What is it?
Spaying and neutering are safe surgical operations that
prevent animals from reproducing. Spaying is the removal of a female animal's ovaries and
uterus; neutering is the removal of the male's testicles.
These procedures generally do not even require an overnight stay in a veterinary clinic.
* Laser surgery is
now available!
Why is it done?
Apart from the obvious reason of preventing reproduction,
these procedures can eliminate or significantly reduce the risk of an animal developing
numerous health problems, some of which may shorten their lives. These include
reproductive cancers and infections, as well as behaviour problems such as territorial
marking, destructiveness, and aggression. Animals who have been spayed or neutered are
much less likely to roam in search of mates, and therefore much less likely to be hit by
cars, injured in fights, or lost or stolen.
Common Questions
| Will neutering my cat make him fat and lazy? |
| Neutering might reduce an animal's activity level, but this
need not result in weight gain. A healthy diet and sufficient exercise can help your pet
maintain a healthy weight. |
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| Don't spaying and neutering interfere with nature? |
| Domesticated dogs and cats are completely dependent on humans.
It's our responsibility as their guardians to make sure the number of companion animals
born doesn't exceed the number of available homes. |
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| What about other animals? |
| For health reasons, spaying and neutering are also recommended for
rabbits. Female ferrets should also be spayed. If they go into heat and don't mate, they
can become anemic and die. Veterinarians recommend spaying and neutering guinea pigs but
consider surgery unsafe for small rodents such as hamsters because of their size.
Separating males from females is the best way to prevent small rodents from reproducing. |
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| Should my female dog be allowed to have one litter? |
| There's no reason for a female dog to even have one
litter. It won't make her a better companion, and it will increase the likelihood that she
will develop mammary cancer. Spaying a dog before she goes into heat even once greatly
reduces the risk of her developing mammary cancer. |
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| If I adopt from my local humane society, will my pet be
sterilized? |
| The Ontario SPCA spays or neuters every healthy, adult animal
before adoption from our shelters. When adopted animals are too young to be spayed or
neutered, the Society offers rebate incentives to encourage owners to take their new
companions to their veterinarians for the procedure. These steps are expected to improve
sterilization rates and make a big difference towards reducing Ontario's pet
overpopulation crisis.
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Information taken from: Ontario Veterinary
Medical Association
Services
Health
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