What Does it Mean to Spay a Pet?
Spaying a female pet is a surgical procedure that makes it impossible for the animal to reproduce. Animals adopted from shelters are usually required to be spayed to help reduce the number of homeless animals.
Function
Spaying eliminates an animal's ability to produce offspring, so pet owners no longer have to worry about caring for and finding homes for unwanted puppies or kittens.
Significance
The Humane Society of the United States recommends spaying and neutering pets to reduce pet overpopulation.
Types
An ovariohysterectomy is the removal of the ovaries and uterus and is the most common and recommended type of spaying. A tubal ligation is less common and involves cutting and tying off the oviducts to prevent sperm from meeting an egg.
Benefits
A spayed pet has a reduced risk of breast cancer, uterine cancer and uterine infections. Spaying also eliminates behavioral changes associated with an animal's heat cycle, such as excessive meowing in cats.
Considerations
According to Claws & Paws Veterinary Hospital, spaying a pet before six months of age and prior to the first heat cycle will reduce the risk of breast cancer to 0.5 percent.
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