ADVENTURES
PART ONE

  FUN & GAMES
PAT THE DOG
WHO MIGHT BITE
LIVING SAFER
FIND THE PUPPY
FIND THE PIT BULL
MATCH THE PUPS
MEMORY GAME
RAINBOW GAME
COLOR PAGES

  YOU & YOUR DOG
RECALL GAME
HIDE & SEEK

  BE SAFE
SAFETY GUIDE

  EDUCATION
WHAT'S A PIT BULL
SPAY/NEUTER
HISTORY
AGGRESSION
BE RESPONSIBLE
PIT BULL QUIZ
HEROIC DOGS
FAMOUS DOGS
DOG-FIGHTING

  ASK POPPY
SEND AN EMAIL

Poppy's Education:

Spaying and Neutering Your Pets

What does it mean when a pit bull is spayed or neutered?  It means that they are not able to have puppies.  Male dogs are neutered, which means their testicles are removed through a small incision.  Females are spayed, which means their uterus and ovaries are removed in a surgical procedure.  This may all sound scary, but most dogs do so well that their owners have to prevent them from playing too soon after surgery!

Why spay and neuter your pit bull?  Dogs that are spayed and neutered won’t bring more pit bulls into an already overcrowded situation.  Do you realize that each day 10,000 humans are born in the United States and 70,000 kittens and puppies are born?  There are just not enough homes to go around!  And, that means that puppies and kittens have nowhere to go.

At what age should a dog be spayed or neutered?  There is a commonly held belief that a dog has to be 5-7 months old in order to be “fixed” (the term most people use to describe a dog that has been spayed or neutered).  In fact, there is no reason to wait; dogs can be fixed at 8 weeks old as long as they are otherwise healthy.   Female dogs that were spayed before they enter into their first heat have a much lower rate of mammary cancer than those who were not.  Male dogs neutered before they learn to mark and defend their territory are less stressed.

What are the benefits of spaying and neutering to the dogs that have to undergo the procedure?  Neutered male dogs experience lower rates in prostate disease and tumors of their genitals.  They are less eager to roam and are less aggressive.  Did you know that the majority of dog bites are by intact males?  Neutered males are less frustrated and make better family companions.  Spayed female dogs do not undergo the stresses of the heat cycle and labor.  They will not have to worry about cancer and/or tumors of their reproductive organs as those organs have been removed.  Neutered and spayed dogs are freed from the urge to reproduce and thus make more relaxed, easier to train companions. 

You may hear someone say, “I only want one litter, and then I will fix my dogs.”  Well, there are anywhere from 5-8 puppies in a pit bull litter.  And what if the people who adopt each of those dogs only want one litter?  As you can see, in no time at all, there would be a lot of dogs that would need homes.  This is a big problem. The shelters and private rescues are already filled with dogs that need loving homes.  How can we deal with more? 

Sometimes people think that fixing their dogs will make them lazy and overweight.  Too much food and not enough exercise lead to overweight dogs, not spaying and neutering.  In fact, a fixed dog is generally a healthier dog!  As long as you feed your dog the appropriate amount of food and take your dog for regular walks and exercise, there is no reason to think that your fixed dog will be fat or lazy. 

For more information, take a look at these sites:

http://www.pbrc.net/speuter.html
http://www.sniksnak.com/benefits.html
http://bartholomewco.com/animal/animal-info.html

Sources:

www.pbrc.net
“Neuter & Spay: Make the Appointment Today,” by Sanya Dunn
“Spay and Neuter Benefits,” by Pawprints and Purrs, Inc.
Bartholomew County, Indiana Animal Control Web Site