- management@hialeahanimalhospital.com
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Why Spay or Neuter Your Pet?
Spaying or neutering your pet isn’t just about preventing unwanted litters — it’s also a key step in promoting better behavior and long-term health.
For Male Pets:
Neutered dogs and cats tend to be more focused on their families, while unneutered males are often driven to roam in search of a mate. This can lead to dangerous situations like getting lost, hit by cars, or injured in fights with other animals. Unneutered males may also mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine or showing unwanted behaviors like mounting furniture or people. Neutering helps reduce these behaviors and doesn’t affect your dog’s ability to protect your home or loved ones. In fact, early neutering can help prevent certain aggression-related issues.
For Female Pets:
Female cats in heat may yowl loudly and urinate around the home to attract males — behaviors that happen every three weeks during breeding season. These signals can draw unneutered males to your property. Female dogs in heat have a bloody discharge that lasts about a week and can conceive for up to two weeks, often attracting male dogs from far away. Spaying prevents these disruptive behaviors and avoids the risks of unexpected pregnancy.
Spaying and neutering is a safe, responsible choice that improves your pet’s quality of life and helps reduce the number of homeless animals in our communities.
Prevent Shelter Overpopulation
It’s a common belief that a pet’s puppies or kittens will always find good homes — but sadly, that’s not always the case. Even well-placed litters can contribute to overpopulation if those animals are later surrendered or allowed to reproduce.
Each year, more than 3 million dogs and cats are euthanized in shelters across the U.S. Spaying and neutering is the only permanent, 100% effective method of preventing unwanted litters and reducing the number of animals without homes.
Good Medicine for a Longer, Healthier Life
Spaying (removal of the ovaries and uterus) and neutering (removal of the testicles) are safe, routine surgeries performed under general anesthesia. In most cases, your pet will only need minimal time in the clinic to recover.
We strongly recommend having your pet spayed or neutered as early as possible. Early neutering (before six months of age) helps prevent testicular cancer and prostate problems in males. Spaying a female before her first heat greatly reduces the risk of pyometra (a life-threatening uterine infection) and breast cancer — which is fatal in about 50% of dogs and 90% of cats.
Treatment for pyometra often involves emergency surgery, hospitalization, IV fluids, and antibiotics. For older or sick pets, anesthesia can be riskier and recovery more difficult — making prevention through early spaying or neutering the safest option.
