Page Title

Some say that by altering the dog, you are going to change the dog-
this is not true. Some dogs tend to mellow out a tad, and this may
cause weight gain- you can prevent this by giving more exercise to
the dog. The surgery to alter the dog is very common, and there is
little risk involved to the dog. There is more risk of your dog getting
cancer from not being altered than there is with the surgery.

Another myth is that it's best to let your female have at least
one litter before you spay her. There is no need for this at all.
Having a litter only makes more dogs, which will need homes.
A female who has had a litter of pups prior to being spayed isn't
going to make things better for her. You also have to take into
account the risk of complications during her pregnancy, and
delivery. Not all dogs can have the puppies on their own- they
require a human to be there to help them, cut the cord, etc., and
that requires either a vet or someone who is very knowledgeable in
whelping a litter. Sometimes puppies won't nurse, and have to be
tube fed every couple of hours- tube feeding requires you to put a
tube down the puppies throat and administer food through a
syringe- not an easy task.

Females go into "season" every six to eight months, and the season
lasts for over 14 days. When a female is in season they have a
bloody discharge which will be on your carpet, furniture and bed.
You can purchase diapers for her, but a lot of dogs will chew them
off due to discomfort.

Spaying the dog will prevent all of this. If you have a male, you
should neuter to prevent testicular cancer and help prevent the
dog from running off to mate- males can smell a female in heat
from great distances, and will wander off to find her.

If you cannot afford to spay or neuter your dog, contact your local
shelter. Most of them offer coupons to get your dog altered at a
discounted rate, or even for free. If you get a dog from a shelter,
most will either be already altered, or will give you a voucher to
have them neutered for free when they turn six months old.

one), and they charge you a high fee to get the pets license. In
one), and they charge you a high fee to get the pets license. In
some cities it's $100 or more, per year. To license an altered dog,
the fee is only a few dollars per year..

HELPFUL INFORMATION