Important Benefits of Spaying or Neutering Your Dog

Dogs are said to be man's best friend, and they can be great companions. They can be very loyal and may even put their lives on the line to defend their owner. But they can also be a handful.

If you don't take care of them properly, dogs can become aggressive or destructive. Experts say that those behaviors are not something that can be specifically attributed to a breed, but from how the human is with the dog. Experts also advocate that owners should neuter or spay their pets.

But what does ‘neutering and spaying’ mean?

Neutering is a procedure where a veterinarian removes the testicles of a male dog, blocking the blood supply of the spermatic cord by tying the blood vessels connected to it.

Spaying, on the other hand, is a procedure that involves female dogs. The veterinarian removes both ovaries of the dog as well as the uterus.

Both surgeries make the dogs sterile.

If you want to know why you should neuter or spay your dog, here are some of the benefits:

Your Dog May Live Longer

Spaying can be very helpful to the longevity of your female dog. By removing the uterus and the ovaries at an appropriately young age, the dog will significantly diminish the risk of developing uterine infections or mammary cancer. Mammary cancer in dogs can result in a 50% possibility of death.

Neutering is also beneficial to the health of male dogs since their testicles are removed, and the dog will significantly reduce the risk of developing prostate and testicular cancer later on.

Better Behavior

Neutering and spaying also help curb aggression of dogs. At around six months of age, a female dog will start to go into heat, which may cause problems for her owners. A dog in heat will probably start to howl more and urinate more often since this is how dogs can smell the pheromones of the female. A female dog in heat tends to make male dogs more aggressive and prone to fight with other males. Furthermore, unneutered males will also display an effort to mark their territory and let their presence be known, and they do this by urination.

Regarding unneutered male dogs, they will show an increased tendency to dig themselves out of the yard or escape because their instincts are telling them to roam. Of course, a roaming dog has a high tendency to get injured due to fights and accidents.

And, you will avoid having a dog that tries to mount everything in sight.

Saving Money

Another benefit dog owners can look forward to once their dog is neutered or spayed is saving money. You can save a lot of money by reducing or eliminating some of the bad behaviors listed above, for instance, not having to clean up any urination inside the house. You can also save money from the cost you might need to pay to fix your garden from all the holes your dog dug around the house. Also, if you neuter your dog, he will be less likely to attack other males, which will reduce the risk of possible medical bills or lawsuits.

And of course, taking care of just one pet is much cheaper than taking care of a whole litter.

Benefiting the Entire Community

Unneutered dogs that roam around the neighborhood can be quite a handful to manage. They are more likely to destroy property on your neighbor's yard and lawn, get into fights with other dogs, or sneak into a female's dog house or yard. By neutering them, not only will you lessen the risk of them causing trouble but you will also reduce the risk of them getting injured or seized.

Control Population

Finally, one fundamental reason to neuter or spay your dog is to avoid unwanted litters. Puppies are lovable and cute, but if you're not planning on keeping them all, then it is an uphill battle to try to find a good home for all of them. Shelters are usually crowded, and stray dogs suffer on their own.

Neutering or spaying your dog will help reduce the number of unwanted animals that end up on the streets each year.

There are significant benefits that you, your dog, your family and the community can enjoy if you neuter or spay your pet. It might seem harsh to the animals, but they will barely feel a thing during the operation since they will be under general anesthesia. Besides, after the procedure and the necessary recovery time, your dog will feel happier and show a better behavior since they won't be stressed, trying to roam or let their presence known. So help your dogs by neutering or spaying them early and by doing this, not only will you be doing your pets a favor but you are also doing yourself a favor.