This is one of the most commonly asked questions that pet owners ask their veterinarians.

There can be a lot of advice that conflicts one another. Some of your friends may say 8 weeks, others may say to never do it, and others may recommend waiting at least a year.

If you are not planning on breeding your pets Patrick Mares-Ziehmn, DVM, veterinarian at AAHA-accredited Prescott Animal Hospital in Prescott, Ariz., says to spay female cats or dogs when they are to 4 to 6 months old which are before their first heat cycle.

There are medical benefits to doing it this way.

There is a .5% risk of developing mammary tumors, after the first heat cycle that number climbs to 8% and if you wait until after the second heat cycle that number then jumps to a 26% risk.

For dogs, you want to avoid the risk of developing Pyometra which is a life-threatening infection of the uterus. By 4 years old 15.2% of dogs will develop Pyometra and by 10 years old that risk increases to 23% – 24%.

Neutering a dog will basically eliminate prostate issues which can include infection and prostatic hyperplasia, an enlargement of the prostate that will create issues defecating.

“By age 6, 75–80 percent of unaltered male dogs will have benign prostatic hyperplasia, thanks to testosterone,” Mares-Ziehmn says. “By age 9, it’s 95–100 percent. If you neuter them, you take that [risk] off the table.”

Ideally, all animals will be spayed or neutered by 8 weeks of age; it is a simple enough procedure that can be performed on kittens and puppies so early.

With all the benefits of spaying and neutering, including population control, it is no wonder why there is so much support for spaying and neutering our furry loved ones.

At Powell Veterinary Service, we offer spaying and neutering as a service for your pet dogs or cats, especially when they are young. Learn more or schedule an appointment by calling 970-352-9164 today!

The post When Is The Right Time To Spay Or Neuter Your Pets? first appeared on Powell Veterinary Service.

Wailani Sung of Psychology Today writes, “Think of what we put our pets through when we take them to the veterinarian. The only time our pets see the veterinarian is when they need their vaccinations or when they are not feeling well. They may initially be eager to explore a new place and get attention. Then suddenly they are firmly held and poked in the rear with an intrusive object. Just as they have gotten over that insult, ouch, they get poked with one or more sharp needles. Then they are ushered out and won’t see the inside of the veterinary clinic until one year later.”

Of course, your pet might get all jittery and nervous when they think you’re taking them to a vet – just look at what they go through. We have to put ourselves in their paws for a moment. If going to the doctor was as rigorous as what our pets through, we wouldn’t be too keen on doctor day – some of us might even exhibit abnormal aggression, similar to pets. It’s all about the psychology of the matter, because really, nobody wants a stranger to poke him or her with things. Our pets are the same way. Some are hoping to remedy this problem and there is a movement going on in the veterinarian industry with the aim to make the vet experience an easier one on our pets and, by extension, us. It is being called the fear-free movement.

Sue Manning of The Columbus Dispatch writes, “The fear-free movement aims to eliminate elements in a vet’s office that bother dogs and cats – such as white lab coats; harsh lights; and slippery, cold exam tables – and to add elements they like. A fear-free clinic, for example, “will have a big treat budget,” said Dr. Marty Becker, the initiative’s main cheerleader and the vet chosen to introduce it to the country.”

Making life a little more pleasant for our pets is something we can all get behind and the fear-free movement is picking up steam across the country, with an estimated 50 practices now considered fear-free. That number is only expected to grow in the next few years.

The post What Is the Fear-Free Movement? first appeared on Powell Veterinary Service.