 How
does neutering male cats and dogs affect behavior?
The behavior patterns that tend to be altered by castration are those that
are sexually dimorphic That is, in which males
typically differ from females. For example, male dogs & cats urine mark,
mount other animals and fight with or act
aggressively toward other males, more frequently than do females. Castration
appears to markedly reduce or eliminate
the behavior in 50-60% of animals. In Tom Cats that are urine spraying, roaming
or fighting with other male cats, these
behavior patterns are reduced 80-90%. Reproductive behavior such as mounting
and copulatory behavior is usually
prevented or significantly decreased by castration.
Will
the personality change after neutering or
spaying?
Behavioral patterns that do not differ between males and females, such as
watch-dog barking, hunting activity, playfulness,
activity level and seeking affection are not altered by castration. Thus,
it is fair to say that there is no basic personality
change as a result of spaying or neutering.
The risk of Prostate and Testicular cancers increase with age. They are directly
correlated with testosterone levels in the
bloodstream. In addition, rectal tumors and perianal adenomas are also
testosterone dependent. Neutering decreases the
level of testosterone significantly. Therefore, there is a considerable decrease
in the risk of the animal acquiring these diseases.
In addition, prostate disorders dependent on testosterone, such as benign
prostatic hypertrophy, are both effectively
prevented and treated by castration.
What
are the medical benefits to spaying a dog or cat?
I1) Mammary tumors. Mammary tumors are the most common tumor of the sexually
intact female dog. Non-spayed female
dogs tend to have 3 times greater risk of developing mammary cancer compared
to spayed females, and risk is even lower
for females spayed at a young age. If spayed before the first heat cycle,
the incidence of mammary cancer is reduced 70%.
If spayed before the second heat cycle, the incidence of mammary cancer is
reduced 10%. If spayed after the second heat
cycle, there is not a great difference in reducing mammary cancer, but the
risk of pyometra is significantly reduced.
2) Pyometra. Pyometra is a medical term to describe a pus filled uterus.
The underlying pathologic change in the uterus, which
provides a medium for ascending bacterial infection is that of cystic endometrial
hyperplasia, which may develop spontaneously
with aging.
3) Vaginal Prolapse. Vaginal prolapse is an estrogen-mediated disorder of
the young sexually intact large breed dog. It is
prevented by spaying.
4) Disorders associated with pregnancy. Spontaneous abortion, fetal death,
pregnancy toxemia, uterine torsion, uterine rupture,
dystocra, uterine prolapse, hypocalcemia, metritis and mastitis.
Will
my pet gain weight after the
surgery?
While it is true that metabolism may slow some as a result of hormone absence,
if caloric intake is adjusted, the animal generally
does not gain weight. It is solely dependent upon the owner's ability to
limit calories and make adjustments as needed throughout
the animal's lifetime. For example, you may switch from puppy food to adult
diet at age one, limit "tablefood", feed less of the
adult diet if necessary or feed the same amount of food split into two feedings
a day versus feeding the entire amount at one time.
|
