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GROTON CITY ANIMAL HOSPITAL

"Caring For Pets And Their People"
Providing Care For Horses, Alpacas, Llamas, Goats, Sheep, Dogs, Cats & Pocket Pets

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WHY SPAY? There are many medical and behavioral benefits to having your female cat or dog spayed:

CONVENIENCE TO OWNER
Eliminates the scent that attracts annoying males.
No need to confine your female while in heat.
Eliminates the frantic pacing and crying by the female while in heat (cats are especially vocal at that time)
BETTER HEALTH FOR YOUR PET
Eliminates all the problems and potential risks involved in pregnancy and birth
Eliminates the common problem of cancer of the reproductive organs as the pet gets older. Females spayed before their first heat cycle reduce the chance of mammary cancer (breast cancer) to zero percent.
HELPS DECREASE THE OVERPOPULATION PROBLEM
By not bringing more unwanted puppies and kittens into the world.
Rids you of the worry of what to do with unplanned litters of puppies or kittens.
ELIMINATES SEXUAL FRUSTRATION
Decreases your pet’s desire to roam and search for a mate decreasing the problems involved with a free-roaming animal (car accidents etc.).
Lets your pet relax and enjoy being part of the family.

MYTHS

Spaying will make my pet fat.
**Spaying your pet will not make her fat and lazy. Too much food and not enough exercise are the main causes of obesity.
She should have one litter first.
**It is actually better for her NOT to have a heat or a litter before being spayed.
**We regularly perform spays on animals as young as 4 months and suggest that animals are spayed before 6 months of age.
Spaying will hurt her.
**Spaying is a safe and a relatively painless operation done by a licensed veterinarian. Pain medications play a role in all of our surgical procedures.
I will find homes for my puppies or kittens.
**You may be able to place your puppies or kittens, but are they good homes? And remember each time you place a puppy or kitten somewhere else, an animal is being killed because there is no home for him. Right now in the United States 15 million animals are euthanized each year.

WHY NEUTER? There are many medical and behavioral benefits to having your male cat or dog neutered:

CONVENIENCE TO OWNER
Usually stops tomcats from spraying foul-smelling urine in the house.
Reduces the annoying and embarrassing urge of male dogs to "mount" children and adult legs.
Reduces aggression against other animals.
BETTER HEALTH FOR YOUR PET
Eliminates your pet’s desire to seek out a female and reduces the risks involved with a free-roaming animal (car accidents, etc). Reduces the risk of prostate and testicular cancers and problems in later life.
HELPS DECREASE THE OVERPOPULATION PROBLEM
One male dog or cat running loose for just a few hours can impregnate many females, adding to the serious problem of unwanted puppies and kittens.
ELIMINATES SEXUAL FRUSTRATION
A male sensing a female in heat is nearby can break down doors and jump fences in his desire to mate.
Lets your pet relax and enjoy being part of the family.

MYTHS

Neutering will make my pet fat.
**Neutering your pet will not make him fat and lazy. Too much food and not enough exercise are the main causes of obesity.
Neutering will take away the "guard dog" instincts.
**Neutering a dog does not reduce his ability as either a guard or watch dog. He can still be as protective of his territory as he was before surgery.
Neutering will hurt him
**Neutering is a safe and relatively painless operation done by a licensed veterinarian. Pain medications play a role in all of our surgical procedures.

PET OVERPOPULATION - THE FIGURES AN ESTIMATED 52 MILLION DOGS AND CATS AND 57 MILLION CATS LIVE WITH U.S. FAMILIES. FOR EVERY HUMAN BORN, 7 PUPPIES AND KITTENS ARE BORN. ONE FEMALE CAT AND HER OFFSPRING CAN PRODUCE 420,000 CATS IN 7 YEARS. MORE THAN 12 MILLION DOGS AND CATS ARE EUTHANIZED IN SHELTERS EACH YEAR. MILLIONS ARE ABANDONED IN BOTH RURAL AND URBAN AREAS. APPROXIMATELY 61% OF ALL DOGS ENTERING SHELTERS ARE KILLED. APPROXIMATELY 75% OF ALL CATS ENTERING SHELTERS ARE KILLED.