This low-cost
surgery offers you and
your pet many, many
advantages.
Peace of Mind
Did you know that a
spayed or neutered
(sterilized) animal is
better behaved?
Males - Neutered cats
and dogs focus their
attention on their human
families, whereas un-sterilized,
unsupervised males roam
in search of a mate,
risking injury in
traffic and in fights
with other males. They
mark territory by
spraying strong-smelling
urine on surfaces.
Indoors, male dogs may
embarrass you by
mounting furniture and
human legs when
stimulated. Don't
confuse aggressiveness
with protectiveness; a
neutered dog protects
his home and family just
as well as an un-neutered
dog, and many aggression
problems can be avoided
by early neutering.
Females - While their
cycles vary greatly,
most female cats exhibit
the following signs when
in heat. For four or
five days, every three
weeks, they yowl and
urinate more
frequently-sometimes all
over the house-
advertising for mates.
Often, they attract un-neutered
males who spray urine
around the females'
home. Female dogs also
attract males from great
distances. Female dogs
generally have a bloody
discharge for about a
week, and can conceive
for another week or so.
Good Medicine
Did you know that a
spayed or neutered animal
will live a longer,
healthier life?
Spaying a female
(removing the ovaries
and uterus) or neutering
a male (removing the
testicles) are
veterinary procedures
performed under general
anesthesia. Both
surgeries usually
require minimal
hospitalization.
Neutering a male cat
or dog by six months of
age prevents testicular
cancer, prostate disease
and hernias. Spaying a
female cat or dog helps
prevent pyometra (a
pus-filled uterus) and
breast cancer; having
this done before the
first heat offers the
best protection from
these diseases.
Treatment of pyometra
requires
hospitalization,
intravenous (IV) fluids,
antibiotics and spaying.
Breast cancer can be
fatal in about 50
percent of female dogs
and 90 percent of female
cats. With an older,
seriously ill animal,
anesthesia and surgery
are complicated and
costly.
Responsible Care
Did you know that you
can help prevent the
suffering and death of
millions of animals?
Almost everyone loves
puppies and kittens, but
some people lose
interest when these
animals grow up. As a
result, millions of cats
and dogs of all ages and
breeds are euthanized
annually or suffer as
strays. Many of these
were the result of
unwanted, unplanned
litters that could have
been prevented by
spaying or neutering.
Rarely surviving for
more than a few years on
their own, strays die
painfully by starvation,
disease, freezing or
being hit by cars.
Just the Facts,
Please
Myth - A female cat or
dog should have a litter
before she is spayed.
Fact - The sooner you
spay your female, the
better her health will
be in the future. As
long as a kitten or
puppy weighs more than
two pounds and is two
months old, he or she
can be neutered or
spayed. Many
veterinarians are
practicing perfectly
safe early
sterilization. The
likelihood of developing
mammary tumors or
uterine infections
increases the longer a
female goes un-spayed.
In fact, a female spayed
before sexual maturity
(six to nine months of
age) has one-seventh the
risk of an intact female
of developing mammary
cancer.
Myth - Spaying or
neutering (sterilization)
will alter my pet's
personality.
Fact - Any slight
changes will be
positive. Regardless of
the age when spayed or
neutered, your pet will
remain a caring, loving
and protective
companion. Neutering
will reduce the need to
breed, and that has a
calming effect on many
animals. Both neutered
male canines and felines
tend to stop roaming and
fighting and lose the
desire to mark their
territory with urine.
Myth - Companion
animals will become fat
and lazy if they are
neutered.
Fact - Absolutely
not! Lack of exercise
and overfeeding make
pets fat and lazy- not
neutering. Your pet will
not gain weight if you
provide exercise and
monitor food intake.
Neutering is good for
your pet, since
sterilized pets tend to
live an average of two
to three years longer
than un-sterilized pets.
Myth - Sterilization is
a dangerous and painful
surgery for my pet.
Fact - Spaying and
neutering are the most
common surgeries
performed on animals.
With a minimal amount of
home care, your pet will
resume normal behavior
in a couple of days.
Myth - Children should
witness the miracle of
birth.
Fact - Countless
books and videos are
available to teach your
children about birth in
a responsible manner.
Letting your pet produce
offspring you have no
intention of keeping is
teaching your children
irresponsibility. Anyone
who has seen an animal
euthanized in a shelter
for lack of a home knows
the truth behind this
dangerous myth.