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Spay vs Neuter: Benefits of Spaying and Neutering Your Pets
Mar 27, 2026
Why Spay and Neuter Your Pets?
For future veterinarians, understanding how to talk about the benefits of spaying and neutering pets with clients is just as important as knowing how to perform spay and neuter procedures. Pet owners may have mixed feelings or concerns about surgery risks and timing or be unsure of long-term effects.
Veterinarians can serve as trusted guides for families and their pets by explaining why spaying and neutering are important, and what pet owners can expect.
Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (Ross Vet) trains future vets to approach this conversation with knowledge, compassion, and confidence. They learn how to help pet owners understand the pros and cons of spaying and neutering pets, and counsel them on the recovery process.
Why Spaying and Neutering Matters
Spaying and neutering are routine veterinary procedures that prevent animals from reproducing. Females are spayed, and males are neutered. These surgeries are widely recommended by veterinarians because they can reduce the risk of certain health issues, influence behavior in positive ways, and help manage the overall pet population.
Pet Overpopulation Prevention
Unplanned litters can quickly overwhelm families and communities alike.
In 2024, 5.8 million animals entered shelters and rescues in the U.S., but only 72% were adopted.
That same year, around 607,000 shelter animals were euthanized, and while that’s a 2% decrease from the previous year, it’s still too many.
Shelters, already stretched thin, face the burden of trying to house and care for these animals. By spaying and neutering, veterinarians help prevent overcrowding and give shelter animals a better chance at adoption.
Long-Term Health Benefits for Pets
Beyond helping manage pet overpopulation, spaying and neutering provide important health benefits. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), spaying significantly lowers the risk of breast cancer in dogs and cats, especially when performed before a female pet reaches 12 months of age. Neutering male pets also offers protection, eliminating the risk of testicular cancer. Both procedures can help reduce the risk of infections and reproductive complications, leading to longer, healthier lives overall.
Improved Behavior
Neutered males are less likely to roam, mark, or get into fights. Spayed females won’t go into heat, which means less stress for both them and their owners. While surgery isn’t a cure-all—training and environment still play significant roles in behavior—it can prevent many of the frustrations that push families to surrender pets.
Are There Risks and Downsides of Spaying and Neutering Your Animals?
Yes. Like all surgeries, there are always risks. These can include:
Adverse Reactions
All surgeries come with some risk of anesthesia reaction, bleeding, or infection. These complications are uncommon, especially in young and otherwise healthy pets, but they are possible. Most pets recover quickly when proper aftercare is followed. Owners should watch for swelling at the incision site, lethargy, loss of appetite, or refusal to eat after surgery and contact their veterinarian if these occur.
Hormonal and Health Changes
Removing an animal’s ovaries or testes eliminates the primary source of reproductive hormones. This loss can bring about several changes in health and behavior such as:
Slowed metabolism and weight gain
Urinary incontinence
An increased risk of certain types of cancer, but a decreased risk of uterine, ovarian, and testicular cancers
A 2023 AVMA study on ovary-sparing spays shows that preserving hormones for longer may help reduce some health risks, which is why some veterinarians are exploring hormone-sparing sterilization alternatives.
Addressing Myths & Misconceptions
Myth 1: Female pets need to have one litter for their health.
Fact: There is no medical benefit to a female animal having a litter before being spayed.
Myth 2: Spaying or neutering will change my pet’s personality.
Fact: Sterilization doesn’t change an animal’s core temperament or their bond with people. It can reduce hormone-driven behaviors like roaming, yowling in heat, or marking.
Myth 3: It’s cruel to take away an animal’s ability to reproduce.
Fact: Reproduction isn’t a life goal for animals the way it may be for some humans. Prioritizing a pet’s health and safety is part of being a responsible pet owner, which can be compatible with a pet being spayed or neutered.
When Is the Best Age to Spay or Neuter?
The best age to spay or neuter a dog or cat varies. The AVMA’s “Spaying and Neutering” pamphlet recommends that:
Cats be spayed or neutered by five months of age.
Dogs only be spayed or neutered after speaking with a veterinarian to decide the right time. This is because their breed, age, sex, personality, role as a service animal or pet, home environment, and health status should all be considered before proceeding with the surgery.
Pet owners should seek personalized veterinary advice on spaying and neutering if they’re considering these procedures for their pets.
What Are the Risks of Spaying or Neutering Too Soon?
According to the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) ”New Study Updates Spay-Neuter Timeline Guidance for Popular Dog Breeds,” spaying or neutering a pet too soon can increase certain health risks, including joint problems like hip dysplasia and cancers like lymphoma and osteosarcoma.
A 2025 study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) also found that labrador retrievers neutered before one year of age were more likely to suffer cruciate ligament rupture compared to those neutered late.
What Are the Alternatives to Traditional Spaying and Neutering?
