As we come to the end of the month in which we acknowledge and remember women who’ve played significant roles in our country, and in our lives, we thought we’d do a little feature on “women’s health” in our patients.
We are often asked whether or not it is a good idea to spay (sterilise) female dogs and cats, and what the benefits of spaying are. It’s probably a debate that will go on forever, but overall, it seems the benefits of spaying far outweigh not having it done.
Firstly, there are the more “social” benefits – unwanted litters of puppies and kittens in SA are rife, and as much as you think you’d never let that happen to your darling girl, accidents do happen! In addition, when dogs and cats come into season, it sets off the raging hormones of any unsterilised males in the neighbourhood, which can wreak havoc with the tranquility of a quiet night.
Secondly, there are the more practical considerations. Dogs generally come into season for a couple of weeks every 6 months, during which time you might have to keep them off the furniture and your favourite carpet, as well as not being able to take them to dog training or for W-A-L-K-S without them being sniffed at and followed constantly. Cats can come into season every couple of weeks, during which time the yowling, the non-stop determination to go outside, and the overtly “tarty” behaviour is usually enough to have owners phoning the vet to book an emergency spay! Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, there are many medical benefits. Spaying your dog or cat will eliminate the chance of them developing ovarian or uterine cancer, and other diseases of the uterus, the most well-known being pyometra. This is when the uterus becomes infected, and can become pus-filled, and often lands up being a life-threatening condition if not treated urgently. Another medical condition associated with unsterilised females is the development of mammary tumours as the animal gets older. Every time your dog comes into season, the risk of her developing mammary tumours increases. Some tumours may be benign and not problematic, but unfortunately, some are highly malignant, and can spread to the regional lymph nodes and lungs, similar to breast cancer in women.
Hopefully this gives a bit of food for thought, and if you’re still unsure about whether or not to sterilise your little girl, please do have a chat with one of the vets.