Experts weigh in on the important of spaying and neutering your pets

DELMARVA – When you think of spaying and neutering your furry friends, controlling the pet population is probably the first thing that comes to mind.

But experts say there are actually several benefits that come with it. Rachel Golub with the Brandywine Valley SPCA says the procedure reduces the risk of health issues down the road for kitties and pups, including cancer in males and uterine infections in females, which can be life threatening.

“We’re seeing a lot of what’s called pyometra, which is a uterine infection and that can occur in mature females who have gone through heat cycles multiple times, and there’s nothing you can really do to prevent it except for spaying your animal.”

In addition to the many health benefits, Golub says spaying and neutering benefits pets’ behavior. Males who are neutered are less likely to develop aggressive behavior due to extra testosterone, while females, who tend to escape the house when they are in heat, are less likely to get out once they are spayed.

Golub says it’s important to get your pet spayed or neutered as soon as possible. The procedure can be done for dogs and cats as young as eight weeks, and the risks associated with the surgery are extremely minimal.

In the end, Golub says spaying and neutering helps both pets and shelters.

“Obviously I would love to kinda curb the overpopulation crisis we see in shelters a lot but really it’s the health benefits and preventing those problems that can happen down the line.”