Do you have a pet dog in your home? Maybe you’re thinking about getting that adorable golden retriever puppy you’ve seen by the pet shop window. Or better yet, you’ve been wanting to adopt a mongrel from the shelter. Either way, there’s a lot of responsibility of owning a pet such as a dog. Other than proper food, shelter, and love, pet owners have to spay & neuter dogs for a variety of reasons.
Let’s look at 5 main reasons why you have to spay your dog:
1. Spayed & Neutered Dogs Are Healthier
A vast majority of animal doctors around the world agreed that spayed and neutered dogs live healthier lives. Spaying (for female canines) and neutering (for males) reduce risks for canine cancers, sexually-transmitted infections (STI/STD), kidney infections, bacterial infections and so much more.
Spaying also stops misbehaviours caused by the dogs going ‘in heat’. They’ll get less rowdy and aggressive, behaves and follow commands better.
2. They Have Longer Lifespans
It makes sense that when a dog is healthier thanks to spaying, it could live longer!
Every pet owner dreams of living with their cherished fur baby for years and years to come, to be the companion and man’s best friend for as long as life allows it. So give this chance for your dog and have it neutered. Dogs normally have a lifespan of about 12-14 years depending on the breed, but a healthy happy dog can live up to 20 years or more!
3. They Have Better Temperament & Less Pain
As mentioned before, spayed & neutered dogs behave better because their reproductive hormones are reduced. They tend to be less aggressive, more docile, and fare better in temperament and mood. But of course, to have a controlled dog who behaves well requires more than spaying it. Dogs need proper training since they’re puppies. That being said, spaying does help to reduce a dog’s tendency to be aggressive.
Female dogs in particular, won’t be in pain from going in heat, after spaying. Unspayed female dogs undergo painful menses that can lead to bleeding and swelling. Spaying stops this process entirely so your dog won’t need to be in pain anymore!
4. Saves Money & Vet Expenses
We mentioned that spaying reduces risk for infections and diseases. So let’s keep the vet bills to a minimum with only the necessary expenses; medical checkups, vaccinations, and neutering. True to the adage, prevention is better than cure, you can avoid more medical costs for diseases that can be prevented when you spay & neuter your dogs.
Spaying also avoid unplanned ‘grandchildren’ bore by your pet dogs. There are many cases of pet dumping on public grounds, usually a box of newborn puppies or a mother dog with her puppies abandoned by irresponsible owners. Pet dumping is wrong, both under the Animal Welfare Act 2015 and under social morals. It’s akin to torturing your pet by letting it die slowly of starvation, sickness, loneliness and getting run over by vehicles. Pets that are used to being fed and protected would have a terrible time fending for themselves, especially puppies and new mothers.
The cost of spaying and neutering is not that high, contrary to what some may think. You only have to pay once for every dog you own. And the time taken for the surgery to complete isn’t as long as normal surgery for humans; a mere few hours. And you don’t have to worry about your dog being pain since they’ll be effectively anesthetised during the whole procedure. They won’t feel a thing, just as long as you go to legitimate vet clinics done by certified doctors!
5. Helps Control Stray Population In the Streets
Dogs reproduce very quickly. Depending on the breed, one unspayed female dog can get pregnant as young as 6 months old and have up to 8 puppies per pregnancy. In a year she can go in heat 2-3 times and may get pregnant more than once. Multiply that with her siblings who are also unspayed, and you’ll have too many dogs abandoned in the streets, fighting for scare food and shelter.
Many pet dumping cases happen when owners suddenly realise that they have way too many dogs to take care of and too many mouths to feed. But pet dumping is such a bad solution for a serious problem. The solution is to spay and neuter your pets to avoid overpopulation of strays. It will lessen the burden of the owners, make the dog’s life happier and healthier and benefit both parties.
So in conclusion, please spay & neuter your dogs for the betterment of your life, your dog, and our community. Be responsible owners and take the step to bring your beloved pooch to the vet for vaccination and neutering. Your dogs will thank you for being diligent and caring of its needs. Help our community control its stray population that will lead to animal abuse and cruelty and share this article to friends and family. Together, let’s be better pet owners to our cherished furry family members!
