We hear the phrase “please spay or neuter your pets” frequently. But often the time isn’t taken to explain why that phrase is so important. The article included below does a wonderful job of pointing out the many benefits of spaying or neutering so I won’t go into those. Please take a moment to read it, it won’t take long.
As senior pet lovers, we have seen first-hand the devastating health effects of not spaying or neutering. Mammary tumors can quickly metastasize and cause cancer in other areas of the body and become fatal. A pyometra (infected uterus) can be life-threatening and require emergency surgery. Testicular cancer is also fatal in most cases. All of these things can be avoided by spaying or neutering your pet. Shouldn’t we do all we can to help our beloved pets avoid these awful diseases if we can?
Not only can we help our pets lead healthier lives, but we can all be happier too. As the article notes, unwanted behaviors can be helped by spaying or neutering too! One procedure that can do all this? Yes, please!
Even adult and senior pets can have these procedures performed if they are otherwise healthy. If you adopt a pet or already have one that isn’t already spayed or neutered, talk to your vet. They can advise you on the potential risks for your individual pet if they foresee any. We brought Chance into the Laber of Love family at the ripe old age of 13, and he wasn’t neutered yet. He had some of the issues described in the article, in particular marking his territory inside the house. We were concerned about the possible health effects of him not being neutered, but we were also concerned about possible complications due to his age and long term exposure to smoke. We talked to our amazing vet and did a full blood work-up. She didn’t foresee any extra complications with putting him under anesthesia so the little guy was neutered right away. Chance did great through the procedure and healed very quickly. Both he and his fospice family are definitely happier since we made that decision!
If you haven’t already, please consider spaying or neutering your pets. And if you have already, thank you for helping control the overpopulation and for helping to keep your pet healthy and happy! https://pets.webmd.com/reasons-spay-neuter-pet
Nicole Laber, Fospice Mom and Board Treasurer