Dr. Wes Borgman

As host Bob Barker of The Price is Right is famous for saying, "Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered." But many people have no idea why spaying and neutering also is important for the health of their pet.
Pet overpopulation is a big problem. Every year, millions of unwanted pets are euthanized in the United States. The primary source of these animals is from homes where the pets do not fit in. If we prevent unwanted litters by spaying or neutering and match the right pets to good homes, we can all make a huge impact.

Health concerns abound for pets that have not been spayed or neutered.
Some of these conditions can be deadly. Pyometra is a severe and life-threatening infection of the uterus that occurs in females that repeatedly cycle. Without prompt surgical treatment, this disease will almost always end in death. By performing a spay, we remove the uterus and ovaries, thereby preventing pyometra.
Some dogs have difficulty giving birth. This is called "dystocia" and happens more often with first litters and oversized puppies. If medical treatment is unsuccessful, a C-section may be necessary to allow for delivery. Certain breeds are more prone to dystocia -- especially small breeds that tend to have smaller litter sizes.
By spaying the female dog before the first heat cycle, we can prevent the most common forms of mammary cancer. The benefits decrease 20 percent after the second heat and provide no benefit after subsequent heat cycles. Therefore, it is wise to spay early to prevent this often-deadly problem.
Other health concerns can be avoided or diminished by spaying or neutering. For males, neutering can decrease the incidence of prostate disease and certain types of cancer and prevent the possibility of testicular tumors.
Females benefit additionally from spaying by eliminating the chance of cystic ovaries.

There are some myths out there about spaying and neutering pets. Here are the facts:
Your pet will not get lazy or fat because of the surgery. Diet, exercise and heredity have much more to do with that than the operation does.
The surgery is recommended at 6 months of age but can be done at any age. Therefore, there is no problem with spaying or neutering an adult dog.
Surgery is performed under general anesthesia and in a painless manner. Surgical risk is minimal, and your pet most likely will go home the same day.
All spays and neuters are not the same. Generally, you get what you pay for. If the price is too low, your expectations may not be met.
For a list of questions to ask your provider prior to surgery, check out wesborgman.com/Spay.aspx.
Veterinarians are doing their part to control the pet population by offering spay and neuter surgery sometimes at half the actual cost.
The spay/neuter procedure is major surgery for your pet. The average surgery probably costs less than an automobile tune-up -- not a bad price for a procedure that requires the time of a veterinarian and a surgical technician, sterilized surgical instruments, general anesthesia, drapes, suture material and follow-up medication.
Dr. Wes Borgman is a veterinarian at Kissimmee Animal Hospital.