Re: [pyrnet] Re: Family Jewels

["Linda Weisser" <lmweisser@attbi.com>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jessica @ DaVor" <woods@davor.com>

Unneutered animals who do not breed regularly are subject to a frequency and
variety of health maladies not usually seen in neutered animals.  I speak
from experience, having worked in a veterinary clinic.>>

Could you detail some of these variety of health maladies?  I am on several
vet lists where this subject is frequently discussed.  While I strongly
support spay/neuter for a variety of reasons, I do not believe overall
health to be one of them.  If you have contrary information, I'd be really
interested.  Could you also tell me what you consider "regularly" in terms
of breeding.  I have had any number of intact males who lived until they
were 12+ years old who may have only been bred 5 or 6 (or fewer) times in
their lives.  They never had medical problems related to their being intact.
In general they never had medical problems, period.  The same is true for
bitches in terms of age and health, except of course that they were probably
only bred 2-3 times (at most) in their lives.

<<Additionally, animals who exhibit behavioral problems (and marking falls
into this category, to my mind) all too often end up homeless.  The behavior
gets to the point where the owners can no longer tolerate or ignore it, and
usually by that time there's no correcting the behavior.>>

That's absolutely true.  However, that is more often an owner problem then a
dog problem.  I know a number of people who have intact males in their
house, some with bitches, and they do not have a marking problem.  It takes
work and attention but it can be corrected.  Barb's suggestion of leashing
the dog to you so that he never has free run of the house is one that often
works.

<<There's no foolproof way to guarantee that
a pet can never breed an unwanted litter without neutering-->>

This is also absolutely true.  Which is one of the best reasons for
neutering.

<<..and I did not mean to imply that they were
abusive, neglectful, or in any other way poor caretakers to the dog,>>

But unfortunately that is what you said.  And what precipitated Lene's
strong response.

<< other
than to say that I believe in the long run Newman will be the worse off for
not being neutered.>>

I suspect that you are right.  However, he is not inevitably worse off, as
Lene rightfully points out.

<<My suggestion to Newman's owner was forceful, true, but it's not as though
I
was advising her to do something she was against.>>

But you were advising her to do something that her husband strongly opposed.
He may be pig headed and he may be, from our perspective wrong (surely from
mine) but she is married to him and their relationship needs attention as
well as the dog.

<<I don't know if Europe has the same problem with stray animals that occurs
in America, >>

No, they don't.  Mostly because animal ownership is taken more seriously and
regarded more positively than it is here.  It would be nice if we could
learn that lesson.  But I fear that it is hopeless.

<<..but there are entirely too many unwanted animals here in the
states for me to ever counsel anyone to allow a family pet to remain
unneutered.>>

No one that I know was asking you to counsel against anything.  Simply to
recognize that not everyone who choses not to alter their animals is an
irresponsible owner.  I have a 13 year old whippet bitch that I got at 6
months and *never* intended to breed.  She is still unspayed and has never
been pregnant.  No one who knows me accuses me of being irresponsible.

Linda