World Spay Day is observed on the fourth Tuesday in February every year. In 2021, that falls on February 23rd. It’s a day to promote awareness and encourage pet parents to have their female animals spayed — as well as neutering their male pets — to keep the pet population under control.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats are put down due to overpopulation in shelters across the United States. That’s why this day is so important.
Reducing that overpopulation helps reduce the amount of unwanted dogs, frees up resources at animal shelters, and prevents unnecessary euthanasia. Here’s what you should know for World Spay Day.
Spaying And Neutering: Time To Get It Done
Talk to your veterinarian about the best time to spay or neuter your pet if you haven’t done so already. Fixing your furry family member doesn’t just affect the overall pet population, though that is one of the most important benefits of these procedures.
Spaying and neutering have an abundance of health benefits for your individual pet, too.
“Behaviorally, spaying or neutering your pet can keep them from roaming, spraying, and marking their territory; medically, it can prevent disease or illness later in life,” says Dr. Stacy Eckman, a clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.
For example, if a female dog is spayed before her first heat cycle, the chance of the dog developing mammary cancer is less than 0.05 percent.
In honor of World Spay Day, share the following top five reasons fix your dog with other pet parents who may be holding off on doing it.
Top 5 Reasons To Fix Your Dog
- 1. Spaying and neutering reduce overpopulation and euthanasia of unwanted animals.
- 2. Spayed or neutered dogs usually live longer, healthier lives.
- 3. Altered dogs have less risk of getting mammary and perianal gland tumors, prostate cancer, and uterine, ovarian, and testicular cancers.
- 4. Sterilization cuts back on the urge to roam, aggression between dogs, and unwanted behaviors like marking.
- 5. You will save money on vet bills by having a healthier dog!
If the costs of spaying or neutering your pet is a deterrent, then you should contact your local animal shelter. Ask about low cost spay/neuter clinics. Organizations such as Best Friends Animal Society and the ASPCA may be able to point you toward low cost spay/neuter programs in your area.
And remember, spaying and neutering doesn’t hurt your pet. “Just as every anesthetic/surgical event carries a risk, this does as well, but proper examination and testing prior to the procedure can mitigate many of these risks,” Dr. Eckman says.
“By spaying or neutering your pet, you will be acting in the best interest of the animal’s health, saving money in the long run, and potentially providing a deserving, homeless animal with a loving home.”
Will you help spread awareness for World Spay Day? How else can dog lovers get the word out? Let us know in the comments below!
