I know the biggest reason to have a dog spayed it to stop over population of dogs, but what are the other pros to having a dog spayed....also what are the cons?



I'm just wanting to get as much info on it before I decide to schedule an apointment.

9/30/2008 8:06:06 PM

there are no cons unless you're too poor to afford the $20 fix

[/thread]

9/30/2008 8:08:14 PM

^

9/30/2008 8:09:02 PM

actually a spay is more expensive than a neuter...BUT money isn't the issue, if I was really broke and needed to get it done then I'd put it on my credit card.



And for the record I'm leaning towards doing it. I'm just making sure I cover all points before I decide for sure.


Also anyone know what the recovery process is like?

9/30/2008 8:11:41 PM

Other pros are not having male dogs coming around and pissing all over the place when your dog is in heat.
Con - if it turns out to be the best dog you've ever had, you can't keep the bloodline from her.

9/30/2008 8:12:01 PM

significantly lowers the risk of cancer, you don't have to worry about blood when she's in heat, if you want another puppy just adopt another.

9/30/2008 8:15:20 PM

Unless you are a responsible, profitable, reputable breeder, there is no reason to not get pets spayed/neutered.

Anything less is completely irresponsible.

All this talk of 'other points' is completely irrelevant

9/30/2008 8:19:27 PM

pros
drastically reduces the risk of cancer
extends the life of the dog
dog doesn't go into heat--no mess for you, you don't have to worry about her getting knocked up

*we have a client who refuses to spay his 10 year-old mix. she's gotten out twice, gotten pregnant both times, and now she has breast cancer. this has all been in the past year and a half.

cons-
slightly painful for the dog initially (but she will likely be on some pain meds)
~1% of female dogs may experience slight bouts of incontinence (may drip small amounts of urine when she barks or sleeps)

the pros drastically outweigh the cons. please be a responsible pet owner and spay your dog.

[Edited on September 30, 2008 at 8:24 PM. Reason : /]

9/30/2008 8:23:09 PM

This thread is a good reason to get your dog spayed: http://thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=541713&page=2

9/30/2008 8:23:46 PM

Yeah I'm not to sure if I'm fond of having period blood all over my apartment.

9/30/2008 8:31:30 PM

Quote :

"the pros drastically outweigh the cons. please be a responsible pet owner and spay your dog."

9/30/2008 8:52:02 PM

Quote :

"there are no cons unless you're too poor to afford the $20 fix"

where the hell you get it done for $20 dollar bucks?

9/30/2008 8:52:52 PM

Quote :

""the pros drastically outweigh the cons. please be a responsible pet owner and spay your dog.""

9/30/2008 8:53:37 PM

Okay, so I will get my dog spayed.

However, I want to know the recovery process...is it something that I can shedule to have done this week sometime and then travel with her next weekend?

9/30/2008 8:57:27 PM

generally they are fine the next day. you'll have to restrict activity for about 14 days (no jumping, running, or unsupervised play).

the recovery process is pretty mild. they are usually so drugged up the first day that they just sleep. i've only come across 1 or 2 animals that were pretty sore the next day. most of the time they are back to normal.

[Edited on September 30, 2008 at 9:02 PM. Reason : +]

9/30/2008 8:58:36 PM

Quote :

"if I was really broke and needed to get it done then I'd put it on my credit card."

9/30/2008 8:58:46 PM

I mean I won't have to put it on my credit card...I'm not that broke...I can afford to spend $150 for the surgery/shots and shit...I also need to get her up to date on shots...the people I'm getting her from didn't get her any shots and she's 9 months.


I also think I might be going to Brentwood vet....any personal experiences from that place?


I'm so pumped...I've gone out and gotten everything I need for her arrival thursday. Food, collar, leash, crate, bowls, treats and toys!

