CATHY KRZECZKOWSKI
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
01-14-1999
IN TERMS OF A DOG'S HEALTH, IT'S THE KINDEST CUT OF ALL
By CATHY KRZECZKOWSKI
Date: 01-14-1999, Thursday
Section: LIFESTYLE
Edition: All Editions -- 2 Star B, 2 Star P, 1 Star Early
Column: PET Q & A
Q. I have a 7-month-old German shepherd-golden retriever mix. I'm in a
debate with my sons over whether to have him neutered. My sons are
against it, but I'd like to have it done.
I don't plan on breeding him, so I figured, why not? My sons'
reasons are purely from a male perspective. I can respect that, but if
that's the only reason, then I don't see that as being a good enough
reason not to have the dog neutered. Any suggestions?
Jackie Garner
Houston
A. An article that reported on the neutering of Buddy, the president's
dog, last year quoted Roger Caras, the president of the American Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, who said, 'This simple action
by the president and his family helps send a message to the rest of
America that spaying or neutering your companion animal should be a
standard procedure in every household.'
Why? For the prevention of cancer, for one thing.
'Neutering a dog will prevent any prostate problems in general, and
cancer in particular,' says Dr. Adel A. Hamdan, a veterinarian at the
Totowa Animal Hospital. 'Also, there will be no problems with tumors in
the testicles, because there will be no testicles.'
Hamdan also said that male-related hormones can cause some
non-neutered dogs to get tumors around the anus and on the tail.
Hamdan said that neutering will not only decrease the number of
unwanted animals in the world, it will decrease the chances your dog
will jump over the fence or dig a hole in your yard and run down the
street to a female dog that's in heat -- and possibly get hit by a car in
the process. 'Plus, they can get into fights with other animals, and
that carries with it the threat of rabies,' he said.
Dr. Leslie Sinclair, the director of Companion Animal Veterinary
Issues for the Humane Society of the United States in Washington, D.C.,
says she sympathizes with pet owners who question whether they should
neuter or spay their pets.
'I get asked this quite frequently, and it's a tough question to
answer because it's only natural that a lot of owners' psyches are tied
up with their pets,' she says. 'Basically, we have to persuade the owner
that the dog is a member of their family, and they have to do what's
best for it, despite their confusion on how neutering may affect the
dog's masculinity.'
Sinclair says she usually tells the male owner not only about the
diseases that neutering will prevent, but that neutering will also make
the dog less interested in his sexual instinct and more interested in
just being a member of the family.
'Another really important reason to neuter is that a neutered dog
is three times less likely to bite,' Sinclair said. 'And in some cases,
depending on the laws, if it bites more than once, it may be taken away
and euthanized. That's not something you would want to happen to you
best friend, is it?'
Is there a downside to neutering? Hamdan says that some dogs tend
to get a little lazy -- and a little overweight -- because they aren't
roaming the neighborhood.
'If the owner doesn't exercise the dog more, or pay attention to
how much food it's consuming, of course the pet will gain weight,' he
said.
In the bigger picture, neutering can help reduce the animal
overpopulation. Currently, 30 to 60 percent of the 8 to 12 million
animals that enter shelters each year will be euthanized -- a sobering
fact from the Humane Society.
Letters should be sent to Pet Q&A, The Record, 1350 Route 23, Wayne,
N.J. 07470. Send e-mail to Cathy Krzeczkowski at newsroom {AT}
bergen.com, or fax questions to (973) 628-6141. Answers will appear only
in this column.
Keywords: ANIMAL. HEALTH
Copyright 1999 Bergen Record Corp. All rights reserved.
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
01-14-1999
IN TERMS OF A DOG'S HEALTH, IT'S THE KINDEST CUT OF ALL
By CATHY KRZECZKOWSKI
Date: 01-14-1999, Thursday
Section: LIFESTYLE
Edition: All Editions -- 2 Star B, 2 Star P, 1 Star Early
Column: PET Q & A
Q. I have a 7-month-old German shepherd-golden retriever mix. I'm in a
debate with my sons over whether to have him neutered. My sons are
against it, but I'd like to have it done.
I don't plan on breeding him, so I figured, why not? My sons'
reasons are purely from a male perspective. I can respect that, but if
that's the only reason, then I don't see that as being a good enough
reason not to have the dog neutered. Any suggestions?
Jackie Garner
Houston
A. An article that reported on the neutering of Buddy, the president's
dog, last year quoted Roger Caras, the president of the American Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, who said, 'This simple action
by the president and his family helps send a message to the rest of
America that spaying or neutering your companion animal should be a
standard procedure in every household.'
Why? For the prevention of cancer, for one thing.
'Neutering a dog will prevent any prostate problems in general, and
cancer in particular,' says Dr. Adel A. Hamdan, a veterinarian at the
Totowa Animal Hospital. 'Also, there will be no problems with tumors in
the testicles, because there will be no testicles.'
Hamdan also said that male-related hormones can cause some
non-neutered dogs to get tumors around the anus and on the tail.
Hamdan said that neutering will not only decrease the number of
unwanted animals in the world, it will decrease the chances your dog
will jump over the fence or dig a hole in your yard and run down the
street to a female dog that's in heat -- and possibly get hit by a car in
the process. 'Plus, they can get into fights with other animals, and
that carries with it the threat of rabies,' he said.
Dr. Leslie Sinclair, the director of Companion Animal Veterinary
Issues for the Humane Society of the United States in Washington, D.C.,
says she sympathizes with pet owners who question whether they should
neuter or spay their pets.
'I get asked this quite frequently, and it's a tough question to
answer because it's only natural that a lot of owners' psyches are tied
up with their pets,' she says. 'Basically, we have to persuade the owner
that the dog is a member of their family, and they have to do what's
best for it, despite their confusion on how neutering may affect the
dog's masculinity.'
Sinclair says she usually tells the male owner not only about the
diseases that neutering will prevent, but that neutering will also make
the dog less interested in his sexual instinct and more interested in
just being a member of the family.
'Another really important reason to neuter is that a neutered dog
is three times less likely to bite,' Sinclair said. 'And in some cases,
depending on the laws, if it bites more than once, it may be taken away
and euthanized. That's not something you would want to happen to you
best friend, is it?'
Is there a downside to neutering? Hamdan says that some dogs tend
to get a little lazy -- and a little overweight -- because they aren't
roaming the neighborhood.
'If the owner doesn't exercise the dog more, or pay attention to
how much food it's consuming, of course the pet will gain weight,' he
said.
In the bigger picture, neutering can help reduce the animal
overpopulation. Currently, 30 to 60 percent of the 8 to 12 million
animals that enter shelters each year will be euthanized -- a sobering
fact from the Humane Society.
Letters should be sent to Pet Q&A, The Record, 1350 Route 23, Wayne,
N.J. 07470. Send e-mail to Cathy Krzeczkowski at newsroom {AT}
bergen.com, or fax questions to (973) 628-6141. Answers will appear only
in this column.
Keywords: ANIMAL. HEALTH
Copyright 1999 Bergen Record Corp. All rights reserved.
