Keeping a pet healthy involves taking certain key steps. At Perry Animal Hospital, in Houston County, GA, they emphasize that spaying or neutering is one of them. The professionals at this veterinary clinic routinely inform patients about the benefits of doing so; contrary to what you may believe, they go beyond simply reducing the number of homeless animals in a community. Consider the following points to better understand why these treatments help. 

Georgia’s Veterinary Clinic Shares the Reasons to Spay or Neuter Your Pet

1. Reducing the Cancer Risk

According to the ASPCA, spaying a female pet reduces their risk of developing ovarian, uterine, and mammary cancer. Neutering male pets reduces their chances of developing testicular cancer. This is one of the top reasons veterinarians recommend spaying or neutering. These treatments reduce the risk because they impact hormone levels; if the levels were higher, the chance of developing these cancers would be higher as well.

2. Managing Behavior

Pets that have been spayed or neutered tend to be less aggressive. This means there’s a reduced chance that they’ll get into fights with other animals. They also tend to be more content staying home instead of roaming; this means you don’t have to worry as much about them getting lost or hurt away from home.

3. Relieving Stress

Before spaying or neutering your pet, they’ll be biologically ready to seek out a mate and reproduce. Preventing them from doing so creates a lot of stress for an animal. They don’t experience this if they’ve been spayed or neutered.

4. Preventing Cats From Going Into Heat

Female cats that have not been spayed start to meow fairly loudly before they go into heat. This is to advertise to potential mates. It can be very distracting, but it won’t happen if you spay them.

5. Lowering the Risk of Urinary Tract Infections

Spayed and neutered pets have a lower risk of developing urinary tract infections than pets that have not had this procedure; this is due to a decrease in sexual activity. Schedule the procedure to keep them comfortable and healthy.

The team at the veterinary clinic will gladly answer any additional questions you may have about this topic. At Perry Animal Hospital, in Houston County, GA, they believe that keeping you informed is key to keeping your pet well. Visit them online to learn more about what they can do for you, or call (478) 224-7387.