9/30/2008 9:02:44 PM

my 2nd pup just got spayed last week, she was sore for a couple days, then fine. Travel a few days later shouldn't hurt, mine just sleep in the car anyway

9/30/2008 9:09:04 PM

Good luck with your new puppy! The spaying shouldn't affect her too much. Just follow the vet's instructions and keep her from getting too wild too quickly. She may not want to eat very much for the next few days, but that's normal. Also try to refrain from playing with her too much, she'll probably just want to sleep.

I would personally recommend Oberlin Animal Hospital: http://www.itbeginswithcaring.com/

We have had nothing but good experiences with them. We took our cat there for neutering in July and they were amazing. We've done a few appointments for Max since then, and I continue to be impressed by their staff. They accept Wake County SPCA Spay/Neuter vouchers. They cut down significantly on the cost, and you donate to the SPCA at the same time. You can buy them here:
http://www.spcawake.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Spay_Neuter_mainpage

As a note, they may not want to do shots and spaying in the same time frame. They may give her the shots first, then when she's finished, bring her back for her spaying. Or vice versa. I know Max had an eye issue, and they wouldn't finish his last round of shots until he was completely finished.

[Edited on September 30, 2008 at 9:18 PM. Reason : ]

9/30/2008 9:17:34 PM

I have two cats, but as far as recovery, i figured it may be similar. I had them both fixed last friday( one male, one female). I was expecting a lot more care after the procedure. It turned out to be totally worry free. I would think if a dog is similar, that is the last thing you should worry about.

9/30/2008 9:47:40 PM

I recommend POP-NC. I used them 2 months ago to have a cat neutered, vaccinated, and dewormed. It's a great way to take care of those things without breaking the bank.

http://www.pop-nc.com/

9/30/2008 9:51:25 PM

^ ditto
and I also recommend Oberlin

I just finished teaching this lesson to my Animal Science classes. I'm glad that you have decided to get your dog spayed. It's one of the best things you can do for her. I've been involved in animal rescue for years and have seen first hand the reality of our country's Pet Overpopulation problem. The following is just information. Not necessarily aimed at you but hopefully it will answer your questions/concerns.


First of all 4-5 MILLION companion animals are euthanized every year in the US.

Getting your animals spayed or neutered is a one-time cost—a relatively small cost when compared to all the benefits. It's a bargain compared to the cost of having a litter and ensuring the health of the mother and litter; months of pregnancy and another two months until the litter is weaned can add up to significant veterinary bills and food costs if complications develop. Most importantly, it's a verysmall price to pay for the health of your pet and the prevention of the births of more unwanted pets.
There are reduced fee programs available (SPCA) Vouchers cost ~ $40-$70. A voucher for a female dog is $76.
There are tons of low-cost spay/neuter programs available.

If you do not fix your animal and it reproduces....in less than one year's time, each of your pet's offspring may have his or her own litter, adding even more animals to the population. The problem of pet overpopulation is created and perpetuated one litter at a time. Every day 10,000 humans are born and 70,000 cats and dogs are born. Too many companion animals competing for too few good homes is the most obvious consequence of uncontrolled breeding.

Your unspayed dog and her puppies can produce up to 67,000 dogs in six years

Communities are forced to spend millions of taxpayer dollars trying to cope with the consequences of this surplus of pets. These public costs include services such as investigating animal cruelty, humanely capturing stray animals, sheltering lost and homeless animals and the costs associated with euthanizing and disposing their bodies.

Benefits:
- Healthier pets!!! reducing or eliminating the risk of mammary gland tumors, ovarian and/or uterine cancer, prostate disease, and testicular cancer
- Reduce the number of unwanted cats and dogs
- Increase the desire for the pet to stay at home and not roam
- Reduce aggressive and territorial behavior
- Increase your bonding time by eliminating the mating behavior – crying and howling incessantly, spraying, attempting to run out the door
- Dealing with a bitch (female dog) that is in heat is a pain in the ass. Not to mention a huge mess to clean up after.
- Animals live longer, healthier lives