Hormone-preserving sterilization offers several surgical and non-surgical alternatives to spaying and neutering.
Surgical Alternatives
Vasectomies require cutting or clamping the vas deferens to prevent sperm from leaving the testicles. This procedure is more expensive than simply having a male animal neutered.
Ovary-sparing spays, or a hysterectomy, require removal of the uterus and cervix but allow the ovaries to remain. If the uterus isn’t completely removed, an animal may experience bloody discharge or an infection.
Tubal ligation is a procedure where the uterus remains, but the fallopian tubes are clamped or removed. This is not recommended for dogs since it comes with high risks and costs.
Non-Surgical Alternative
Chemical sterilization is a non-surgical procedure that can be used in place of neutering. It’s minimally invasive and uses calcium chloride sterilant injected into the outer layer of skin on each testicle. It works by removing the testicle’s ability to produce hormones. It requires specialized training to perform correctly, but since there isn’t high demand for this procedure, only a handful of vets in the U.S. offer it.
Surgical vs. Non-Surgical Sterilization Options
Surgical sterilization, including traditional spays and neuters as well as hormone-preserving procedures like ovary-sparing spays or vasectomies, remains the most common and reliable option.
These surgeries are permanent, widely available, and eliminate the risk of uterine, ovarian, or testicular cancers. However, they do require anesthesia and carry small surgical risks. In addition, complete removal of hormone-producing organs may increase the likelihood of weight gain, joint disease, or certain cancers in some breeds. Hormone-sparing surgeries can reduce some of these risks but require specialized training and are less accessible.
Non-surgical alternatives, such as chemical sterilants, offer minimally invasive ways to prevent reproduction while preserving natural hormone levels. This may reduce some health risks linked to early sterilization, and some methods are reversible. Still, non-surgical approaches are not widely available, may be less reliable long term, and do not protect against reproductive cancers since the ovaries or testes remain in place.
What to Expect During Surgery and Recovery
Spay and neuter procedures are routine, but many owners are unsure of what will happen on the day of surgery and how recovery will go. Understanding the procedure itself, including aftercare and costs, helps set realistic expectations and reduces stress for everyone involved.
Steps to Spay and Neuter Procedures
Spaying and neutering are performed under general anesthesia.
In a spay, the ovaries and usually the uterus are removed through a small abdominal incision.
In a neuter, the testicles are removed through an incision near the scrotum.
Both are routine surgeries, and most pets go home the same day.
Recovery and Aftercare
Most pets recover from spay and neuter surgeries in 10 to 14 days. During this time, owners should:
Keep activity restricted—no running, jumping, or rough play.
Check the incision daily for redness, swelling, or discharge.
Use a protective cone or recovery garment to prevent licking or chewing at the incision site.
Give pain medication prescribed by the veterinarian exactly as directed.
Any signs of lethargy, refusal to eat, or worsening swelling should be reported to their veterinarian.
Cost Considerations for Pet Owners
The cost of spay or neuter surgery can vary based on the pet’s size, sex, and age, as well as the region and clinic. In many areas, low-cost spay/neuter programs are offered through humane societies, shelters, or local veterinary partnerships. These programs make the procedures more affordable while still being performed safely by licensed veterinarians.
How Ross Vet Prepares Future Veterinarians
Spay and neuter procedures are an important part of veterinary practice, and Ross Vet ensures students gain hands-on experience, community exposure, and client communication skills that round out their training and prepare them to provide quality care.
Under supervision, students perform spay and neuter surgeries as part of their surgical training. This direct experience builds technical competence before entering independent practice.
Through student research opportunities, Ross Vet offers experiences that reinforce preventive veterinary practices, including spay and neuter initiatives. Students can take part in research projects, externships, and field programs—from sea turtle monitoring to community-based animal health initiatives—broadening their understanding of veterinary practice in diverse contexts.
Community Spay/Neuter and Shelter Medicine Programs
Ross Vet partners with Basseterre Animal Rescue Centre (BARC), which hosts the required 7th-semester shelter medicine rotation. Students also gain experience through Ross Vet’s collaboration with One Love Pets, a nonprofit founded by a Ross Vet alumna that supports BARC and community outreach in St. Kitts. These opportunities allow students to apply their surgical training in real-world settings, contribute to local animal welfare, and engage with pet owners about preventive care.
Preparing Students to Educate Pet Owners
Students are also taught how to clearly explain the benefits, risks, and alternative options for sterilization. This communication training ensures that new veterinarians can responsibly guide pet owners toward decisions backed by evidence and tailored to each animal.
If you’re aspiring to veterinary school, think of spay and neuter as a lens through which you’ll practice both medicine and client care.
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The information and material contained in this article and on this website are for informational purposes only and should not be considered, or used in place of, professional medical advice. Please speak with a licensed medical provider for specific questions or concerns. Ross Vet is not responsible for the information maintained or provided on third-party websites or external links.
