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Common myths
Myth #I: My pet will get fat and lazy
Spaying or neutering may diminish your pet's overall activity level,
natural tendency to wander, and hormonal balances, which may
influence appetite. Regular exercise and appropriate diet will
prevent your pet from becoming overweight.
Myth #2: If we breed Rover and Fluffy,
their puppies (or kittens) will be just like them
Breeding two purebred animals rarely results in offspring that are
exactly like one of the parents. And with mixed breeds, it is
virtually impossible to have offspring that are exactly like one of
the parents.
Myth #3: My pet's personality will change
Any change will be for the better! After being altered, your pet
will be less aggressive toward other dogs or cats, have a better
personality, and will be less likely to wander. Spraying (urine
marking), which is often done by dogs and cats to mark their
territory, diminishes or ceases after pets are altered.
Myth #4: My children should witness our pet
giving birth
Pets often have their litters in the middle of the night or
in a place of their own choosing. Because pets need privacy
when giving birth, any unnecessary intrusion can cause the
mother to become seriously upset. These intrusions can
result in an unwillingness to care for the offspring or in
injury to the owners of the pet. There are videos available
for your children to witness the "miracle of birth" without
adding to the pet overpopulation problem.
Myth #5: 1 am concerned about my pet
undergoing anesthesia
Placing a pet under anesthesia is a very common concern of owners.
Although there is always a slight risk involved, Vets choose
anesthetics carefully to minimize these risks. Many veterinarians
use equipment that monitors heart and respiratory rates during
surgery to ensure that their patients are doing well under
anesthesia, and vet technicians (nurses) are trained to monitor your
pet during surgery. The medical benefits of having your pet spayed
or neutered far outweigh the slight risk involved with undergoing
anesthesia. Consult your veterinarian if you are concerned about
this aspect of the procedure.
Myth #6: The surgery is painful for the
animal, and may harm my pet
During spaying/neutering, dogs and cats are fully
anesthetized, so they feel no pain. Afterwards, most pets seem to
experience slight discomfort, but all signs of discomfort disappear
within a few days, or even a few hours. Serious harm as a result of
spay/neuter surgery is extremely rare. Veterinarians also use pain
relievers that are made especially for dogs
Myth #7: The surgery is expensive
Spay/neuter surgery generally costs less than most major surgeries,
especially if the dog or cat is young and healthy. Low-cost or
low-income spay/neuter clinics or programs in which local
veterinarians perform spaying/neutering at reduced cost are
available for those who cannot otherwise afford to have the surgery
performed.
What happens when people don’t spay/neuter
their pets?
This country's thousands of shelters are forced to kill literally
MILLIONS of animals every year. They pour in, a never ceasing,
always increasing, inundating flood. Consequently, EVERY DAY,
shelters are forced to kill and kill and kill, in order to make room
for the ones that will flood them that day: all the result of
thoughtless pet owners. Animals turned in to the shelters to be
killed are the lucky ones – many are abandoned to be tortured,
starved, injured and diseased and left to die alone.
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