A brief history of pet sterilization
The 1940s
Prior to the 1940s, veterinarians did not routinely spay and neuter dogs and cats, except in large cities. Urban owners were fed up with the constant heat and littering of their dogs and cats and were desperate for a once and for all solution. The advent of sodium pentobarbital anesthetic was a boon, and with the advent of this new anesthetic, spaying and neutering became much more feasible, and there was finally a solution to the endless heat and the vast number of puppies and cats.
The 1950s
As the world recovered and rebuilt from the end of World War II, the humanitarian movement that took off in the 1950s also turned its attention to pet sterilization. It was at this time that pet sterilization took a turn for the worse, no longer a mere personal choice, but rather a “civic duty. “Have a pet? Then you must have him/her spayed or neutered.” The main driving force behind this shift was the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) – remember this name, as these organizations will be mentioned below.
The mid-1960s
Free spay/neuter surgeries and spay/neuter subsidies swept across the United States, starting with the ASPCA. It was during this period that a number of humane organizations across the United States began to publicly resist and ban the adoption of unspayed vagrants.
The 1970s and 1980s
Since 1975, the Maryland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has led the way in de-sexing young stray dogs and cats, something most veterinarians would not have done until then. The Society did this to comply with the rule that if they were not neutered, they could not be adopted. So they started performing one-size-fits-all de-sexing regardless of the age of the animal, whether it was an adult or not.
Funnily enough, I (the author, Dr. Haines) was one of their veterinarians at the time. I was involved in this type of surgery and even replicated an identical de-sexing program in 1981 in San Antonio, Texas, for underage stray dogs and cats.
Faced with the plight of a large number of innocent stray animals that were not adopted and had to be euthanized, I hope you can understand that this type of policy was implemented purely out of good intentions. The few animal shelters were almost overwhelmed with kittens and puppies, and the products of these unwanted pregnancies were often unadopted and eventually died. Veterinarians are thinking, “If every pet were spayed or neutered, there wouldn’t be so many unnecessary tragedies.
Full-time veterinarians began to move into stray animal shelters to spay and neuter young stray dogs and cats. Gradually, these stray shelter veterinarians formed their own organizations and even funded publications.
The resident veterinarians at stray animal shelters began to coalesce into a force to be reckoned with, and they are strong supporters of de-sexing young dogs and cats, and have even been recognized by the American Animal Medical Association AVMA.
Neutering minors: When habit becomes regulation
Early spaying and neutering of underage pets is slowly becoming the “rule”. Although some practicing veterinarians have questioned it, this group’s voice has been overshadowed by the fragmentation of the practicing veterinary staff.
Here I need to explain to you, the reader, what many of the rules and regulations are about. These include spaying and neutering at an early age, frequent vaccinations, etc. The subject of these policies, and their implementation, is not the practicing veterinarian. In the case of the American Veterinary Medical Association AVMA, for example, veterinarians who do not practice clinically often hold great power and have disproportionately great influence, and their views prevail, creating policies that often influence state lawmaking and federal regulations at various levels, and greatly influence public opinion.
Underage sterilization: more than rules, more than preferences
There are doctors who like to spay and neuter underage dogs and cats for reasons that are not really that complicated, simply just: it’s better to do it.
There are a number of very pragmatic reasons for this.
1. The reproductive system of immature pets is less likely to bleed profusely, and even some young pets do not need internal stitches when they are neutered.
2. The less fatty tissue in immature pets makes surgery and suturing much less of an obstacle
3. Wound healing is extremely fast in young pets, with the incision healing completely in as little as five days.
4. Early de-sexing of young pets can avoid the dilemma of not being able to de-sex during estrus. Female cats/dogs in heat can bleed profusely during surgery and the procedure is extremely difficult.
5. Compared to the labor and equipment required to operate on adult cats and dogs, it is less labor intensive and less tiring to operate on young pets.
Many doctors really don’t know the disadvantages of neutering at a young age, they just want to do it early to save the trouble that may arise later.
But do these reasons have anything to do with the long-term health of your pet? Not necessarily.
Disadvantages of spaying and neutering
Abnormal bone structure
Spaying or neutering a pet too early can cause a number of problems, and bones are one of them. As the animal grows, hormones secreted by the reproductive system are involved in determining the length and shape of the bones. This abnormal development causes the bones and ligaments to deviate from nature’s blueprint and to move more abnormally and fall more easily. This puts the dog’s knees at serious risk.
Diabetes
There is a clear trend toward obesity in spayed and neutered animals. Obesity increases the prevalence of diabetes extremely dramatically.
Obesity
There is no doubt that spayed and neutered pets are more likely to gain weight. In particular, neutering before the first heat increases the chances of obesity after neutering.
Spaying and neutering does not necessarily make dogs and cats live longer, it’s just what someone wants you to think.
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