Pet Spay and Neuter
Spay and neuter your pet to prevent health issues, reduce aggression, and curb overpopulation. Help your pet and community thrive.
Pet Spay and Neuter in Austin, TX
Spaying female pets and neutering male pets benefits the entire pet-loving community:
For owners
Pet owners benefit greatly in some very practical ways:
- Heat cycles: Females won’t be leaving bloody discharge and desperately attempting to escape home and find a mate. Dogs go through heat twice a year for 3 to 4 weeks. Cats usually go through heat in the spring for an indefinite time frame.
- Un-neutered pets may mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house. Many aggression problems are avoided by early neutering.
- No unwanted litters to find homes for.
- Spaying at the appropriate time (before the first heat cycle) is much less expensive than waiting until the pet is older, pregnant, just had a litter, overweight or suffering from infection of the reproductive tract.
For the pet
- As unspayed females age, the risk of infection of the reproductive tract (pyometra) goes up dramatically. If it develops, emergency surgery is required to save the pet’s life. Un-spayed females have a higher risk of mammary tumors.
- Pregnancy risks, including the possible c-section and mammary-gland infections, are avoided.
- Neutering at six months prevents testicular tumors in males.
To curb overpopulation
Every year, millions of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized or suffer as strays. These high numbers are the result of unplanned litters that could have been prevented.
For the local community
Stray animals prey on wildlife, cause car accidents, spread disease and frighten children. Spaying and neutering packs a powerful punch in reducing the number of animals on the streets.
Myths about spaying and neutering
“It will make my pet fat.” – Lack of exercise and overfeeding will pack on extra pounds, but as long as you continue to provide exercise and monitor food intake, spaying and neutering will have no such effect.
“It will make my pet lazy.” – Many people think their spayed or neutered pet is just not as active or playful. What actually happens is they mature. Your pet’s activity reflects its age — spayed/neutered or not.
“It’s better for my pet to have one litter first.” – There is no health benefit to allowing a pet to have a litter before spaying. In fact, spaying before the first heat cycle provides the most protection against reproductive diseases.