Yellowhead Veterinary Clinic - Stony Plain

If you do not plan to breed or show your pet, you should consider having it spayed or neutered. There are several important medical behavioural problems that could arise if your pet is left intact.

An un-spayed female dog or cat may develop medical problems:

– Endometritis/Pyometra: A bacterial infection of the uterus, which occurs mainly in older pets.
– Mammary Gland Tumours: The incidence of mammary gland tumours in un-spayed dogs and cats is 7x greater than in spayed animals. The risk of tumour development increases with each heat cycle.

Other problems that may occur:

– Unwanted pregnancies: The S.P.C.A. and pounds are heavily burdened with unwanted and neglected animals because owners are unable to find homes for their kittens and puppies.
– Confinement of your female dog: It would be necessary to keep your dog confined for 21 days while she is in heat to prevent unwanted pregnancy.

An un-spayed female cat may:

– Become quite aggressive
– Become pregnant if allowed outside while in heat
– Attract male cats, which results in male spraying
– Constantly cry to be let outside

An un-neutered male dog may develop reproductive problems:

– Testicular Tumours: These are common in dogs. Neutering eliminates this problem
– Prostatic Problems: The prostate is a gland that surrounds the opening of the urinary bladder. It may become abnormally enlarged, infected, or develop a tumour.

Other problems that may develop:

– Tumours of the Anal Tissue: Hormone-dependant tumours commonly occur in older, intact male dogs
– Un-neutered dogs may become more aggressive and dominant with age
– They tend to wander, which may result in fights and/or road accidents
– Un-neutered dogs tend to mark their territory, sometimes even in the house!

IN ADDITION

Dogs with undescended testicles should be neutered. The incidence of testicular tumours in undescended testicles are 14x greater than in descended testicles. This condition is inherited; therefore these dogs should not be used for breeding.

An un-neutered male cat may:

– Fight for his territory, which leads to scratches, bite wounds, abscesses and consequently more medical expenses
– Have very strong smelling urine, which he may spray in order to mark his territory and attract female cats
– Tend to wander off