Spaying/neutering your pet has many benefits. But some owners decide against it, often based on misguided information. Here are five common myths about spaying/neutering as well as the real facts.
1) MYTH: Spay/neuter surgery causes significant weight gain.
FACT: There’s little correlation between spaying/neutering and weight gain. Overfeeding and lack of exercise are the primary culprits for pets becoming overweight.
2) MYTH: Spaying/neutering causes negative behavior changes.
FACT: Quite the opposite. When pets are spayed/neutered at an appropriate age, it can actually decrease negative behaviors like marking territory and aggression that are linked to higher levels of testosterone.
3) MYTH: Female pets should have at least one litter before being spayed.
FACT: There’s no evidence that having at least one litter is medically beneficial. Indeed, when female pets are spayed before their first heat cycle, it actually decreases their risk of getting cancerous uterine, ovarian, and mammary tumors. Spaying early also eliminates the risk of female pets getting uterine infections.
4) MYTH: As long as you keep your male pet inside, his sex drive isn’t an issue.
FACT: Even if you keep your pet inside at all times, there’s still an increased risk of him getting out and roaming away from home. Males can detect a female in heat from over two miles away. They’ll do almost anything to follow the scent. They may run through an open door or dig under fences. Your pet is then at risk of being hit by a car or engaging in fights with other animals.
5) MYTH: Spaying/neutering your pets is expensive.
FACT: Not at the Maryland SPCA Spay and Neuter Clinic. We keep our rates low to accommodate as many pets as possible. Looking at the big picture, spaying/neutering also saves you money down the road. It eliminates the risk of uterine infections and cancers, for which treatment is 5 to 10 times more expensive.
Click here for more information about our spay/neuter services. Please note: we’re currently providing services only to Baltimore City residents. We’re also experiencing a very high email and call volume.
Click here for resources on post-op care.
