Spay and Neuter!

[Inoushi]

Hey all. This topic is about hearing everyone's view points on the issue of people fixing their animals Vs. not fixing their animals. Also I want to talk about breeding as well. The main reason for this topic is often times owners fix their animals without fully understanding the pros and the cons. Many times vets will say nothing but good about it. When in reality there are negative effects. Even the timing of when you fix your animal is important. Yet many times groups such as the ASPCA will try to fix a animals no matter what. Now before we start the issue I want to post Scientifically prove pros and cons to fixing animals. Please do not be narrow minded this is about learning. It is also about perhaps formulating a better plan rather then the new legislations that have enacted mandatory spray and neuter laws. These pros and cons was recently featured in a article on MSNBC. However if you doubt them you can always track them down in science journals.

I first learned of these cons when I got my first dog. She is a pure rotty however she won't be bred because she has hip dysplaisa. However she is not fixed. Simply because of the weight itssue. We have had her for six years and we have not had accidents. Do you know how this was accomplished? Making sure she was secure. Never taking her off the lead in public and not taking her to dog parks (though no one should bring their dog because of all the diseases that are abound but thats another topic) and yes she does has male friends who she plays with who are not fixed. But we pay attention and we don't let her hang around them during the seasons she goes into heat nor do we leave them unsupervised. So this will just shed a personal example that your dog is not going to run off and contribute if you take proper precautions which you should either way simply for your dog's safety.
In the case of cats who are outdoors I strongly support fixing them. The first reason being that your males will get into more fights. And its ultra easy for them to find a mate. Also with Feline aids, Feline leukemia (unlike in humans its contagious) and other diseases you shouldn't let your cat warrant that type of proximity with other cats when its outside.

Pros
Your pet will not be able to reproduce
Your males will loose some of their aggression (however this can become learned behavior and sometimes fixing the dog will not correct the problem)
Your males will no longer be at risk for testicular cancer
Your females will no longer menstruate
Your females will no longer be at risk for cancers in its ovaries and uterus and lower the risk of breast cancer.
No spraying or scent marking

Cons
your pet will gain weight and be more at risk for obesity
If done to early the animal will not have important hormones during its growth. This is especially important for large breed dogs. The reason for this is because they need thick bones and wide chests to support their bodies. With the absence of hormones neither develop properly and the dog is more at risk for arthritis and problems with their joints


These down here tend to be all rare ailments yet in dogs that have been fixed these tend to show up 5 times as much.
Thyroid disorders
Behavior problems (if done early can cause aggression and noise phobia)
Bone cancer
heart tumors

[Makayla]

To me, yes.
The over-population of strays, and overall, those who don't want them, either leave them on the street or give them to pound.
Then, if not adopted, it gets put to sleep.

[Blindseer]

personally, I think it should be up to the owner.

I dont really have an opinion on spaying and neutering, but I would probably do it for any of my future pets because I think it helps a lot with aggression problems.

[OceanWolf]

I would not and don't spay or neuter my dogs, so far I have had no problems with not spaying neutering them.

[leapingwolf]

Yes they should be fixed
Anyone who doesn't agree should goto the pound and see all the stray puppies and accedentel litters who usually get put down.
Thats just my oppinion

[Vida]

We have an overpopulation of stray cats, so yes I would say that it's better to spay your pets. Like Leapingwolf said, just go to the pound and see for yourself what results out of not fixing them.

[Fawn]

I think it depends on location and owners choice, in big cities where animal population is a problem, I say fixing should be mandatory, in other places, I say not mandatory. I fix my pets, I dont need any puppies running all over my yard

[OceanWolf]

Yes they should be fixed
Anyone who doesn't agree should goto the pound and see all the stray puppies and accedentel litters who usually get put down.
Thats just my oppinion

Sure fixing your pets would cause a lot less accidental breeding, but if you are careful and watch your animals, you would not need to fix them. In some cases I would say to fix your animals, like if you have an outside cat.

[Blindseer]

heres something to look at:

if every single person fixed their pets, in 20 years I think most dog breeds would go extinct.
why? because there would be no more offspring.

thus fixing can be a bad thing.

[Inoushi]

Yes they should be fixed
Anyone who doesn't agree should goto the pound and see all the stray puppies and accedentel litters who usually get put down.
Thats just my oppinion

Sure fixing your pets would cause a lot less accidental breeding, but if you are careful and watch your animals, you would not need to fix them. In some cases I would say to fix your animals, like if you have an outside cat.

I agree perfectly. The excuse of accidental litters is poor. The reason is these accidents generally occur because people do not have the animals properly secured. Either their fence is not good in their yard, they take them off the leash in public, or they simply just loose control of them. Its fundamentally wrong to use the excuse when in essence that problem shouldn't even arise. I would say people who use that should be happy they only got a litter and that something worst didn't happen to their pet. And as a owner you should know when your dog goes into heat simply because its always going to occur during the same season. If your dog goes into heat around say fall you should watch her and make sure she is secured. Male dogs should always be secured. Its just the way it is. I rather not have accidental litters brought into this discussion simply because it uses negligence as a reason. If your dog bites someone due to the same reason you get punished.

[WQ Project Coordinator]

I am in favor of having your pets fixed if you are not planning on responsibly breeding your pets. Like Blindseer mentioned, if everyone fixed their pets, we could have problems down the road. But if people are not being responsible with their pets, they should get them fixed. My pets have either been fixed or I have only had same gender animals to prevent breeding. In some countries, feral (wild) cats and dogs run rampant. In the US, there are more pets than there are homes for them. Not everyone wants a pet of unknown past and I respect that. I have always had Humane Society/Rescue pets and they have been fantastic--even my non-English speaking feline with behavioral issues.

[king1-7]

even my non-English speaking feline

What do you mean by that? ^^"

I also think that fixing your pets is important, for the sake of the animals. My mom kind of adopted a stray cat, but didn't get it fixed. When the right season came, the cat got pregnant and had kittens.

One day when the mother cat was transporting her kittens to a new location, she had to cross the road. Well, a car came, and...yeah. The mom and three of her kittens were killed.

That's what happens when you have too many pets. If you plan on breeding your pets, I would say that it's best to do it responsibly and not overdo it. Also, fixing your pets can help curb their tempers and make it easier to live with them, which is always good.

"Remember, help control the pet population! Have your pets spayed or neutered!"

[Blindseer]

how is that relevant? animals get hit by cars all the time...

[wolflover1]

I think pets should be fixed. My 3 cats are fixed and my dog is fixed.

[Ayame_]

OK people, think. how would you like it if you got your private parts removed? huh?