Arthritis
Atopy (Inhalant Allergy)
Bufo Toad Poisoning
Cat Home Safety Tips
Collar Hazards
Common Things to Watch for
Dental Disease in Pets
Diabetes
Dog Safety Tips
Feline Heartworm Disease
Mallassezia (yeast) Dermatitis
Reasons to Neuter
Noise Phobia in Dogs
Weight Problems in Pets
Otitis (Ear Infections)
Parvo Virus
Pruritis (Itchiness)
Rabies
Seizures and Epilepsy
Senior Pets
Reasons to Spay
Toxoplasmosis, Cats and Women
I want to have one of her pups."
That, unfortunately, is the typical response that I hear far too often when I ask a client
if they plan on having their new puppy spayed. Many dog owners are not aware of
the ramifications of this "just one litter" syndrome. Hopefully, this article will help to
show why it is such a bad idea.
By far, pet overpopulation is the number one reason to have your pet spayed. There
are over SEVEN THOUSAND homeless dogs euthanized each year in Palm Beach
County alone. Over THREE MILLION each year throughout the United States.
Every "just one litter" puppy contributes to these appalling numbers. Many end up
being euthanized. Others that are sold or given away to a friend or neighbor keep a
"pound puppy" from being adopted out only to eventually be destroyed.
Another important reason to have your pet spayed is the direct health benefits to the
animal. Spaying helps to prevent certain diseases such as cancer and uterine
infections. It also reduces the risk that the animal will wander off to breed and be
injured or killed by a car or shot by a cruel person.
Many people don’t realize that dogs are susceptible to breast cancer just like
humans. Mammary (breast) gland tumors are one of the most common types of
tumors seen in older, unspayed female dogs. Almost 50% of breast tumors in dogs
are cancerous and are likely to have spread to other parts of the body by the time of
diagnosis.
It has been shown that spaying a female dog before her first heat cycle virtually
eliminates the chances of breast cancer later in life. Spaying after the first heat but
before the second can also dramatically reduce the risk of breast cancer, but if a dog
has puppies or goes through 2 or more heat cycles, she is at risk for this deadly but
preventable disease as she gets older.
Since most people wait until their (female) dog is at least 2 to 2 1/2 years old to
breed, spaying afterwards is usually put off and commonly forgotten about. Most
people lead busy lives and it becomes one of those "I’ll get around to it later" chores.
This can have serious consequences later in the pet’s life.
Pyometra is a potentially fatal infection of the uterus seen in older, unspayed dogs
about 4 to 6 weeks after a heat cycle ends. The uterus becomes enlarged and filled
with pus. Signs are variable but usually include lethargy, drinking excessive
amounts of water, urinating frequently, vomiting and not eating very well.
The treatment for pyometra is an emergency spay which is more costly, complicated
and riskier for the pet than the routine spay procedure performed on a healthy,
young dog.
Some dogs, especially small and miniature breeds, experience a "dystocia" or difficult
delivery. This can be due to several different factors including a small pelvic canal,
and large or abnormally positioned fetuses. Dystocia often requires an emergency
cesarean section to deliver the puppies.
For the first few weeks after the pups are born, their mother pretty much does all of
the work, but once the pups reach about 6 weeks of age they can become quite a
handful. They need to be fed several times a day and their pen needs to be cleaned
quite often. Large breed dogs tend to have larger litters. Lots of pups means lots of
mess to clean up. Many "just one litter" owners that have never cared for puppies
before usually have no idea of what they are getting into and how much time and
money they will have to spend.
Florida law requires that all puppies and kittens sold in the state be at least 8 weeks
of age, and be examined and properly vaccinated by a veterinarian. A large litter
may cost several hundred dollars for all the pups to be examined and vaccinated.
Costs such as these eat into any profits that can be made from selling the pups.
Some owners are faced with a difficult dilemma when one or more of the puppies
they were hoping to sell gets sick. Diseases such as Parvo are highly contagious and
can spread through a litter very quickly. It can cost hundreds of dollars per puppy to
treat. So, does the owner spend all of the money that he or she was hoping to make
from selling the puppies on their treatment? Or, are they just euthanized? Too many
clients have been faced with this terrible choice.
Many pet owners feel that they must let their pet "experience motherhood". Visions
of cute puppies fill their minds, but the costs and consequences usually are not
considered. Please don’t litter!