By allowing your pet to give birth, you are contributing to pet overpopulation. Explain to your children that preventing the birth of some pets can save the lives of others and consider fostering a pregnant animal from a shelter or rescue group if you still feel they need to see the “miracle of birth.”
The PAWS Clinic will spay/neuter puppies and kittens when they’re 8 weeks old and at least 2 lbs. Young puppies and kittens bounce back from spay/neuter surgery very quickly! Pediatric spay/neuter (spaying or neutering your pet when he or she is younger than four months) is safe and is less stressful on the animal than waiting until he’s older.
Until pet overpopulation is reduced to a point where animal shelters and rescue groups can handle the number of homeless, incoming animals without having to euthanize for space, we believe it is more humane to spay the pregnant pet than it is to contribute to pet overpopulation where that future litter could potentially live life on the streets as homeless pets, and will displace another pet who is waiting for a home. We look forward to the day when this is no longer necessary and we are working hard to achieve this with every spay/neuter we do.
Spaying/ neutering does not affect a pet’s natural instinct to protect the home and the family, and pets don’t have any concept of sexual identity or ego. A pet’s personality is formed more by genetics and his environment than by sex hormones so neutering will not change a pet’s basic personality or make him suffer any kind of emotional reaction or identity crisis.
A dog or cat may be a great pet and family member, but that doesn’t mean his/her offspring will be a carbon copy! Professional animal breeders who follow generations of bloodlines can’t guarantee they will get just what they want out of a particular litter. A pet owner’s chances are even slimmer. In fact, an entire litter of puppies or kittens might get all of a pet’s (and/or her mate’s) worst characteristics!
Myra Arthur is passionate about San Antonio and sharing its stories. She graduated high school in the Alamo City and always wanted to anchor and report in her hometown. Myra anchors KSAT News at 6:00 p.m. and hosts and reports for the streaming show, KSAT Explains. She joined KSAT in 2012 after anchoring and reporting in Waco and Corpus Christi.
“The vet has the say-so as to whether the animal is or is not medically viable to be sterilized — even if the animal is pregnant,” Norwood said. “So in this particular case, this dog was medically able to be sterilized, so in fitting with policy and state law, she was.”
“San Antonio has a huge overpopulation issue and, quite frankly, we have so many hundreds of pets here that are not pregnant and that puppies that are already born that are also in need of rescue,” added Norwood. “If we can keep that many more dogs from being born and being off the streets, then thats something were going to do.”
Even in these days of routine, early spay and neuter, every now and then pet owners can still find themselves in the uncomfortable situation of having a female dog or cat that goes into heat under circumstances that might result in an unwanted pregnancy. This situation brings up a lot of questions about what actions are possible and what interventions are appropriate either personally or medically.
[Editor’s Note: Cats can become pregnant when they are only four months old; if you’re not a breeder you should set up a spay appointment with your veterinarian as soon as possible.] Let me start by stating that the purpose of this article is to provide general medical information and not moral guidance. In addition, any choices you make (even if you decide to let your pet have a litter) should be supervised and directed by your veterinarian. Your vet knows you and your pet and can better tailor any recommendations for the best possible outcome.
Furthermore, there is no point in compounding one mistake by putting your pet at any unnecessary risk. Is it too late to spay? We will first work under the assumption that you do not want puppies or kittens — not now, not later. Regardless of whether you saw your female being bred by a male or you simply suspect she might have been, it may not be too late to spay. Wait until she is finished with her heat cycle and then have her spayed as soon thereafter as your veterinarian wants to schedule the surgery. Spaying your pet early in a pregnancy is not significantly more difficult or risky than spaying her without pregnancy. If you wait, however, and do the surgery later, it definitely does become harder for everyone involved including your dog or cat. What are other options to terminate pregnancy? If you absolutely want to try and retain the breeding integrity of your dog or cat, surgical sterilization is not an option; however, medical intervention is still an option. Before any type of medical abortion is attempted, the first step is to be sure that your pet is actually pregnant. Your veterinarian can confirm a pregnancy via ultrasound about 15-30 days after breeding. Alternatively, radiographs can diagnose a pregnancy about 35-45 days after breeding. If your pet is in fact pregnant, then your veterinarian can discuss your medical options with you. There are several effective abortion-inducing drugs for dogs (and a few for cats) but they all differ in cost, efficacy, side effects and risk. Only your veterinarian should be administering these drugs to your pet. [Editor’s Note: If you are interested in breeding your dog, click here to make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons>] Finally, and this cannot be stressed enough—no attempts to induce abortion in your pets should be made without the counsel, direction and careful oversight of your veterinarian.
How to terminate an unwanted dog pregnancy
Whether you have a kitten or puppy or have a newly adopted pet, it is important to make sure he or she is spayed or neutered. Veterinarians recommend having your pet spayed or neutered as a safe and effective way to eliminate negative habits and promote the long healthy life of your pet. Our team at Mediapolis Veterinary Clinic is here to help your pet throughout the process.
Spaying (for females) or neutering (for males) means removing all or part of an animal’s reproductive organs. This can be performed as a routine surgery or laparoscopically at our clinic. In females, this means removing the ovaries as well.
Neutering or spaying your pet early is the best way to get the maximum benefit. That means before the pet has gone through their first heat cycle. Pets can be neutered or spayed as young as 8 weeks old, but before 5 months of age is recommended. However, larger breeds may need to wait longer to properly develop before being spayed or neutered. It is important to consult our staff to find the best time for your pet to have the surgery.