The idea of puppies or kittens roaming around the house aimlessly and springing over everything may seem exciting. But there are plenty of benefits to consider spaying and neutering for your pets, including improved health, behavior and reduced breeding costs.
Pet Spaying
Spaying refers to the act of removing and rendering the reproductive organs of animals sterile preventing unnecessary breeding. Though it’s commonly done on dogs and cats other domestic animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs can also be spayed. Spaying is usually done on pets between 4 and 6 months, but mature pets also can receive undergo this procedure provided they’re in a stable health condition. Spaying, however, has a long recovery period than neutering on male pets but it effective sterileness once the procedure is done.
Pet Neutering
Generally known as castration, neutering is like spaying but now being done on male animals. It involves the act of sterilizing male animals by removing the male reproductive organs responsible for sperm production. The penis is left intact and only the testes are operated on leaving the external sac as it was before.
Like spaying, neutering is typically done on pets between 4 and 6 months; though older animals can also undergo neutering. Since neutering is less invasive and doesn’t involve large incisions, neutered males recover much quickly than spayed females. However, this process doesn’t offer immediate sterilization and it will take some time, about 2 weeks to a month before the male becomes completely sterile.
Important Considerations for Pet Spaying or Neutering
When it comes to sterilizing your pet, it common you’ll have questions. Like how do you even start? Which is the best pet spay clinic for your pet? How much does the procedure cost? Are there any risks involved with pet spaying or neutering? Such concerns are common and the following considerations can help you find the right pet spay clinic and understand the whole process much better.
Cost of Spaying and Neutering
There are a lot of factors that go into determining the cost of pet spaying and neutering. The obvious one is the type of procedure; are you looking for spaying or neutering. Spaying is more expensive than neutering since it’s more invasive. Other factors include animal health, size, and weight, as well as the geographic location.
While you can use a regular veterinarian to conduct these procedures on your animal, the price can vary substantially from one veterinary to another making it even difficult to determine the average you can expect to pay. Luckily, as a pet owner, there are numerous pet spay clinics that offer reasonable spaying rates and it often range between $50 to $200 per pet.
If you are looking to cut down on the cost, consider taking your pet to your local animal shelter which normally offers affordable spaying and neutering procedure than it is at most vet clinics. Also, subscribing to a pet plan can ensure you spend less pet treatment, as well as covering part of the cost involved in spaying or neutering. Whether you use a regular vet or pet spay clinic, choose wisely.
Benefits of Pet Spaying and Neutering
Another important factor when considering spaying or neutering your animals is the benefits the procedures provide. Some pet owners will not consider these procedures on their animals due to many reasons, but understanding the benefits it brings can help you make an informed decision whether or not the procedure is right for your animal. Here are two key benefits of spaying and neutering.
- Improved Health This is perhaps the most visible benefit of spaying. A spayed female has reduced risks of getting uterine infections, mammary tumors, and breast cancer, which contributes to about 90% of cat deaths and 50% of dogs. Neutering for males is also important as it helps to reduce diabetes, prostate disorders and anal furunculosis, well known as perianal fistulas. To ensure your animal is effectively protected from these diseases, the procedure should be done before the pet experience the first heat.
- Improved Behavior Although animals will tend to exhibit their instinct behaviors, there are clear differences between spayed or neutered pets. The first thing you’ll notice is that a spayed or neutered pet will show no interest in roaming, something you’ll normally see with unaltered pets.
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