World Spay Day 2020 – some myths debunked
World Spay Day has just taken place on 25th February, so it’s a perfect opportunity to have a look at a few myths surrounding the subject. We take a look at some of the most frequently asked about neutering your pet.
1. My female pet should have a litter before she’s neutered
2. If I neuter my pet, they’ll gain weight
No – only overfeeding and under-exercising cause obesity.
Neutering has so many other health benefits for your pet, from preventing cancer to reducing their instinct to roam away from home. If you’re worried about your pet’s weight, there are much more effective things you can do instead of avoiding getting them neutered:
Dogs: adult dogs need fewer calories than puppies, so make sure you’re feeding your dog the right food for their stage in life. Check out further advice on the best way to keep your dog at their healthy weight.
Cats: make sure you’re feeding your cat a diet for adult, neutered cats, and have a chat with any of the Charter Vets team for advice and guidance if in doubt. You can encourage them to exercise by playing games with them, which most cats love. Get more advice on keeping your cat at a healthy weight.
We stock a full range of veterinary-approved food for cats and dogs to suit all ages, lifestyles and cater for specific dietary requirements. Our vet and vet support team are always on hand at Charter to offer you advice on the right diet for your pet so please pop in or get in touch if we can help you further.
Rabbits: rabbits are less likely to put on weight if they’re fed a diet as close as possible to what they’d eat in the wild – we recommend that hay should make up 90% of a rabbit’s diet and 10% should be a pelleted food and fresh greens. Read more about how to keep your rabbit healthy and happy.
3. Getting my pet neutered will change their behaviour or personality
No – your pet’s personality is dependent on their genetics, not their hormones.
Neutering can have an impact on some types of behaviours that are associated with hormones, such as:
- Certain types of aggressive behaviour.
- Urine marking in the house.
- Male cats and dogs roaming away from home.
- Behavioural changes and stress associated with coming into season.
However, Neutering won’t change any underlying behaviours in your pet – good or bad. The best way to change these behaviours is through training and making sure your pet’s home isn’t causing them unnecessary stress. If you’re worried about your pet’s behaviour, it’s always best to speak to your vet.
Read our advice on:
4. Neutering is a risky and painful operation
Neutering is carried out by vets every day and your vet will make sure your pet isn’t in pain.
Your pet will need to go under general anaesthetic so they’ll be asleep during the operation. While any operation carries some risks, it’s much safer for a younger pet to go under anaesthetic than it is for older pets, should they face health problems due to being unneutered.
Your vet will give your pet pain relief to keep them comfortable.
5. I’ve got an indoor pet – they won’t get pregnant or father a litter so they don’t need to be neutered
Neutering isn’t just about stopping your pet from having babies – there’s a whole host of health benefits too.
While your pet might not be at risk of getting pregnant, they could still suffer from conditions such as:
- Testicular cancer
- Prostate disease
- Breast, ovarian or uterine (womb) cancer
- Pyometra (a serious womb infection).
Neutering greatly reduces the risk of your pet suffering from these diseases. It’s an important step towards giving your pet a happy, healthy life.