Most people can agree that no two pets are alike. Each Fido or Fluffy is a unique animal in personality and health, not to mention the space they take up in their human owners' hearts.
So, it's no surprise that pet owners want to keep their four-pawed family members happy and healthy.
But when it comes to reproductive health, there has been little choice. Spay. Neuter. Or don't.
Until now.
Danielle N. Rastetter, DVM and owner of Pets in Stitches in Miamisburg, offers her canine clients traditional spay and neuter surgeries, as well as new alternative sterilization procedures.
"There is no cookie-cutter approach now," Rastetter said. "It is important to talk to the owner, to assess the risk of the dog breed and what the owner is comfortable with. Owners want options, and it is great to talk through this and offer our guidance."
Traditional spaying removes the ovaries and uterus. After the surgery, female dogs will not go through a heat cycle and cannot get pregnant. Spaying lowers the risk of breast cancer and prevents life-threatening uterine infections.
According to Rastetter, recent studies have shown that for some breeds, like Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Rottweilers, and Vizslas, sex hormones can provide protection from breed-specific diseases and behavioral conditions.
Rastetter offers ovary sparing spay as an alternative to traditional spaying. During this surgery, the veterinarian removes the uterus and cervix, while leaving one or both of the ovaries intact. After the surgery, one ovary still produces hormones. Dogs will go into heat and may be willing to mate, but they will not bleed. The surgery will prevent pregnancy and pyometra, a life-threatening infection in the uterus.
A potential negative for this alternative surgery is that, because the sex hormones remain after surgery, the risk of breast cancer will not decrease. However, ovary sparing spay does cut the risk of ovarian cancer if one ovary is removed.
For male dogs, a doctor will remove the testicles during a traditional neuter. This surgery eliminates the risk of testicular cancers and dramatically decreases prostate diseases. It may decrease roaming and dog-to-dog aggression.
The alternative choice to neutering is a vasectomy. During the vasectomy, a doctor cuts a piece of the spermatic cord to prevent the travel of sperm from the testicles. With this procedure, the dog remains hormonally male and will still want to mate.
In addition to the canine and feline sterilization services, Pets in Stitches also offers traditional spay and neuter for rabbits.
"Thirty percent of female rabbits will develop uterine cancer by the age of three years old. Male rabbits who are not fixed can become very aggressive, even toward their owners," Rastetter said.
It is important that pet owners talk over their options with a veterinarian. There are positives and negatives to both traditional and alternative methods of sterilization, but both will protect animals from diseases and decrease the number of strays.