There will always be a need for vets. That idea, plus my huge love of animals, has led me down the path of becoming a veterinarian. I have not graduated from my course yet, but the reason behind this blog is to share my learning journey. I intend to write blog posts on subjects like the veterinarian education path, my thoughts on whether to be a general or specialist vet and how I wish to use alternative treatments like acupuncture in my practice. If you too have a love of animals and want to make this your job, then my blog will be interesting to you.
Lesser-Known Benefits of Early-Age Pet Desexing
In the good old days, vets performed desexing procedures on pets after reaching six years. Back then, pet owners believed that desexing puppies and kittens at an early age was unsafe. However, the perspective changed with the introduction of early-age desexing. It was apparent that puppies and kittens as young as 8 weeks old could respond well to desexing. Since then, pet shelters and some veterinary clinics have been performing early-age desexing due to its significant benefits on young pets. Here are some of the lesser-known benefits of early-age pet desexing.
Reduce Vet Bills/Litigations
As much as you might consider pets part of your family, they are still animals with animalistic behaviours. For instance, aggression is part of a dog's nature, and it can become violent when you least expect it regardless of how early you start to train them. Notably, it usually happens on naturally aggressive breeds, such as pit bulls and Dobermans. Even at one year old, naturally aggressive pets can inflict severe bites on strangers and other pets, and you have to deal with vet bills and, in some cases, lawsuits. Early-age desexing eliminates such issues because the procedure nips a pet's aggression while still very young. Therefore, it means you can walk with your pet outside without worrying about fights and injuries.
Improved Family Friendliness
The puppy or kitten you get from a shelter becomes part of your family; hence, you want to spend as much time as possible with them. However, maintaining such a relationship can be a bit challenging if all your pet can think of is its territory, sex, and raising its offspring. For instance, mature dogs and cats mark their territories around the neighbourhood when they mature and often go out when they sense an intruder. Similarly, if a pet is in heat, they spend more time outdoors than indoors, limiting the amount of time you spend together. Early-age desexing ensures that you build a relationship with your pet from the onset since they grow without hormone-related distractions.
Reduced Time at a Shelter
Animal shelters try to keep pets as comfortable as possible, but the environment is quite different from a home setting. Therefore, when a puppy or kitten spends much of its early life at a shelter, transitioning to a new home can be tricky. In fact, there have been cases where dogs have left their adoptive home and gone back to the animal shelter they grew up in. Early-age desexing prevents such scenarios since desexed puppies and kittens have all the positive behaviours pet lovers look for in a pet. Consequently, young pets spend less time in shelters.