I am in no way a medical expert. In all honesty, I guess the health benefits is just something I have "heard" over the years, but really have no way to back up. I do know that there are certain cancers that are no longer a concern once a spay/neuter is done. That much must be a fact since it is cancer of the parts no longer there....can't get cancer in something you don't have, lol. Other health benefits....????? I dunno......you have pointed out a fact of life.....sometimes we hear things all of our lives and assume them to be true and believe them, and maybe they aint true??? Hopefully someone with more medical info than me can give a better answer. All I can honestly put my money on is that it prevents certain cancers (which may be a rare cancer in the first place...who knows) and it helps prevents pet over population. Those are the only facts I could honestly swear too. I know from personal experience that it does not prevent the majority of behavioral problems that people expect it to. I have yet to see a personality change in any of my spayed/neutered pets.
Another thing I have always heard and do personally feel it to be true due to my own experience, but have nothing to back it up with, is that spaying a female does tend to make her gain weight. Maybe it is just me, but every female I have ever had that has been spayed has gained a lot of weight. My advice to you...keep doing what you have been. Ask questions, read answers, talk to the vet, and in the end, make a decision that you feel is best. Marsha ----- Original Message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, April 14, 2007 11:43 AM Subject: Re: [Chihuahuas] Re: ? on neutering (marsha) Dear Marsha I have also been stuck in the neutering quandary with my boy. It was scheduled but his pre-surgery blood showed his BUN too high, then it was constant RS, then his being compromised with Lymes. So I have had to keep putting it off. So of course I am paying close attention to this thread and the discussion. My guy is a saint (st henry LOL) he occassionally humps his teddy but is as obedient as a boy could be (we do agility etc), never aggressive, no leg lifting and cannot run away (never has tried, but I know it only takes once). I asked at Cornell regarding the health benefits and beyond the usual behavior issues, population control, and testicular cancer, it seemed his life was not improved in any way nor his health insured because of doing it. Please know (I think anyone who knows me on here will attest) I would do anything for this guy to keep him well and want nothing less than that for him. Please share (I'm sure this is the 1,000 th time) your reasons beyond behavior that this needs to be done. I am ready to do it because society thinks it should be but in my heart am not really convinced enough to put him through it. Thanks a million! best, michelle and henry in the beautiful Catskill Mountains, NY __,_._,__know ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com.
