As a practicing veterinarian, I have heard many, many reasons from pet owners about why they don’t want to spay or neuter their pets. These excuses range from fear of anesthesia to wanting a puppy/kitten from their pet to thinking it is “more natural” to leave them intact. I would say, I’ve heard them all, but I know better!

To all those folks out there who don’t want to spay their dog, I would like to point out several very important reason to reconsider. The first, and probably most important reason to think about fixing your dog, is for her health and long life. It is a proven fact that female dogs that are fixed before their first heat cycle have a near zero likelihood of developing mammary (breast) cancer later in life. Each heat cycle that the dog goes through increases the odds of developing it, and by the time they have come into heat five times, that benefit is completely lost. By removing the uterus and ovaries during the spay procedure, we also eliminate the chances of developing uterine or ovarian cancers or infections.

A second, extremely important reason to spay your dog is to prevent unwanted puppies. Puppies are cute and adorable, but unfortunately there are more puppies produced in this country than there are homes for them to go to. Community shelters and rescue groups are swamped with puppies that were produced “by accident” by intact dogs. Even if you want a pup from your pet, the question is, what do you plan to do with the rest of the litter??? Dogs can have between two and fourteen puppies (average of eight). And don’t count on friends and family members to take them. Those avenues fall through more often than not!

It is also far easier to keep pets from wandering when they have been spayed. Female dogs that are in heat will frequently go looking for males to breed with, and even if your female is not prone to wandering herself, when she is in season, she can attract males from literally miles away. And even when not in season, intact dogs are more likely to roam and get into trouble. Dogs that leave home can be hit by cars, bitten by snakes, attacked by other dogs, poisoned, and shot, among other things. They are much safer at home. Fixed dogs are more settled, and far more likely to stay where they belong.

Finally, it should be pointed out that every time you breed your female dog, whether on purpose or by accident, you run the risk of her not surviving. There are plenty of things that can go wrong with the reproductive process. These can include contracting transmissible diseases like brucellosis, development of uterine infections, dystocias (inability to pass the puppies at birthing time), and eclampsia. And even after the puppies are born your dog is not out of danger. Female dogs can develop mastitis (breast infections), uterine infections (pyometras), and hypocalcemia (low calcium levels) all of which can be deadly. All of these things can be treated medically, but treatment usually needs to be started quickly, and is usually expensive (far, far more expensive than a routine spay procedure!).

So, unless you are willing and able to afford to treat cancers, transmissible diseases, and infections, get your dog spayed. Unless you have a market for your puppies or absolute homes for up to fourteen puppies (don’t count on friends or family), get your dog spayed. Unless you are willing and able to afford treatment for all the things that can happen to roaming dogs, get your dog spayed. And, unless you are willing to potentially loose your dog during pregnancy, whelping, or after the birth of her pups, please get your dog spayed!