|
Spay/Neuter
According to the Humane Society of the United States...
Five million dogs and cats are killed yearly in U.S. shelters!
That is 13,800 every day or 575 dogs and cats killed every hour, 24/7. And that doesn't include the number of
cats and dogs that die in less humane ways - being hit by a car, shot, poisoned, starvation, killed by other animals, etc.
In six years, one female dog and her off spring can theoretically be the
source of 67,000 dogs.
Benefits of Spaying/Neutering:
First and foremost, you're preventing the birth of unwanted litters.
Your dog will be healthier. Females that have been spayed have a lower occurance of breast cancers
and uterine infections. Males experience a lower incidence of prostate cancer. On average, a spayed/neutered pet
lives longer than their intact counterparts.
Your dog will NOT become overweight or lazy due to spay/neuter. The causes of obesity and laziness
are overfeeding and underexercising you dog.
You help decrease the tendency for your dog to roam away from home if you spay/neuter.
Websites Detailing the Facts About Early Spay/Netuer:
From Dr. Shawn's weekly column The Holistic Pet, distributed by Knight
Ridder
News Service.
Dear Dr. Shawn: "What is your opinion of the new shot that can be used
to neuter dogs? I prefer to avoid surgery if possible but want to know if this drug would be as effective as surgery."
A:"Recently the medication called Neutersol (Zinc Gluconate)
was approved as a non-surgical option for neutering puppies ages 3 to 10 months of age. The medication is injected into the
testicles with a small needle. According to a press release, Neutersol is 99.6% effective in achieving sterilization.
During testing, puppies, ages 3 to 10 months, were injected with Neutersol.
Complete physical exams were conducted at three
days, two months, and six months post-injection. Mild, temporary swelling of the testicles was an expected reaction to the
injection noticed within 24-48 hours after injection. Other side effects included vomiting, anorexia, lethargy, diarrhea,
scrotal pain and inflammation. While Neutersol appears highly effective, it is not 100% effective as is surgical neutering.
I find it difficult to believe that the normal puppy will hold still when placed on its back during testicular injection.
In my practice, it's rare to find a quiet puppy! I believe many of these puppies will require chemical sedation to minimized
trauma to the testicles during the injection. Also, by leaving the testicles in the puppy there is still a risk of prostate
and testicular disease later in life. By removing the testicles during surgical neutering, we can avoid future disease in
most cases. At this point I am still recommending surgical neutering."
Chemcial Castration Using Neutersol
Chemical Castration ala Neutersol
To read more on the topic of spay/neuter, please visit the following
site:
The Animal Fund Spay/Neuter Page
|
