The Importance of Spaying or Neutering Your Pet

Congratulations on welcoming a four-legged family member into your home! If you live in or around Los Lunas, NM, contact our veterinarians at Arrow Animal Hospital to schedule an appointment. We will perform a thorough examination of your new furry friend and create a wellness plan that is designed to help your pet stay healthy. One of the things that you must consider as a new pet owner is getting your pet spayed or neutered. Our veterinarians strongly suggest both procedures to help your pet and the local pet community.

What are Spaying and Neutering?

Both spaying and neutering effectively stop your pet from being able to reproduce. However, the procedures are different and depend on your pet's gender. Female dogs and cats are spayed, which requires invasive surgery to remove the ovaries, Fallopian tubes, and uterus. Male dogs and cats are neutered, which is a less-invasive surgical procedure that removes the testes.

The Benefits of Spaying & Neutering

The primary importance of the spaying and neutering procedures is to help decrease the population of dogs and cats as well as prevent ill-equipped pet owners from having to handle litters of newborns. Far too often, pet owners find themselves overwhelmed and abandon these animals outdoors or in already overcrowded animal shelters. Another notable benefit of the procedures is a reduction of certain diseases like cancers of the reproductive system and hormone-related illnesses.

Risks

All procedures carry some level of risk. However, veterinarians believe that the benefits of spaying and neutering far outweigh the risks. To minimize the risks, our veterinarians will wait to perform the procedure until your pet has reached a certain age. We will let you know the appropriate age that you should consider spaying or neutering your pet based on its health and breed.

Contact Our Veterinarians in Los Lunas, NM

Our veterinarians are happy to answer any questions that you may have about spaying or neutering your dog or cat. Call our team at Arrow Animal Hospital today at (505) 865-1826 or reach us through our website by using our online appointment form.