Common myths:
* Your dog will NOT get fat & lazy! - The truth is that most pets get fat and lazy because their owners feed them too much and don't give them enough exercise.
* It’s better to have one litter first - Medical evidence indicates just the opposite. In fact, the evidence shows that females spayed before their first heat are typically healthier. Many veterinarians now sterilize dogs and cats as young as eight weeks of age.
* But my pet is a purebred - Congratulations - So is at least one out of every four pets brought to animal shelters around the country. There are just too many dogs and cats—mixed breed and purebred.
* I don't want my male dog or cat to feel like less of a male. - FACT: Pets don't have any concept of sexual identity or ego. Neutering will not change a pet's basic personality. He doesn't suffer any kind of emotional reaction or identity crisis when neutered.
* It’s too expensive to have my pet spayed or neutered - Owning a pet does require spending $$$ and there are assistance programs available.
* I’ll find good homes for all the puppies or kittens- You may find homes for all of your pet's litter. But each home you find means one less home for the dogs and cats in shelters who need good homes.
How do you know that each home will be committed to keeping the animal for it’s entire life – “A Forever Home”

http://www.bfpa.org/content/view/52/57/

"The sadness of this tragedy is multiplied when you take into consideration that the vast majority of these now-dead dogs and cats would have made someone a wonderful companion pet — if just given the chance to live. But in our current society, living creatures have become throwaway items to be cuddled when cute and abandoned when inconvenient. Such disregard for animal life pervades and erodes our culture, and is senseless and sickening to those who have a heart and love for animals."


http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/why_you_should_spay_or_neuter_your_pet.html

[Edited on September 30, 2008 at 10:13 PM. Reason : d]

9/30/2008 10:07:43 PM

^Wow, those are incredible prices. I might even have to consider switching to them when we get our newest set of rescue kittens neutered.

9/30/2008 10:08:25 PM

Quote :

"where the hell you get it done for $20 dollar bucks?"

http://www.animalkind.org/fix.html

9/30/2008 10:11:59 PM

I personally use the SPCA vouchers. All my animals were spayed/neutered at Oberlin Animal Hospital or Glenwood Animal Hospital (same people). They both accept the vouchers.

9/30/2008 10:13:08 PM

MY BABY MEEMAWS GOT SPAYED AND THEY WERE FINE. THEY JUST SLEPT ON EACH OTHER FOR A DAY AND THEN THEY MOVED AROUND A BIT.

THE DOCTOR DID NOT GIVE THEM PAIN MEDS AFTER THEY LEFT THE OFFICE BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT IF THEY FEEL PAIN THEY'RE LESS LIKELY TO MOVE AROUND A LOT AND JUMP AND STUFF. SO THEY JUST CHILLED OUT AND SLEPT A LOT FOR A FEW DAYS AND THEN THEY WERE FINE. WITHIN A WEEK OR TWO THEY WERE TOTALLY NORMAL MEEMAWS. THEIR TUMMYS LOOKED FUNNY THOUGH BECAUSE THEY WERE SHAVED AND IT TOOK A LONG TIME FOR THE HAIR TO GROW BACK.

POOR MEEMAWS HAD WORMS TOO, I HAD TO FEED THEM THIS MEEMAW SCUM JUICE AND THEY HATED IT AND THEY WOULDN'T EAT IT BUT I HAD TO FEED IT TO THEM. THEY WOULD BE LIKE "PEEEEEZ, NOOOOOO!"

[Edited on September 30, 2008 at 10:55 PM. Reason : ]

9/30/2008 10:55:12 PM

Thanks for the help. I can't wait to get her! Does anyone know what the wait time to get an appointment is?

9/30/2008 10:57:09 PM

^ I would imagine that would depend on how busy of a practice it is.

10/1/2008 2:08:00 AM

At Oberlin, we brought Max in the day after we called. Bring them in around 7:30, pick them up between 3 and 4.

10/1/2008 8:40:56 AM

Quote :

"if I was really broke and needed to get it done then I'd put it on my credit card."

thanks for the recession faget!

10/1/2008 9:12:44 AM

10/1/2008 9:22:14 AM