Spaying and Neutering

- an article from the Angry Vet website at www.angryvet.com

We need to bring to light the truths behind spaying and neutering your pets.  The big push to spay and neuter our pets, in particular before puberty, was brought about as a response to the explosion of stray animals without homes.  These strays ultimately have to be euthanized at shelters so it was a valiant effort to address a real problem.

The suggestion that dogs and cats should be spayed and neutered over time has evolved into the suggestion that they should be spayed and neutered because it is healthier.  We at Angryvet disagree.  There is a lot of evidence to support the logical claim that your pets may actually be healthier if left intact.

Think rationally.  How would removing a child’s reproductive organs before puberty affect their growth, maturation, and development?  Puberty and sexual maturation is imperative for bone, brain and organ development.  The same is true for your dogs and cats.

The go to argument that veterinarians tell their clients is that neutering eliminates testicular cancer and prostatitis.  Spaying eliminates breast, ovarian and uterine cancer.  What they don’t tell people is that at least one study shows that intact animals live LONGER.   Spaying and neutering not only potentially shortens the lifespan but also has been correlated with various illnesses.  Obesity (sometimes not even responsive to extreme calorie restriction), osteoarthritis, Anterior Cruciate Rupture, diabetes, hypothyroidism, prostatic cancer, hemangiosarcoma, osteosarcoma, urinary incontinence, urinary tract infection, juvenile vulva  are just a few conditions that are overly represented  in spayed and neutered pets.  We will discuss some of these correlations and published findings in our blogs.

In our opinion the healthiest pet is one that keeps its reproductive tract. This does pose challenges. Male cats mark and spray. It can be burdensome to have a non-spayed female dog bleeding in the house. Female cats, when they are in heat, will drive you nuts! Male dogs can become dog aggressive and mark their territory or the house.

The best compromise, if any of these things is too much to deal with, would be to spay and neuter at a minimum of one year if not two years of age. Allow your pet to reach full maturation and reach adulthood before considering surgery. We have seen shelters that spay and neuter at 6 weeks of age!  Clearly, this aggressive a surgery at such an early stage of development is not warranted.
Understand that there are options.  Educate yourself and take the approach that best suits you and your pet.  

Devi

One of the wonderful things about the internet is its immediacy!  Here is a picture of Devi out in California learning to bark on command.  She's 5 months old now and looks very much like Ray and Mabel!  We are so fortunate to have excellent homes for our puppies who will, hopefully,  be the excellent companions we all intend them to be.  The odds are well within their favor with families like Devi's!

Giant Scary Spider

All my family knows that I am terrified of spiders so going out to the barn has become an adventure this past week.  These giant spiders are in evidence in the afternoon - I"m not quite sure where they are during the day, likely lurking and watching from their lair!  This dandy fellow had created a web yesterday which spanned across the gate; the webbing is remarkably strong!

We wish him well but hope he won't jump or fall on me with his giant and scary self.

Betsy and Briarlea Stryker - quite the team!  Stryker is one of the ABdFC's Top 20 Performance Bouviers this year!

Betsy sent a note this morning:

Stryker got his top 20 invite today...he said "Top Twenty...no way, I'm # 1"!!! He for sure is in my heart. He is a most amazing dog and friend...always doing something funny and unexpected...what a great dog thanks!!

We hosted a stockdog clinic at my friend Phyllis's this past weekend.  I provide the stock and do the organizing and she provides the students.  We had Larry Painter fly up from Missouri to conduct the clinic; he's well known up here for his good way with students and upright dogs.  Susan brought along Noche' for the clinic and is shown here working her flanks - Noche' needs to 'go bye' or clockwise .. or 'away' or counterclockwise ... she is a very biddable Bouvier and a great first herding dog for Susan who is a novice handler.  It was a lot of fun for me to watch the two of them progress over the weekend!  Noche' is by Solo out of Ruby so has a lot of potential for work.

Man Ray, en garde!  Keeping his coat cut short for the summer, he is yet a handsome young fellow!

This is Cheezborgah!

 

Mark writes that: "puppy teeth almost gone!!!! she has not been biting as much, it must hurt her-good for us. she still has not wrecked anything but a flip flop

 

I am looking for cart harnesses, easy comfortable for her, maybe borrow/make a puppy one to train with. and an adult later. I'll take a picture of her cart.  It is tied up in the coop. she has the energy and drive to play-train and be fun, she does do well on leash but will pull if you let her. She does want to be dom. attacks from the back, can be very sneaky with a selective memory.

 

She sounds much like Ray!

Solo, Una, Trouble, Gale, Ray, Mabel and Fancy.

Mabel, Trouble's puppy, has been here for a visit.  Here are the current Bouviers living with us, out in the big dog yard this evening.  The fawn puppy is Fancy.

Got lots done today, sold our red saddleback fantails, powerwashed and primed the front of the house, tilled and weeded the lower garden, trained dogs, bathed Mabel for her return home tomorrow, moved the pigs, did some writing and mowed the lawns.  Tomorrow comes early!