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Pediatric
or Early Spay Neuter
Pediatric
or Early Spay Neuter refers to spaying or neutering pets at a much
earlier age than the old six month standard. With today's anesthetics,
advanced monitoring equipment, and surgical techniques, not only are
these procedures safe in young puppies and kittens, the risk of
complications is lower and the recovery period shorter. Concerns about
adverse affects have been proven unfounded. The American Veterinary
Medical Association, Association of Spay/Neuter Veterinarians, and the
College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia, are among
those that support early spay/neuter.
Reasons for spaying and neutering are compelling and well known:
•
Overpopulation and the resulting mass euthanasia and neglect
•
It avoids
heat cycles, unwelcome visitors fighting on the lawn, accidental
pregnancies, unwanted puppies and kittens,
inconvenience
and expense. Males and their
owners are spared roaming
and fighting and the resulting injuries,
spread of disease, and
expenses. In our area, 80% of the dogs killed by
cars and 80% of the cats with feline aids are
unneutered males.
• Healthier
pets - Neutered males don't have testicular cancer or the prostate
problems
common in intact dogs. Females spayed
before their first heat cycle
have 96.4% less breast cancer, a common cause of death. They have
no risk of uterine infection, or
the many complications associated
with pregnancy,
whelping, or
raising a litter.
But why
spay and neuter babies?
•
It's safer. The mortality rate is lower.
• It's
easier on the pet - anesthesia time is shorter and recovery takes only
a few
hours.
• It
completely eliminates the possibility of accidental litters. We daily
hear the
infamous “I didn't
know she'd go into heat so soon." And "She
just got out for a
few minutes." The list is
endless. My personal favorite is "She
can't be pregnant,
I chained her up when she was in
heat."
• It
completely eliminates the possibility of intentional breeding by well
meaning
but ignorant owners.
The old "so the kids can have the
experience", "just one
litter",
"we can make a little money",
or "I found her a good home" that
turns out to be a backyard puppy mill.
• Breeders
can avoid having their names show up on poor quality stock and help
control
competition by backyard breeders.
• The
bottom line is fewer unwanted pets, and fewer ill-bred animals filling
up homes so
that others go without.
Early spay/neuter does require
some special training and adjustments to the techniques used in
older dogs. If your vet is unfamiliar with these
procedures, I am happy to consult with him or her,
and/or provide research data and
recommendations. Many
veterinarians have been
reluctant to advise their clients to have their pets spayed/neutered at
6 to 7 weeks* of age.
However, there is an accumulating body of
evidence indicating that the positive results quite possibly outweigh
any remaining unknown risks.
From:
College of Veterinary Medicine
From the
Spring 1998 Illinois Veterinary Bulletin Early Spay/Neuter: An Overview
by Theresa A.
Fuess, Ph.D., VM-3
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