Why Spay or Neuter My Dog? Here are 4 Top Reasons Why

One of the first things you tend to get asked as a new owner of a puppy is when you intend to spay or neuter her or him.

Sounds familiar, right?

If you’re planning to get a new puppy—or have already got one – this will probably be one of the more important decisions you make–both for you and your pooch.

Now there are lots of myths and misinformation that float around these procedures…

Why Cause My Puppy Unnecessary Pain?? Well they do the procedure AFTER putting your pup under anesthesia, so there’s no question of enduring pain. And while recovery may take a week or so, it’s not like your puppy suffers through it!

What If Something Goes Terribly Wrong?? It’s not a very complicated, or rare procedure. Any vet worth his or her salt can do these blindfolded. But they won’t. Of course.

What’s the Point?? This Whole Fuss Over Pet Overpopulation is Rubbish!! While you may not subscribe to the overpopulation theory, keeping that aside, too, there are a lot of benefits to spaying or neutering your pup.

And that’s what we’re going to talk about here…

The fact is, they’re fairly straightforward, non-life-threatening, and positively beneficial for your pup in the long run.

To Spay or Neuter One’s Dog – What Does it Mean?

Spaying basically means removing the ovaries and uterus of your female pet. Similarly neutering means removing the testicles of a male one.

Both of these are veterinary procedures needing minimal hospitalization. And the benefits, on the other hand, are great, and last your pet’s lifetime.

If what you’re worried about are the costs, as we all instinctively do as soon as we hear “surgery” or “medical procedure” – don’t fret. Here in the US, at least, many states and counties offer low-cost spay/neuter programs that make surgery easily affordable and accessible.

For instance, in New York City or South Los Angeles, the ASPCA offers free or low-cost spay/neuter surgery for financially challenged dog and cat owners with proof of public assistance.

Contact details for such centers may be found by a simple search online.

Now that you know what one means when talking of procedures to spay or neuter a dog, let’s see why you should get it done…

1. It Really Improves Overall Health

It’s 100% true.

If you have a female pup, spaying her will help prevent uterine infections and breast cancer. One doesn’t realize how serious a risk this is among dogs. But it is fatal in about 50 percent of dogs.

Spaying your puppy before her first heat can make be a real insurance against the possibility of these diseases happening.

Likewise, chances that a male dog contracts testicular or prostate cancer later in life are higher among unneutered ones. Besides, you know how male dogs generally do just about anything to find a mate? Escaping, roaming around, and getting into fights with other males?

Yeah those are most likely intact males. Neutered dogs won’t go to such lengths. And that reduces the chances of them getting into accidents running into traffic, and injuries from fights. To spay or neuter means to give your pup a better chance at a healthy life.

2. A Good Fix for Potential Bad Behavior

This, again, mainly concerns male dogs. Intact dogs are really driven to find mates and protect their territories. Neutered dogs on the other hand won’t bother so much with all that, and mainly focus on their present family. That’s you.

And if your intact pup has started peeing all over the house leaving a stink, you know the root cause here. Why spay or neuter your dog?

You know why now…

3. It Makes Sense Cost-wise Too

Think about the potential health benefits we talked about a little while back.

Now think about the time, energy and cost of supplies you’ll save by not having to scrub away after your male pup as he pees around the house.

If you add that up, trust me, it’ll be a lot less than the cost to spay or neuter your puppy as soon as it’s safe to. The long-term benefits certainly outweigh the costs here.

If your dog, heaven forbid, develops any conditions later that may have been prevented through a simple procedure, it could really hurt. And if you have multiple pets at home, spaying and neutering them can save you a lot.

A whole pack of pets at home can be pretty destructive!

Another thing, too…Some counties have spay/neuter laws that require you have your pets sterilized. If you don’t, you might be refused a license, or have to pay much more to get one!

To get a clearer idea, read this post about how much it’ll possibly cost you to have your dog neutered.

4. And No – It Doesn’t Cause Obesity

While there’s some truth to the fact that a neutered male might not be as active as an intact one, that’s no real excuse! It’s just a matter of establishing routines.

In the end, it’s a lack of exercise and a poor diet that lead to obesity – not neutering. Make sure your pup plays and runs around plenty every day – and eats healthy – and you’ll have no such problems.

We hope this post on the reasons why you might want to spay or neuter your dog was useful to you. If you have any comments or suggestions of your own, do mention them in the comments section below!