Most people know that spaying and neutering pets is important, but have you ever wondered exactly why? Here, a vet from Westside Animal Hospital, your veterinarian in Savannah, GA, tells you why the procedure is so essential.

Improved Behavior

One of the biggest advantages of having your pet spayed or neutered is the improvement in behavior you’ll see. Pets who have had the procedure performed are far less likely to exhibit bad behaviors like house soiling, urine spraying, chewing, scratching, destruction of property, aggression toward humans or other house pets, and more. Since these issues will be time-consuming and costly to deal with down the road, have your pet spayed or neutered early on in life to avoid them entirely.

Hormone Control

Spaying and neutering greatly reduces the amount of sex hormones coursing through your pet’s system. This benefits you in several ways. For one, male pets won’t experience the voracious desire to find a female mate. This means that they won’t dig or chew out of their enclosures to escape. Many female pets, especially cats, won’t go into heat during their breeding seasons, thereby avoiding potential urine spraying and other behavior problems.

Cancer Prevention and Reduction

Another major benefit of spaying and neutering your pet is the elimination or reduction of certain cancers. Genital cancer risk is virtually eliminated once your pet has been fixed, and other cancer types, like breast and prostate, are significantly reduced. In addition, the chances of urinary tract infections and other urinary- or reproductive-system issues is lowered greatly. Obviously, all of these problems will cost a lot of money and a lot of heartache to deal with later—avoid them initially by having your pet spayed or neutered.

Controlling Unplanned Breeding

Of course, the main benefit of spaying and neutering is preventing the chances of an unplanned litter and stopping your pet from breeding in an unrestricted manner. This aids the broader cause of controlling the homeless pet population. Each year, hundreds of thousands of pets go homeless simply because there aren’t enough families to take them in. By not having your pet fixed, you’re only contributing to the issue—have your pet spayed or neutered and do your part for the greater good. Do you have questions about the spaying or neutering procedure itself? Does your pet need an appointment to have the procedure performed? Contact Westside Animal Hospital in Savannah, GA today.