For the good of your pet, your household, and community: State-of-the-art neutering services in St. Johns, FL

You probably know that spaying and neutering your pet is the “right thing to do” to prevent the heartbreaking situation of too many pets, too few loving homes for them to call their own. However, when you seek out neutering and related sterilization services for your pet at Bluestar Pet Hospital & Grooming in St. Johns, FL, you are also encouraging the long, healthy life of your dog or cat. And you are fostering the most joyful and healthy relationship between you and your fur baby and other members of your household.

A common procedure with many benefits

Hormones are to blame for lots of unsavory mating behaviors. These habits can affect your relationship with your pet and your pet’s relationship with other pets in the household. These reproductive hormones have also been linked to an increased risk of diseases that can directly threaten the health of your pup or cat.

Removal of your pet’s testicles, commonly referred to as “neutering,” is a surgical procedure known as orchiectomy. When the testes are removed from male dogs or cats, they cannot produce more puppies and kittens. This process also reduces or does away with the urge to “act out” on mating behaviors. The American Veterinary Medical Association also characterizes vasectomies as a “surgical alternative” to routine orchiectomies; the vas deferens that transports sperm from the testes is removed. While your dog or cat cannot reproduce, he may still exhibit frustrating or annoying breeding behaviors.

So, while neutering is a major surgery, pet parents and society alike find the considerable value in controlling the pet population and the health and wellness benefits it provides to the maturing pet and household. In turn, sterilization is the most common type of surgery that is performed by veterinarians in the United States.

A note on behavior

The instinct or compulsion to mate can be considerable; male dogs or cats that are “intact,” are more likely to escape from the home and roam, which puts them at great risk of being hit by a car, attacked by wild animals, or other dogs and cats, and other injuries. And, while even neutered males may still mount other pets, removing the testicles does reduce the sexual motivation – especially if the problem is rooted or triggered by a female dog going through her reproductive cycle. Your pet can recognize the scent of a female in heat from many feet away. Additionally, intact pets tend to “mark” around the neighborhood and inappropriately within your living quarters. Neutering can also help to reduce the hormonal-related aggression that may be displayed toward other male pets.

A bite-sized health note

Neutering can also protect your pet from developing serious medical conditions, including an enlarged prostate gland (benign prostatic hyperplasia) and cancers. In fact, testicular tumors account for some 90% of all cancers associated with the male reproductive system. The failure of the testes to descend into the scrotum is considered a major contributing factor (eliminated when the testicle is eliminated). BPH is characterized by bloody urine and discharge, and problems urinating and defecating. It is associated with advancing age and hormonal imbalances. So, again, sterilization plays an important preventive and curative role; partly, to curb recurrence and conditions that might give rise to a cancerous rather than a benign tumor over time.

As with any surgical procedure, there are risks associated with anesthesia and the process itself; however, overall complications are low and are well-managed in our state-of-the-art setting and with our skilled and experienced veterinarians and staff. Also, prior to treatment, our vets will examine your pet to make sure she or he is in good health. Medications are administered to keep your pet as comfortable as possible during surgery. You can help your pet and support uneventful healing by fostering a calm, quiet setting for your pet to relax afterward.

Since pets are generally better behaved, more “trainable,” and usually more content after treatment, you can enjoy the most rewarding relationship with your dog or cat for years to come. Schedule your visit today. Our in-house wellness plans cover many preventive services, including spaying and neutering.

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