Separating The Fact From Fiction In Regards To Spay Or Neutering Your Pet

Sometimes separating the fact from fiction in regards to spaying or neutering your pet isn't easy. There are generally eight most commonly given reasons why people choose not to spay or neuter their pets. Let's take a closer look at each of these.

The first excuse (or piece of fiction) is that a pet will put on a lot of weight and will become lazy.

If a pet does put on weight then it has nothing to do with its being spayed or neutered. That is completely false. Putting on weight is likely a result of you pet's not getting enough exercise and also overeating. Try to add more activity into your dog's life and don't feed them every time they give you those bashful looking eyes.

My dog never ventures outside so it isn't necessary to get him or her spayed or neutered.

Even though your pet is an indoor pet there is no guarantee that he or she won't accidentally get outside and get lost. Remember that there are many health benefits to getting your pet spayed or neutered. Animals who are fixed are less prone to many types of infections and diseases.

My pet will no longer be like him or herself.

If anything an animal's personality is likely to improve after they are fixed up. They will be more affectionate and sociable and show less aggressive tendencies towards people and other animals. As well there is less chance that they will wander away in search of the opposite sex. Dog who are fixed also do not spray (also known as urine marking) to stake their territory because they don't feel the need to do so.

My dog would be angry with me if I castrated him.

Animals have feelings but they are not as complex as a human being's. Once he or she recovers from the surgery they will forget it and they will love you just as much (if not more) than before.

It is unnatural to have animals spayed or neutered.

Human beings domesticated both dogs and cats many, many years ago rendering them "unnatural."� It is people who messed with nature and by so doing caused the problem of overpopulation. Did you know that every day in the United States there are 70,000 kittens and puppies entering the world while only 10,000 humans are being born? There are many health risks associated with an animal giving birth while there is none connected with it remaining childless.

I want my children to see what an animal giving birth is like.

How many people actually get to witness their family pet giving birth? Most cats and dogs go into hiding when they are about to have their babies and often it is during the night because they want their privacy and they are in discomfort. Letting your pet get pregnancy and go through the pains of giving birth just for your kid's to see it is irresponsible and cruel to the animal. It is also cruel to allow the mother dog or cat to get attached to babies that you have no intention of keeping. This teaches your children to be irresponsible and inhumane.

It is fiction to believe that you can profit financially from the birth of puppies or kittens yet many people believe this.

Raising a litter of animals is not cheap and what guarantee do you have that people will be willing to part with their money when many people give them away for free? Also shelters are full of animals that need good homes. Most shelters will charge prospective pet owners a small fee for the animal but will also have the animal spayed and neutered and give him or her the necessary vaccinations. Some shelters will even implant a microchip for identification purposes and provide a bag of food.

The fear that a beloved pet will die during the surgery is a big one but it is an unsubstantiated one.

Spaying and neutering are both commonly done surgical procedures that trained veterinarians perform on a routine basis. Often a pet's heart rate and breathing are closely monitored during the procedure and it is rare for an animal to die will it is under anesthesia. The benefits to your pet's health as far as spaying or neutering go far outweigh the risks involved with undergoing the procedure.