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The number of dogs and cats in Kenya, whether owned or stray, is presently unknown. Looking around our neighbourhoods, it is easy to see how the animals suffer through hunger, disease and abuse due to uncontrolled breeding and abandonment.

As a pet owner, it is prudent to be conscious of the number of animals under your care. Since pets mate to breed, if left unattended, their numbers can easily run out of control.

But what is spaying and neutering?

Spaying consists of removing the females uterus and the ovaries. Neutering involves removal of the males testicles. Sterilisation, fixing or altering are terms also used. This surgical procedure should be done by a qualified veterinary surgeon to guarantee its success.

Why spay or neuter?

Spaying and neutering your pet prevents unwanted litters, helps protect against some serious health problems, and may reduce many of the behavioural problems associated with the mating instinct.

Removing a female dog or cats ovaries eliminates heat cycles and generally reduces the unwanted behaviors that may frustrate you. Removing the testes from male dogs and cats reduces the breeding instinct, making them less inclined to roam and more content to stay at home.

You will really be happy that you have only one animal to feed instead of six every six months for dogs and every four months for cats. Imagine the stress of rehoming so many little ones? Most people cannot do so and thus the babies end up on the street where they are likely to die soon.

Early spaying of female dogs and cats can help protect them from some serious health problems later in life such as uterine infections and mammary cancer. Neutering your male pet can also lessen its risk of developing enlarged prostate gland and testicular cancer.

The procedure has no effect on a pets intelligence or ability to learn, play, work or hunt. Some pets tend to be better behaved following surgical removal of their ovaries or testes, making them more desirable companions.

It is easy to blame the strays or the neighbours' male pet. But lets start with your own animals. It is often surprising how clever pets are when the hormones are raging: they escape climbing walls, breaking through or digging under fences. It is easily prevented: just neuter or spay your pet as soon as age allows. Spay or neuter your cat around 4 months and your dog around 8 months of age.

What are the risks of spaying and neutering?

Although reproductive hormones cause mating behaviours that may be undesirable for many pet owners, these hormones also affect your pets overall health and can be beneficial. Removing your pets ovaries or testes removes these hormones and can result in increased risk of health problems such as urinary incontinence.

While both spaying and neutering are major surgical procedures, they are also the most common surgeries performed by vets on cats and dogs. Like any surgical procedure, sterilisation is associated with some anaesthetic and surgical risk, but the overall incidence of complications is very low.

Read the rest here:
Using Spaying to control pet population - The Standard