Low Cost Spay-Neutering

There are a number of good reasons why you should not breed your pet Shih Tzu. Many of these are spelled out in the article Know the Facts Before Breeding Your Dog. If you decide not to breed your pet, there are several advantages to having it spayed or neutered.

First, you eliminate all possibilities of accidental breedings, unwanted litters, and visits by local canine lotharios when your bitch is in season. You also eliminate the mess created by her menstruation. In addition, neutering can calm an overly aggressive dog or make it less likely that your male will lift his leg on your furniture. Altering your Shih Tzu at a young age greatly reduces the likelihood that it will develop mammary or testicular cancer later in life. Neutering is relatively simple surgery from which dogs recover quickly. In fact, some veterinarians now perform such surgery on young puppies before they are sold. The old wive’s tale that dogs become fat and lazy after neutering is just that. While altered dogs may become slightly calmer, they grow fat and lazy from overfeeding and a lack of exercise. And please don’t anthropomorphize — they really won’t miss what they’ve never known…or even what they have!

If you would like to spay or neuter your pet but are afraid you cannot afford it, one of the best sources of information about low-cost spay neuters is www.spayusa.org. It is the world’s largest referral program for low-cost spay-neuters, and has more than 900 participating veterinarians nationwide. To locate a low-cost facility near you, you can also call 1-888-PETS-911 or 1-800-248-SPAY.