Spay/Neuter Clinic

This weekend, I got to take part a small part in the spay/neuter clinic which I was thrilled about! These clinics offer low-cost surgical sterilizations for cats. In addition to taking part in the lab, I enjoy taking part in events like this no matter my involvement because I realize the pet overpopulation problem. Spaying and neutering your pets can help contribute to the reduction of homeless pets! Needless to say, I was pleased to go in early that morning (even after daylight's savings!) and help out in any way I was needed. The day started off with some paperwork and computer entries but then I went down to the surgery suite and helped pull up some medication and vaccines for post-operative care. I caught a couple glimpses of what the veternarian and vet students were doing. I think that when it comes to veterinary medicine, the part I'm most intrigued about is any surgical process. I saw them anesthesize, intubate, shave, and scrub the cats. I didn't get to physically do anything, but just being in the same room and witnessing a few steps of the procedure was exciting for me! I've seen both spays and neuters before, so it wasn't brand new to me, but like I said, surgery intrigues me! 


Cats and dogs can be spayed as young as two months old when they are at least two pounds. It's medcially important to spay/neuter at such a young age in order to reduce disease that can occur because of the prescence of the reproductive organs. Although the word neuter can be a general term for both sexes being surgically sterilized, neutering relates to a male having both testicles removed. This process makes the male unable to impregnate another animal. Spaying, on the other hand, refers to when a female has both ovaries and uterus removed, therefore leaving them unable to become pregnant or carry any young. The spay process is a bit more intrusive than a neuter because you have to actually open up the lower abdomen to remove the sexual organs whereas the neutering process occurs only on the testicles. There are many benefits to spaying/neutering pets other than reducing the pet overpopulation. Since these organs are removed it eliminates the risk of getting ovarian/testicular cancer. In females, mammary diseases and tumors are greatly reduced because hormones from the sex organs are removed that stimulate the mammary glands to grow/lactate. In males, neutering can help to reduce the aggression that your pet may have. Although there is no direct relationship between testosterone and aggression, an overwhelming amount of people notice that neutering helps to reduce it. 


There are millions of animals that go in to shelters each year and it all comes down to just not having enough people to take care of them all. Pet overpopulation is a growing problem and one way that we as animal care-takers can fight back is by neutering our pets so they don't produce unwanted litters. We can also spread the word of spaying/neutering by educating others on the many benefits and pet overpopulation! I learn about a lot of these things in class and read about them on the internet. It's not until I get to be up close and personal that I fully understand the importance of following through with procedures such as these. By being in the shelter on a regular basis I've gainted a true appreciation for what is done and what I get to be a part of.