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SoCalyorkiLvr · 11-23-2005, 08:47 PM

I know this isn't the common opinion among the members of this board but I am against routine spaying and neutering unless there is a good reason to do so. I believe and so does my vet, that all pets should keep their "parts" unless there is a good reason for them not to that is in their best interests and not those of the owners and/or society. I am a big advocate of animal rights and believe that unnecessary altering is not a good thing.

There are many websites you can go to to read more about this but I have not altered my two females who are 2.5 and 3.5 lbs because I think the risks of this painful and invasive surgery are not worth the benefits. These are the things that every pet owner must determine for their pet after fully educating themselves about the subject. You will meet many yorkie owners who have come to the same conclusion I have especially those with smaller yorkies.

My 3.5 lber has had one heat and it was no big deal, not a lot of mess and I just kept panties on her and restricted her to the house during that time to avoid any potential of unwanted pregnancy. My male came to me alrealy neutered. I feel that the risk of pregnancy for a small house dog like a yorkie is almost nil which makes the arguments about pet over population not really apply for responsible yorkie owners who always know where their yorkie is. In other words, they do not roam the neighborhood freely and are not even outside unsupervised where another dog may accidentally get to them.

The arguments that it is healthier for the pet to be altered are not convincing for me as there are also cancers which occur at greater percentages in altered dogs as well as other maladies and again, for me, the high surgical risk does not outweigh the potential for one of these diseases occurring later in life.

You can go to www.neutering.org to learn more.

If money is an issue for you, then save the spay money until you know for sure that spaying is in your baby's best interests and not just being done because your vet and the humane society say it is what is best for society. Decide for yourself what is best for your baby. No one should judge you either way.

If you do decide to spay, look into the newest and least invasive procedures. There is a laporoscopy surgery now where they go through the belly button, their is tubal ligation where they cannot become pregnant but they keep all their organs and still have the normal healthy hormones operating,there is laser surgery where the surgery is faster and the time under anesthesia is less. The low cost spay and neuter clinics do not always do the necessary blood work or spend quality time with your baby. They save costs by having the doctor perform the surgery and monitor the vitals and the anesthesia and they don't always give pain meds. Your baby deserves the very best and that means at least two people during the surgery so that the vitals are closely monitored but seconds count in these situations. You want a doctor who is familiar with small breeds and one who is compassionate and won't think it is okay if your baby suffers through the pain to save some money on pain meds.

Obviously, these are just my thoughts and opinions and you must ultimately decide what is best for you and your little one. I will not judge you whatever you decide because only you know best. Good luck.

11-23-2005, 08:47 PM	#16
SoCalyorkiLvr BANNED! Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 8,246	I know this isn't the common opinion among the members of this board but I am against routine spaying and neutering unless there is a good reason to do so. I believe and so does my vet, that all pets should keep their "parts" unless there is a good reason for them not to that is in their best interests and not those of the owners and/or society. I am a big advocate of animal rights and believe that unnecessary altering is not a good thing. There are many websites you can go to to read more about this but I have not altered my two females who are 2.5 and 3.5 lbs because I think the risks of this painful and invasive surgery are not worth the benefits. These are the things that every pet owner must determine for their pet after fully educating themselves about the subject. You will meet many yorkie owners who have come to the same conclusion I have especially those with smaller yorkies. My 3.5 lber has had one heat and it was no big deal, not a lot of mess and I just kept panties on her and restricted her to the house during that time to avoid any potential of unwanted pregnancy. My male came to me alrealy neutered. I feel that the risk of pregnancy for a small house dog like a yorkie is almost nil which makes the arguments about pet over population not really apply for responsible yorkie owners who always know where their yorkie is. In other words, they do not roam the neighborhood freely and are not even outside unsupervised where another dog may accidentally get to them. The arguments that it is healthier for the pet to be altered are not convincing for me as there are also cancers which occur at greater percentages in altered dogs as well as other maladies and again, for me, the high surgical risk does not outweigh the potential for one of these diseases occurring later in life. You can go to www.neutering.org to learn more. If money is an issue for you, then save the spay money until you know for sure that spaying is in your baby's best interests and not just being done because your vet and the humane society say it is what is best for society. Decide for yourself what is best for your baby. No one should judge you either way. If you do decide to spay, look into the newest and least invasive procedures. There is a laporoscopy surgery now where they go through the belly button, their is tubal ligation where they cannot become pregnant but they keep all their organs and still have the normal healthy hormones operating,there is laser surgery where the surgery is faster and the time under anesthesia is less. The low cost spay and neuter clinics do not always do the necessary blood work or spend quality time with your baby. They save costs by having the doctor perform the surgery and monitor the vitals and the anesthesia and they don't always give pain meds. Your baby deserves the very best and that means at least two people during the surgery so that the vitals are closely monitored but seconds count in these situations. You want a doctor who is familiar with small breeds and one who is compassionate and won't think it is okay if your baby suffers through the pain to save some money on pain meds. Obviously, these are just my thoughts and opinions and you must ultimately decide what is best for you and your little one. I will not judge you whatever you decide because only you know best. Good luck.