How spaying and neutering could give your pet a better life

Date: December 07, 2017 by Shenelle Alphonso & Madhureeta Bera



There can be nothing more comforting than coming back home to your four legged friend after a tiring day. The look in their eyes when they see you jumping and running in excitement and sniffing you to figure out where you had gone, they prove to be the best companions. While its your responsibility to provide them the best of care, the most important health decision you'll need to make is to spay or neuter your dog or cat.

Spaying is the surgical removal of the reproductive organs of female dogs and neutering is the surgical removal of a male dog’s testicles. The hormonal processes disappear but the character of the animal does not suffer alteration. In dominant aggressive males, this behavior can attenuate or disappear. Females stop being in heat.


While the decision is completely yours since they cant take it themselves, here's a list of reasons why you should.

1) Spaying proves to make your pet live a long and healthier life. Spaying helps prevent uterine infections and breast cancer, which is fatal in about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats. Spaying your pet before her first heat offers the best protection from these diseases.

2) It relieves stress. Physiologically, animals are geared toward pregnancy or nursing, if they are not doing that, they are physiologically stressed. It prevents pseudocyesis, commonly known as psychological pregnancy or false gestation, which is a common hormonal disturbance in females.

3) Neutering provides major health benefits for your male besides preventing unwanted litters, neutering your male companion prevents testicular cancer. It reduces anxiety and the habit to run away or to attack other animals, people or even furniture.

4) Spaying or neutering will NOT make your pet fat. It is simply a myth! Lack of exercise and overfeeding will cause your pet to pack on the extra pounds-not neutering. Your pet will remain fit and trim as long as you continue to provide exercise and monitor food intake.

5) Your male dog will be well behaved, attaboy! An intact male will do just about anything to find a mate!once he's free to roam, he risks injury in traffic and fights with other males.Neutered cats and dogs focus their attention on their human families. On the other hand, unneutered dogs and cats may mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house. Many aggression problems can be avoided by early neutering.

6) It is highly cost-effective. The cost of operation is usually between Rs. 4000 to 6000. Your veterinarian may want to keep your dog under observation for anywhere from a few hours to several days. The length of the stay is dependent on your dog’s age, size, and health.


A question which might cross your mind immediately is 'are we not going against nature?' It is our duty to be responsible. To stop illegal breeding and selling of pets. To understand if we want our pet to reproduce and if not then what can be done to make its life healthier. And what we can do to stop the overpopulation of stray dogs, a majority of which gets run over or die due to starvation. Action needs to be taken based on the situation. Spaying and neutering does not affect the life of pets in any negative way.

Spaying and neutering are still considered a taboo by the majority here but one needs to keep in mind the importance and benefit it can give your pet towards a healthy and happy life. The choice of putting your pet through an operation might make you feel uneasy and that's completely normal but what matters most is your belief. Think Think!


Need more advice? Consult our vets to get all your answers at https://careist.in/vets-in-kolkata.html Your personal health care specialist at home.