By Dr. Amy Starr
Paws N’ Hooves Mobile Vet Svc / Mesa Vet Clinic / San Francisco Stables
March is Spay and Neuter Month!!! And we at Paws N’ Hooves and Mesa Vet want to celebrate by educating El Paso in the reasons why it is important to spay or neuter your pets! (Like our Facebook page and tune into my weekly video tips!)
1. Live longer, healthier lives! Pets that are spayed and neutered live longer and healthier. Contrary to myth, they do not feel an emotional need to mate.
2. Behavioral issues: if pets are spayed or neutered early enough, it can prevent mounting, marking and urinating in the house, and wandering away from home.
3. Reproductive Diseases. Non-spayed females often get cancers and infections that can be life threatening. Uterine, Ovarian, and Mammary Tumors are common and deadly. Uterine infections are also prevalent, and cannot always be noticed in time. Sometimes the uterus can become so infected that it actually abscesses inside of the abdomen, flowing pus into the belly cavity, and causing death. Risk of cancer increases with each heat cycle.
Non-neutered males are also at risk for cancers and infections that can be life threatening. Prostate enlargement and infections can be reduced by neutering. Testicular cancers can be prevented by neutering. Non-neutered males can having bleeding into their urine, they can have enlargement of their anus, and also have penile prolapse.
4. Be a healthy part of your community. El Paso kills over 20,000 pets each and every year due to overpopulation problems. By being responsible and spaying or neutering your pet, you can be an active part in reducing this outrageous number! Even if you want to have “only one litter” and your family is going to take the puppies, these are homes that could be given to puppies that are already born.
Our recommendations for our patients:
1. Discuss your options with your veterinarian. Each situation is unique.
2. In most cases, schedule to spay or neuter your pet at 6 months of age.
3. Many congenital problems can be caught by ensuring you do pre-anesthetic blood work.
OTHER MARCH SPECIALS!!: MARCH ALSO CELEBRATES EQUINE VACCINE DISCOUNTS! WE ALSO WANT TO INFORM ALL OF OUR BABY ANIMAL SPRING BREAK CAMP AT THE STABLES!