Why Do Animals Spayed Or Neutered?

You may not want to lose your parts but what if it could cost animals their lives? When household animals are spayed or neutered it reduces the amount of animals in that species population. The results from these animals remaining fertile are usually underestimated, since taking care of them takes time and money. Though spaying or neutering an animal can increase the risk of urinary incontinence, it benefits the environment, economy and overall health of the animal.

Animals being spayed or neutered has many benefits but there are some downsides to the practice. The most common complication seen from a spayed dog or cat is urinary incompetence. This is described by V. A. Coit as when the animal has an “involuntary leakage of urine” (239).

This has become an increasing problem with these spayed animals as 20% have developed this compared to the 1% of non-spayed animals with urinary incompetence (Coit 239). If the female is spayed after she has gone through her first heat, which is an animal’s version of a period, then there is a higher chance of infection. This has resulted in there being a six week to 16 week optimal age to be spayed or neutered (Root, 221). When the animal is under six weeks they are usually too small and the sedatives are too strong for them. The younger the animal is spayed or neutered helps prevent unexpected litters.
Having an abundance of non-neutered or spayed animals increases the population of unwanted, stray animals. These stray animals will usually end up in a shelter due to animal control and other people not being able to care for them. If they do not make it to the shelter, the animals tend to live a short life unless someone takes them in. Wherever these animals end up, someone is using their money on them, which was not planned. A no-kill shelter will have to provide for these animals until either someone wants the animal or until they die. A kill shelter will usually keep the animal for only a certain amount of time and if it has not been adopted by that time, it will be euthanized. Even though euthanizing reduced the amount of money the shelter has to spend on the animal, they are spending money to kill the healthy animal. If these animals are in an impoverished area then they are more likely not to get the help which they desperately need.
In these impoverished areas the humans will be using the resources for their own survival. Since they do not have everything they need to live, only the animals which are being used for profit are cared for. Both the animals and the people will be competing for the same available food (Downes, 140). Since these rural countries tend not to have any spaying or neutering practices, whenever the animals are healthy enough they will reproduce. Not only does this increase the food completion between animals but also with the people. And with the increased animal population the higher the chances of contracting an illness becomes. These illnesses can also be passed along to the humans in the areas. If someone gets close to an animal with rabies then the animal would become aggressive and attack that person, in turn spreading the disease to the human population (Gautret, 164).
When an animal is spayed or neutered it will improve their overall health.

In dogs, when they are spayed or neutered, the risk of developing cancer later on in life is decreased (Root, 221). Male dogs have a reduced risk of testicular cancer as they age if they have been neutered at a young age. For female dogs this is a reduced risk of cancer in the mammary. Therefore if the animals have been spayed, both sexes have a reduced risk of cancer development. Spaying and neutering does not only help lower the chance of cancer, but also reduces wandering in male cats (Finkler, 125). Wandering will be reduced because the male will not be looking for a mate. Not only do male cats benefit from this, but female cats benefit from this too, and it also helps the male cat not to go in the road and possibly be injured or killed by a car. Also, for spayed outdoor female cats, there will not be an unexpected litter due to unplanned mating. However, any spayed animal will not have an unexpected litter. Spaying and neutering also reduces the hormonal levels in animals(Finkler, 126). The animal will also not have to go through the strain of giving birth to a litter. While breeders make their living off of non-spayed or neutered animals, the females tend not to live as long since they go through the births of many litters. In male dogs the testosterone level lowers which helps the animal not be as aggressive; this can reduce the likelihood of attacking a little

child.
Spaying and neutering animals has been a controversial topic among animal owners for years and will continue to be one. While there are many people who only look at the downsides of spaying or neutering, everyone should be informed on the benefits as well. These people tend to see spaying and neutering as unnatural since these animals were able to survive on their own for centuries without the interference of humans. However this may be true spaying and neutering has been known to reduce some of the health risks naturally occurring in animals. Not only does spaying or neutering animal provide the animal with health benefits but also benefits the people who come in contact with them. These people will not have to worry about themesvles, their children or their animals coming into contact with a diseased animal. Ultimately saving their lives and not having to worry about the burden of paying for extra care, not only of their animals but them as well when they cannot already afford medical care.