This lecture is about neutering cats and dogs.
Neutering refers to the surgical removal of the reproductive organs. This action prevents an animal from breeding. Neutering is the most common surgical procedure practiced in small animal medicine. The terminology can sometimes be a bit confusing. Technically, the term neuter refers to the procedure done in either the male or the female, though you will commonly hear it used more for the male procedure involving removal of the testicles, also known as castration. The term spay, on the other hand, typically refers to the female procedure in which the ovaries and uterus are removed. But again, the term neuter can apply to either the male or female animal.
Why is neutering important? Well, neutering has proven to be one of the most effective means of reducing the numbers of homeless pets that die on the streets or in our animal shelters. The fact of the matter is there are far more animals than homes available. Between 6 and 8 million cats and dogs enter our nation's animal shelters every year, and sadly, only about half of those animals are ever adopted. That leaves the other half, some 3 to 4 million pets, to be euthanized annually. For animal lovers this is a tragedy, but even people who are indifferent about animals can recognize that this situation adds tremendously to public costs of sheltering and euthanizing these animals. Consider too that these numbers don't even come close to acknowledging the millions of abandoned and lost pets not in the sheltering system.
So with the number of pets exceeding the number of homes by such a dramatic margin, it just makes sense to control the reproduction of these animals. And neutering is a safe and effective way to do just that.
First let's talk about the spay procedure. The traditional spay procedure involves removal of the ovaries and uterus. The technical term is an ovariohysterectomy. Ovario for ovary, hyster for uterus, and ectomy for removal.
One very common misconception about spaying is that it cannot be performed while an animal is in estrus or while she is pregnant. Neither is true. While these conditions may add some challenges to the procedure, the spay surgery is possible while the female is in estrus or while she is pregnant.
In addition to its role in population control, neutering can also eliminate or reduce the incidence of a number of health problems that can be both difficult and expensive to treat later on. In females, since the ovaries and uterus are no longer present, the risk of cancer and infection in these organs is also completely eliminated. A spayed female will no longer have an estrous cycle, and so spaying also greatly reduces the risk of certain conditions that are influenced by the reproductive hormones of the estrous cycle. The most common of these conditions is mammary cancer, which is very common in unspayed females. The incidence of mammary cancer is influenced by the hormones that surge with an animal's very first estrous cycle, or heat. Spaying before the first heat, therefore, greatly reduces an animal's risk of getting mammary cancer. Studies have shown that dogs spayed before their first heat have virtually no chance of developing mammary tumors; the risk does increase with each successive heat though. A similar effect is seen in female cats as well.
There are also behavioral benefits of spaying our animals. Spaying eliminates nuisance activities that are driven by hormones of the estrous cycle. For example, female dogs in heat often exhibit anxious, moody, or nesting behaviors and can be very difficult to train during this time. Physically there is also often a bloody discharge associated with the proestrus stage of the cycle. Many owners find this to be a nuisance.
Female cats in heat attract male cats and will also actively seek out males. Females will exhibit unusually affectionate rubbing, rolling, and stretching behaviors, and they'll meow loudly and continuously. This behavior may continue for days at a time over a period of weeks, especially if mating does not take place.
Furthermore, indoor cats will become desperate to get outside while they're in heat, and many intact female cats become escape artists from their homes during their estrous cycles. Spaying reduces the incidence of many of these nuisance behaviors.
Now let's talk about castration. Castration is the removal of the testicles. The technical term is an orchiectomy; orchi for testis and ectomy for removal.
The castration procedure differs slightly in dogs and cats, but regardless, it is far less invasive than a spay due to the external location of the testicles.
Again, we can point out health benefits of castration in addition to the effect on reproductive capacity.
For male cats and dogs, if there are no testicles there can be no testicular cancer or infections. Testicular infections are also known as orchitis.
A neutered male will also have a significant decrease in the incidence of prostate disease and associated problems with the urinary and reproductive tracts.
Again, as we discussed with females, we know that sexually intact males engage in some rather unpleasant behaviors, which will decrease or even disappear after neutering.
Probably the most notorious of these behaviors is the urine marking or spraying behavior typical of intact male cats. After neutering, not only does the activity decrease, but the smell of the cat's urine greatly improves as well.
Another problematic behavior of intact male cats and dogs is roaming. Roaming makes these animals susceptible to a variety of other hazards including traffic, cruelty, getting lost or stolen, diseases from wild or stray animals, and fights—especially fights with other intact males.
Males tend to roam less and stay home more after they are neutered.
So pet lovers definitely appreciate these behavioral and health benefits of neutering. One common question people often have then is, "What is the best age to have my pet spayed or neutered?" Well, our pets hit sexual maturity as early as six months in dogs and as early as four months in cats, so it's always best to get the surgery done before then in order to prevent accidental pregnancy as well as the hormone surge that can lead to the undesirable conditions we just discussed.
Neutering can be performed safely on males and females as young as eight weeks of age.
A general rule that is used at animal shelters and other welfare organizations is that once a kitten or puppy has reached two months of age and weighs at least two pounds, the procedure can be safely performed.
And as a bonus, younger animals often have an easier and quicker recovery compared to their older counterparts.
In summary, neutering is an important management tool in the fight against companion animal overpopulation. It also provides significant health and behavioral benefits for our pets.
