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As an example of the adorable dogs and cats that are euthanized each year in this country, thus the reason we need to spay and neuter, this is the partial list of animals that will die tomorrow if they don't get adopted or find a rescue. Just something to think about next time you decide to go buy a puppy.
People should educate themselves on the pros and cons of having their pet spayed or neutered. I own two dogs, a spayed female and an unaltered male. I have chosen not to get my male dog neutered for the following reasons:
A neutered dog is 4 times more likely to get prostrate cancer;
A neutered dog is 2 times more likely to get osteosarcoma (bone cancer); and
A neutered dog has an increased risk of hemangiosarcoma (blood vessel and spleen cancer).
This is in addition to:
Increased occurrence of urinary calculi;
Increased difficulty passing urinary calculi;
Increased chance of urinary obstruction;
Increased likelihood of urinary incontinence;
Increased likelihood of adverse reaction to vaccinations (27-38%);
Notable decrease in activity/drive;
Increased chance of "perpetual puppy syndrome" undesirable urination;
Inhibited social adjustment if castrated prior to sexual maturity;
Substantial likelihood of appreciable demeanor change after castration (reproductive hormones affect more than just reproduction);
Increased likelihood of cognitive disorders if castrated before complete cognitive development (usually a good time AFTER sexual maturity);
Notable decrease in muscle mass; and
Generally live 2 (or greater) years shorter than unaltered littermates in controlled studies.
While there are also risks associated with spaying, they are not nearly as severe (i.e., the cancer risks are far less) in my opinion and the benefits outweighed the risks.
Thanx for posting this thread Ronni!
I think this thread should also be posted on the main page of all the Southern
States where spay and & neuter is highly ignored. Also post those dogs.
Maybe a rescue could be found on those forums too! It is worth a shot.
In a different forum I am a member of, there was a post saying a pound posted a sign for the monthly total of animals they euthanized and it was over 1200 in August! One pound, one month! Sickening!
my coworker is on an animal welfare e-mail list and she sends me probably 5 or 6 e-mails about dogs and cats who need homes a day, most of them well socialized, house trained, no major issues. many of them purebreds and "designer breeds". and probably 3 or 4 a week are lists like this, of 20+ dogs who will be euthanized if no one adopts them within a short period of time. it's really heartbreaking. the only consolation is sometimes people update the list when an animal from one of the e-mails is adopted.
People should educate themselves on the pros and cons of having their pet spayed or neutered. I own two dogs, a spayed female and an unaltered male. I have chosen not to get my male dog neutered for the following reasons:
A neutered dog is 4 times more likely to get prostrate cancer;
A neutered dog is 2 times more likely to get osteosarcoma (bone cancer); and
A neutered dog has an increased risk of hemangiosarcoma (blood vessel and spleen cancer).
This is in addition to:
Increased occurrence of urinary calculi;
Increased difficulty passing urinary calculi;
Increased chance of urinary obstruction;
Increased likelihood of urinary incontinence;
Increased likelihood of adverse reaction to vaccinations (27-38%);
Notable decrease in activity/drive;
Increased chance of "perpetual puppy syndrome" undesirable urination;
Inhibited social adjustment if castrated prior to sexual maturity;
Substantial likelihood of appreciable demeanor change after castration (reproductive hormones affect more than just reproduction);
Increased likelihood of cognitive disorders if castrated before complete cognitive development (usually a good time AFTER sexual maturity);
Notable decrease in muscle mass; and
Generally live 2 (or greater) years shorter than unaltered littermates in controlled studies.
While there are also risks associated with spaying, they are not nearly as severe (i.e., the cancer risks are far less) in my opinion and the benefits outweighed the risks.
For a very highly responsible pet owner who is anal about keeping their dog totally under control, I see no problem. But very, very few people in this world are able to completely keep their dog under control to keep it from reproducing. Let alone the rate of reproductive cancer sky rockets. To suggest to people they NOT alter their pets is irresponsible. In my opinion of course. And probably in the opinion of the millions of pets that were killed last year in shelters.
And please keep in mind a lot of these stats are debated very strongly by many vets.
For a very highly responsible pet owner who is anal about keeping their dog totally under control, I see no problem. But very, very few people in this world are able to completely keep their dog under control to keep it from reproducing. Let alone the rate of reproductive cancer sky rockets. To suggest to people they NOT alter their pets is irresponsible. In my opinion of course. And probably in the opinion of the millions of pets that were killed last year in shelters.
And please keep in mind a lot of these stats are debated very strongly by many vets.
To suggest to people they must alter their pets, regardless of the consequences to the health of the animal is equally as irresponsible. As the millions of pets who die prematurely with debilitating cancers could attest.
Spaying and neutering a pet should be an individual choice, once that individual fully understands the consequences of their decision.
In researching the topic, I found no debate among the studies I posted. Your assertion is baseless.
glitch, the last article you cited was about vaccinations. and a few of the links didn't work.
spaying and neutering does increase the risks of some cancers, but greatly reduces the risks of others. it is a tough call, for sure; there's no easy answer. i find it hard not to advocate spay & neuter when we are faced with a gigantic homeless animal problem though. a responsible owner who keeps unaltered animals is no problem, but the vast majority of animal owners are not responsible, and all it takes is one "whoops" with 2 unaltered pets to start a chain reaction ending with a pack of feral dogs or a feral cat colony. and those animals will likely end up miserable dead one way or another.
i do think that people should make an informed decision about spaying & neutering, and not just rely on common wisdom. this is a well-balanced summary of both the health-related risks and benefits of spaying & neutering: http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongT...uterInDogs.pdf
As sad as it is that fine, healthy animals are euthanized for lack of a home (or for having been dumped from their original home), I still reserve that sick feeling for animals who are abused, and knowing that without spaying and neutering (and care for animals) there are terrible things going on in the streets of every major city in poorer countries as a matter of course.
But those pictures are a heartbreak, they are. I hope the last words they hear are kind ones.
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