Our Cairn Blog

You'll find helpful information about the Cairn Terrier breed, breeders, care and training, and current happenings at Crooked Creek Cairn Terriers.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Spaying or Neutering

Spaying is the sterilization by removing the ovaries & uterus of females, while neutering is the removal of the testicles of males. The advantages of spaying & neutering are numerous. With the epidemic of unwanted pets in our nation, spaying & neutering is necessary to reduce the occurance of unwanted pregnancy. Responsible pet owners take a proactive approach in ensuring that their dog is healthy and are not part of the problem of pet overpopulation. Females who are spayed before their 1st heat cycle, have a 99.9% reduced risk of mammary cancer. Neutering males prevents testicular cancer and prostate disease. Both males and females will not develop the negative behaviors associated with being intact if spayed/neutered before maturity or by 6 months of age. Females will not blow their coats with hormonal changes, males will not mark their territory by hiking their leg on everything in sight. Intact females also mark their territory and I even have females who lift their leg on things just like males!

At Crooked Creek Terriers, families who adopt a puppy agree to spay/neuter by 6 months of age. They place a deposit that is refunded upon proof of alteration by 6 months of age. I generally recommend neutering at 3-5 months of age, and spaying at 5-6 months of age. Some vets recommend early spaying/neutering as early as 8-16 weeks. This website gives a great over view of spaying & neutering. http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_SpayDay.php "Pets can become capable of reproduction as early as 6 months of age, so it is important to spay and neuter pets by that age. Early spay/neuter starting at 8 weeks of is endorsed by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), Humane Society of the United States, the American Kennel Club, the Cat Fanciers Association, the American Humane Association and many other organizations. As long as a pup weighs more than two pounds and is 8 weeks old, he or she can be neutered or spayed."

No comments: