Spaying/neutering:Free or low-cost
View List of Organization which offer spaying/neutering free or at a low-cost
(Please confirm prices with the clinic of your choice, as they are subject to change.)
There are currently 8 million dogs, cats, puppies and kittens euthanized in the United States every year simply because there aren't enough homes for all of them. Besides preventing more unwanted puppies and kittens, spaying and neutering your dog or cat prevents diseases and prevents many behavioral problems that occur in unaltered pets. The risk of mammary cancer is greatly reduced if you spay your dog before age one. Also, cancers of the reproductive organs are eliminated. Behavioral problems such as aggressiveness towards same sex dogs, marking or spraying in the house and roaming to find a mate are also eliminated or reduced if you spay or neuter your pet.
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From the Office of Tracy
Land, DVM
1271 Canton Hwy,
Cumming, GA 30040
Telephone: (770) 887-1565
Fax: (770) 781-4237
www.tracylanddvm.com
e-mail: tracylanddvm@mindspring.com
The Health Benefits of Spaying / Neutering Your Pet
The reasons for spaying are compelling and well-known:
- Overpopulation and the resulting mass euthanasia and neglect. There can never be enough good homes for all the puppies and kittens born, including purebreds.
- It avoids heat cycles, unwelcome visitors fighting on the lawn, accidental pregnancies, unwanted puppies and kittens, inconvenience and expense.
- Better-behaved pets - Spayed pets are less likely to spray or mark or roam. They are less aggressive toward humans and other animals. 85% of dog bites involve intact pets.
- Healthier pets
- Females spayed before their first heat cycle have 96.4% less risk of breast cancer. Spaying after the first heat but before a litter still reduces the risk by 84%. Breast cancer is four times more common in dogs than in humans.
- Spayed females have no risk of uterine infection, or uterine, ovarian, or cervical cancer.
- Dogs and cats have their own sexually-transmitted diseases, many fatal, and some potentially contagious to humans. Spayed and neutered pets are rarely exposed to these diseases.
- There are many complications associated with pregnancy, having babies, and raising a litter - infections, emergency c-sections (very expensive), seizures due to calcium deficiency, etc. The risk of pregnancy and rearing a litter is far greater than the risk of anesthesia and spaying.
The reasons for neutering are compelling and well-known:
- Overpopulation and the resulting mass euthanasia and neglect. There can never be enough good homes for all the puppies and kittens born, including purebreds.
- It avoids fighting over females, trying to escape looking for females, and the resulting inconvenience and expense that results. Males can smell a female up to 3 miles away, and will often get in trouble out looking for girls. Most of the animals hit-by-cars and lost are intact males. Smaller dogs are often killed by larger ones.
- Neutered pets are less likely to spray or mark or roam. They are less aggressive toward humans and other animals. Eighty-five percent of dog bites involve intact pets. And who can stand the aroma of Tom Cat urine?
- Dogs and cats have their own sexually transmitted diseases, many fatal, and some potentially contagious to humans. Feline Leukemia, for example, is the leading disease killer of cats in our area, and is spread through fighting and sexual contact. Spayed and neutered pets are rarely exposed to these diseases.
- Neutered males have no risk of
testicular cancer. Prostate cancer, and other prostate problems, are very common in older un-neutered males.
The Health Benefits of Pediatric or Early Spay/Neuter
Pediatric, or Early Spay/Neuter, refers to spaying or neutering pets at a much earlier age than the old six to nine month standard. With today's anesthetics, advanced monitoring equipment, and surgical techniques, not only are these procedures safe in young puppies and kittens, the risk of complication is lower and the recovery period shorter than in mature pets. Concerns about adverse effects have now been proven unfounded. The American Veterinary Medical Association, the Humane Society of the United States, the Association of Spay/Neuter Veterinarians, and the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia, are among those that support early spay/neuter.
But why spay and neuter the babies?
- It's safer. Our mortality rate is lower. I've performed over 800 procedures with only one loss. Complications occur less often. Most compelling, in a study done by veterinary students (completely inexperienced surgeons), their death and complication rates were lower.
- It's easier on the pet - anesthesia time is shorter and recovery takes only a few hours.
- It completely eliminates the possibility of accidental litters. We daily hear the infamous "I didn't know she'd go in heat so soon", and "she just got out for a few minutes". The list is endless. My personal favorite is "She can't be pregnant. I just chained her up when she was in heat.".
- It completely eliminates the possibility of intentional breeding by well meaning but ignorant guardians. The old "so the kids can have the experience", "just one litter", "we can make a little money" or "I found her a good home" that turns out to be a back yard puppy mill.
- Breeders can avoid having their names show up on poor quality stock and help control competition by backyard breeders.
- The bottom line is fewer unwanted pets and fewer ill-bred animals filling up homes so that others go without.
Visit Dr. Land's Project Spay/Neuter website
WARNING - these pictures are very graphic.
SPOT
P. O. Box 720422
Atlanta, GA 30358
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