Why Spay?

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Last month we dwelt on the reasons for neutering male dogs. This month, I am going to elaborate on the female aspect of this procedure. The term “spay” is actually a layman’s term for a surgical procedure known as an ovariohysterectomy. In this procedure, the uterus and ovaries are removed from the pet, usually be means of a ventral midline incision, although it can also be done through a lateral flank incision, or even endoscopically.

So why do it to your pet?

Well, I hate to beat a dead horse, but the primary reason to spay your dog or cat is to prevent unwanted pregnancies and help reduce the pet over-population problem. Remember, they are still euthanising up to 2000 animals every month at the Memphis Animal Shelter. That’s 91 animals every business day, or 11 every hour of every business day! I personally believe that it would be better that these animals never be born, than to have to suffer that demise. But if this argument isn’t effective enough, here are some other reasons that your female dog or cat should be spayed.

• Spaying eliminates heat cycles. Tired of your dog having to wear little panties to keep from getting nastiness all over the house? Tired of having your cat vocalizing and cavorting at all hours of the night? Tired of the amorous attempts of all the un-neutered dogs or cats in your neighborhood during “that time”? Spay her. She’ll thank you. You’ll sleep better. So what if you disappoint the neighborhood studs.
  
  
• Spaying reduces the risk of mammary cancer later in life. Studies have shown that spaying a dog prior to her first heat cycle reduces her risk of mammary cancer later in life to almost 0%. That risk increases to 7% after the first heat cycle, and an astounding 25% after the second heat cycle! However, it is never too late to spay a female, because by removing the uterus and ovaries, it removes the possibility of cancer in these organs as well, which can be just as prevalent as mammary cancer.
  
  
• Spaying eliminates the risk of uterine infection. When a dog or cat goes through a heat cycle, the cervix dilates to allow semen to enter to fertilize her eggs. As she ages, her natural defenses against bacteria entering her uterus diminish, and she is at greater risk for uterine infection, also known as pyometra. Pyometra technically means “pus in the uterus”. This is a life-threatening condition that has to be corrected surgically, often on an emergency basis. I, personally, would rather remove a small healthy uterus than a great big pus-filled one. I think your dog would like that better as well. And so would your wallet.
  
  
• Spaying your pet will not make her grow fat and lazy. Over-feeding and lack of exercise does that. Even though estrogens have been shown to suppress the appetite and increase the metabolism, they only do that during while the dog or cat is in heat, which is about three weeks out of every six to twelve months for a dog, and a few weeks during the spring and summer for cats. The rest of the time, the animal’s metabolism is the same whether she is intact or spayed.

For more information on spaying you pet dog or cat, visit www.veterinarypartner.com, and look under the Dog or Cat menu to find the Pet Health Care Library. There are lots of great articles written for pet owners there, including ‘Canine Neuter FAQ’ and ‘Feline Neuter FAQ’. Or ask your veterinarian about it.

And remember that not all surgery is created equally. Discrepancies between spay prices from different veterinary facilities could mean the difference between cold-sterilized versus heat-sterilized instruments, IV fluid support, post-surgical pain medications, and hospital-quality sterile techniques. Make sure that your are completely aware of how your veterinarian performs this procedure, and what they do to minimize the risks of anesthetic complications and post-operative infections. And don’t be afraid to ask questions.

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