Life With Your New Dog: The Importance of Spaying or Neutering
Congratulations on bringing a new dog into your home! There’s nothing quite as exciting and heartwarming as welcoming a four-legged friend into your family. You’ve probably been thinking about this occasion for weeks, preparing your home with treats, toys, and food to keep your pup happy and healthy. But before you bring your dog home, you need to consider some important medical issues, including spaying or neutering.
There’s a good chance that if you’re adopting your dog from the local shelter, they will take care of the necessary vaccinations and spaying or neutering for you before you bring your dog home. But if they don’t or you get your puppy from another source, it’s important you make these arrangements yourself. Here’s why it’s so important for your dog to be spayed or neutered:
Fixing brings health benefits for both male and female dogs. For males, the risk of testicular and prostate cancers are both greatly reduced. For females, spaying prevents uterine infections and breast tumors. For both, not having to worry about these types of complications is a great first step in living a longer, healthier life.
Spaying or neutering helps remove wanton mating behaviors. Even though they’re domesticated, your dogs still have some wild animal left in them. When they get to mating age, their desire to find a mate can make them behave a little recklessly. Neutering helps remove the males’ desire to run away, while neutering can help stop your female dog from howling to attract a partner.
Spaying and neutering is ultimately more cost effective for you! The one-time cost of having your dog spayed or neutered is much less than the cost of taking care of a litter of puppies. If you decide to allow your dog to breed, you’ll need to have good medical care during their pregnancy, vaccinations, and may even need to enlist the help of a veterinarian for a c-section. By having your dog spayed or neutered before you bring them home, you’re making a financially sound decision.
By having your dog spayed or neutered before you bring them home, you’re making a responsible decision for your pet’s health and for yourself. Spaying and neutering is one step in giving your dog the long, active, healthy lifestyle they deserve to live. It’s best to have your dog neutered between the ages of six and nine months, but your veterinarian will be able to guide you int he right direction.To learn more, get in touch with your veterinarian or your local animal shelter!