PET CORNER There's no debate: Spay-neuter combats the largest killer of cats and dogs

DEBATE BY NICOLE RIVARD THERE'S NO

SPAY-NEUTER COMBATS THE LARGEST KILLER OF CATS AND DOGS

Last fall Friends of Animals (FoA) was alarmed by The Washington Post story headlined: “The growing debate over spaying and neutering dogs.”

That’s because there is no debate about the fact that spay-neuter helps combat the single largest killer of dogs and cats—overpopulation and euthanasia of unwanted, homeless pets.

The Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV) has identified being sexually intact as the leading risk factor for owner relinquishment of cats and dogs; therefore, neutering prior to adoption is likely to improve the odds that adopted animals will be retained in their homes.

In the 70s, overflowing animal shelters euthanized millions of animals. Now, it is estimated that the number of cats and dogs euthanized in U.S. shelters annually has declined from approximately 2.6 million in 2011 to 1.5 million (670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats). Estimates are based in part on Shelter Animals Count data.

The truth is accurate data from shelters is difficult to obtain because there has never been a central data reporting system. The goal of Shelter Animals Count, a nonprofit established in 2012, is to steward a national database of sheltered animals to enable even more insights to save lives. Currently all the data is self-reported since there is still no national requirement for reporting.

The 2,873 shelters that reported to the organization in 2018 revealed that 235,822 dogs died in shelters. The causes were: died in care, shelter euthanasia and owner-intended euthanasia. Similarly, in 2017 3,019 shelters reported 237,968 were killed; and in 2016 3,587 shelters reported that 229,845 dogs were killed.

It is obvious to us that those numbers show the population of homeless animals is still so large that no one should be risking an unwanted litter. PET CORNER

FoA was founded in 1957 to end pet homelessness by helping to make spaying and neutering more affordable through our low-cost certificates. Our certificates have helped more than 2.8 million dogs and cats.

A COMPLEX ISSUE The Washington Post article discusses a recent report on approximately 2,800 golden retrievers enrolled in a lifetime study, published by the Morris Animals Foundation, a charity that funds animal health research. It found that those spayed or neutered were more likely to be overweight or obese and that if they were fixed before they were 6 months old, they had much higher rates of orthopedic injuries.

Of course, the study has sparked controversy in the veterinary and shelter worlds. But it’s not the first time. Two other papers published in 2013 and 2014 suggested that spaying and neutering and the age at which a dog is altered may lead to increased long-term risk of certain kinds of cancers and joint diseases in golden retrievers and cancer and behavior disorders in vizslas. In a blog for Scientific American published after those studies, Jessica Perry Hekman, a veterinary researcher in canine behavioral genetics at Harvard University, cautioned that studying the causes of multi-factorial diseases is incredibly challenging. She pointed out that “the studies both have their limitations, which makes their findings difficult to trust or generalize to other populations of dogs.”

In 2014, the ASV issued a statement supporting early-age (6 to 18 weeks of age) sterilization of dogs and cats as part of a comprehensive non-lethal population control strategy. In some cases, the organization said, pets may best be served by scheduling surgery after 18 weeks of age to allow time for the development of immunity through vaccination.

It referenced numerous scientific studies performed to evaluate the effects of early age spay-neuter, suggesting that the procedure is not associated with serious health problems and is medically sound. Furthermore, early age spay-neuter offers many advantages including safe anesthetic and surgical techniques, shorter surgical and recovery times and avoidance of the stresses and costs associated with spaying while in heat, pregnant or with uterine disease, according to the ASV. There are also numerous long-term physical and behavioral health benefits including reduced risk of pyometra and mammary tumors, elimination of testicular and ovarian tumors and a reduction in undesirable reproductive behaviors.

The American Veterinary Medical Association also endorses early-age spay-neuter.

Until there are no overcrowded shelters and no dogs and cats being abandoned and killed, spaying and neutering remains crucial. FoA will continue to educate our members and the public about why it’s a sensible option. Of course, when you adopt a pet it is necessary to discuss his or her health with a veterinarian, as each individual animal is different.

TAKE ACTION

Friends of Animals is seeking volunteers to assist its affordable spayneuter certificate program for dogs and cats. Volunteer tasks include:

Recruiting local veterinarians to work in FoA’s network

Selling FoA’s spay-neuter certificates in your community or shelter

Publicizing FoA’s spay-neuter program through tabling and other events

FACT Myth vs.

If you are considering adopting your first pet or expanding your furry family, here’s what you need to know about spaying and neutering:

Myth: It is unnatural to interfere with an animal's reproductive cycle. FACT: Humans interfered with nature when we domesticated dogs and cats. In doing so, we helped create the homeless animal crisis that now results in approximately 1.5 million dogs and cats being killed in pounds and shelters each year. We must now take responsibility for solving this crisis.

Myth: There are no behavioral health benefits from neutering male cats. FACT: Neutering male cats will prevent the emergence of unpleasant mating behaviors such as marking and aggression. Male kittens aged 5 months and up may begin territorial spraying (the smell is impossible to live with) to give off scent in order to attract nearby "in heat" females for mating, and to show the competition who's boss. And unneutered male kittens also have the tendency to wander off more.

Myth: Female dogs and cats can't be spayed while in heat. FACT: Dogs and cats can safely be spayed while in heat or pregnant. Trust in the judgment of your veterinarian. Myth: Males don't need to be neutered since females have the litters. FACT: Unaltered males are half of the overpopulation equation. In fact, all it takes is one intact male to impregnate several females. On average, a fertile female dog bears one litter of four-to-six puppies per year; a fertile female cat, two litters of four-to-six kittens. The numbers balloon exponentially: Just one litter of kittens can then produce 54 offspring in a single year.

Myth: A female dog or cat only comes into heat once a year. FACT: Dogs go into heat, which lasts about three weeks, once or twice a year, and as early as six months of age. Cats experience heat every 34 weeks from early spring through fall, starting as young as four months. Pregnancy for both cats and dogs lasts 63 days, and female cats can become pregnant as soon as 10 days after giving birth, while still nursing.

Myth: An animal becomes overweight and/or lazy when neutered. FACT: Animals' appetites may increase, but they become overweight from being provided too much food and not enough exercise. Myth: It's healthier for a female to have one litter before she is spayed. FACT: A female should ideally be spayed before her first estrus cycle. Early-age spaying (as young as eight weeks) greatly reduces the likelihood of mammary tumors, uterine infections, and of course, unplanned pregnancy.

Myth: Spaying/neutering is expensive. FACT: Spaying or neutering saves you money. The cost is less than for the major surgeries and treatments that may be needed if your animal is left unaltered, such as those addressing preventable cancers. You'll pay far more in money and time taking care of and finding homes for puppies or kittens. Also, spaying and neutering benefits the community by curbing the number of animals who end up as strays or in pounds, where taxpayers pay to have them cared for and sometimes killed. Many areas have low-cost spay/neuter clinics or programs; FoA offers affordable spay/ neuter procedures through our network of participating veterinarians. Visit friendsofanimals.org or call 1-800-321-PETS for more information.