can become more severe.
  • Elimination of pregnancy-related problems — Pregnancy, labor, and caring for a litter of puppies or kittens is physically and emotionally taxing on a pet and can result in life-threatening problems. For example, a pregnant or nursing pet can develop preeclampsia or mastitis or may have a difficult delivery that requires an emergency, life-saving Cesarean section.
  • Elimination of male reproductive diseases — When you have your male pet neutered, their testicular cancer risk is eliminated. Neutering also reduces a male pet’s potential for developing various prostate problems. 

Behavioral benefits of spaying or neutering your pet

Spaying and neutering contribute to a range of behavioral benefits that enhance the quality of life for individual pets. These behavioral improvements also contribute to a more harmonious relationship between pets and their owners, as well as with other animals in the household. Pets who are spayed or neutered have the following positive behavioral traits:

  • Reduced aggression — Intact males often exhibit territorial aggression, especially in the presence of other intact males. Neutering helps reduce this aggressive behavior.
  • Diminished territorial marking — Intact male cats and dogs often engage in territorial marking behavior, spraying urine to establish their territory. Neutering significantly reduces or eliminates this behavior, helping pet owners maintain a clean and odor-free home.
  • Decreased roaming instinct — Intact males may have a strong instinct to roam in search of a mate during breeding season. This behavior can expose them to various risks, including traffic accidents, injuries, or getting lost. Neutering reduces the desire to roam, keeping pets safer within their home environment.
  • Decreased sexual behavior — Spaying and neutering reduce or eliminate sexual behaviors driven by reproductive instincts. Intact females may attract unwanted attention from intact males, leading to increased vocalization and restlessness. Neutered males are less likely to engage in mounting behavior and other mating-related activities.
  • Diminished agitation during heat cycles — Spaying eliminates the hormonal fluctuations associated with heat cycles. During heat, females may become agitated and anxious, often exhibiting behavior changes. Spaying prevents these cyclical changes, promoting a stable and relaxed demeanor.

Benefits to the homeless pet community

Pet overpopulation is a pressing concern, and having your four-legged friend spayed or neutered can help prevent this problem from escalating. Overcrowded shelters across the United States euthanize millions of homeless pets every year because they are unable to continue providing care for every pet in their facility. When you have your pet spayed or neutered, you prevent your pet from producing offspring and increasing the pet overpopulation, which reduces animal shelters’ burden and saves many pets’ lives. 

Cost benefits of spaying or neutering your pet

While spay and neuter procedures have an upfront cost, the expense is far less than the unexpected costs associated with raising a litter of puppies or kittens, an emergency C-section, food, veterinary visits, vaccinations, parasite testing, and deworming. Additionally, reproductive surgery can reduce the likelihood of future medical expenses related to reproductive health issues.

Spay and neuter procedures benefit pets’ health and the broader animal community. Contact our team at Neighborhood Veterinary Centers to discuss the importance of your pet’s reproductive surgery and the best age at which to have their procedure performed.