| A Case for Early Spay and Neuter of Dogs |
| WHAT IS IT? It is exactly how it sounds. Spaying and neutering animals at a young age--before sexual maturity begins. This is a practice that has been commonly used for over 30 years. It has been noted as having been occasionally done for at least 20 years prior to that!! |
| WHY DO WE DO THIS PROCEDURE? Well, we want a healthier companion for you, of course. But it also guarantees no accidental breedings. It's easy for us to get it done, we deal with the whole procedure so you don't have to. It is part of our overall health-minded approach to providing quality companions to quality people. It is less traumatic for an 8 week old puppy to go through the relatively simple procedure (and recovery) than for that same puppy to go through the much more involved surgery (and lengthier recovery) at 6 months of age--if she hasn't accidentally gotten pregnant, or if he hasn't run off for the umpteenth time or "marked" your furniture yet again. It makes for a healthier dog. Cancer of the reproductive organs (a rampant problem in intact animals) is obviously 0 and a 1% chance of breast cancer for females. A nicer companion. YOU don't have to worry about getting it done. YOU don't have to deal with a male dog who likes to "mark" his territory, or "practice his technique" on your leg (or your visitor's leg). There is no guarantee that your male won't do these things, but the chances are greatly diminished. Or the aggression that comes with being an intact male dog. YOU don't have to mess with a female in heat (or the resulting neighborhood Romeos who will do ANYTHING to get in to your Juliet--or your Juliet doing ANYTHING to get to them). And of course, YOU are allowing the millions of unwanted pets a chance to get a home because YOUR puppy is not adding to the problem. |
| HOW IS IT DONE? Your puppy only needs to be restricted from food for a few hours--not 8-12 for an older animal. The puppy is given an inhalant gas or a shot to put them to sleep. The surgery itself is basically the same. However, it is a quicker and more easily done surgery since the vet is not dealing with mature organs and increased body fat. Plus, the incision is tiny, about a half inch for males and an inch or so for females (of the small breeds). Obviously, the recovery from that is much faster. The puppy is up and playing within hours of surgery. |
| HOW WILL IT CHANGE MY PUPPY? It really won't change your puppy much, except you'll have a more even tempered friend. No (or reduced) hormones bouncing out of control. No (or reduced) hormone-related aggression, wandering, or territorial marking. This will not affect your puppy's growth or development. |
| WANT TO CHECK OUT SOME LINKS? http://www.boxerrescue.com/benefits_of_early_spaying_and_ne.htm |
| http://www.danesonline.com/earlyspayneuter.htm This is an article written by a vet endorsing this procedure. Very in-depth and medical-ese for those of you inclined. |
| The only reason I could find to Not have it done at an early age is if the dog is going to be an athlete. Because the surgery can affect growth plates (resulting in longer legs sometimes), waiting until the dog is mature would be the recommendation in these situations. Other than that, I really couldn't find any fact-based arguments against early spay/neuter. |
| For more information Contact: mtl@munchkinstolove.com |