The Importance of Spaying and Neutering Your Pet
Most people understand the importance of spaying and neutering pets to keep the cat and dog populations from spiraling out of control. This procedure provides other health and behavioral benefits for our furry friends as well. Spaying and neutering can be an essential part of general veterinary care during which a veterinarian performs blood work and provides a preventative checkup to rule out higher mortality risks. All Care Animal Clinic in West Palm Beach provides comprehensive healthcare for your pet, including spay and neuter services.
Why It's Important to Spay & Neuter
Spaying or neutering optimizes your cat or dog's overall well-being. Spaying cats eliminates annoying behaviors, such as howling and urinating throughout the house, which usually occurs when he or she goes into heat. Likewise, neutered cats are less likely to spray urine around your home as a means of marking its territory. Cats that have been spayed are also less susceptible to uterine cancers and breast tumors. In many cases, these growths become malignant and can seriously jeopardize your pet's health, so sterilizing is an important means of prevention.
Spaying and neutering can improve the health and behavior of dogs too. Dogs that haven't been spayed may develop tumors, although incidences of malignancy are less frequent than in cats. Male dogs that have been neutered are less prone to testicular cancer and prostate problems. They are also less likely to exhibit aggressive behaviors or randomly wander off since they are not searching for a mate.
When Is the Best Time to Spay & Neuter?
The average age for dogs to be sterilized is six to nine months, while for cats it is around five or six months. However, puppies and kittens can undergo the procedure as early as eight weeks, provided they don't have any health issues.
Spay & Neuter Services from Our West Palm Beach Veterinarian
In addition to spaying and neutering, All Care Animal Clinic provides "total pet" care services including blood work and a preventative checkup to detect any health problems that could lead to a higher mortality risk. Contact us online or call us at (561) 688-1154 to learn more about these procedures or to schedule an appointment with our veterinarian.