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Over the past few days I’ve been corresponding with the owner of a kitty whose expressed desire is to maintain her cat’s reproductive integrity—sans ability to bear kittens. Tubal ligation is the subject of her inquiry: “Is it advisable if my goals for her include sexual activity?”
Hmmm… This is a weird one for sure. Despite the fact that I have better things to do than correspond with people some of you might discount as “plain nuts,” I’m easily intrigued by these questions. My vet boyfriend quips that I just can’t resist a train wreck.
But I disagree. For me, these queries help me wrap my head around the full spectrum of reasons behind why we vets traditionally recommend what we do. And it’s my view that everyone deserves a thoughtful answer if I have the inclination (and time) to provide it.
My answer to her?
After enumerating the many reasons why I believe her goals are out of line with comfortable catdom
- (continuous heat cycles are stressful for cats,
- keeping Toms indoors is inadvisable at best,
- disease transmission through sexual activity is common among felines,
- sex necessarily involves aggressive behavior in cats,
- intercourse with a barbed penis is considered painful, need I go on…?),
I urged her to consider a hysterectomy( not an ovariohysterectomy where both ovaries and uterus are removed) if she was absolutely resolved to allow her cat an intact lifestyle. At least this way pyometra isn’t a possibility (though mammary tumors will still remain a risk).
The question for dogs is an easier one. Canine comfort is not so much a factor due to the infrequency of heat cycles. Though pyometras and mammary tumors are still the number one and two risks, respectively, the benefits of sex hormones are better understood in canines, even if the jury’s still out on the risks and rewards when it comes to spaying.
As with the above cat’s example, I’d urge dog owners to consider a hysterectomy, which would allow for the benefits of ovarian hormones while eliminating the risk of pyometra along with that pesky bleeding every six months.
It’s true, however, that we don’t fully understand the problems a hysterectomy alone might entail: Will the remaining cervix be subject to greater risk of infections (so-called, “stump pyometras”)? Do the hormones produced by the uterus itself count for anything? At least with tubal ligation (which essentially preserves the condition of the intact bitch) we’re aware of the risks and benefits, limited though our understanding may yet be.
During an interview with an msnbc.com reporter last week, I had cause to examine my position more carefully on this score. She asked smart, pointed questions, allowing me to dig deep holes for myself in my answers.
I guess I really hadn’t considered the full spectrum of the issues involved in the question of tubal ligation—though I’ve always maintained an open mind on it’s potential utility, as I have for vasectomies (which I’ll happily perform in the case of dogs).
In my post-interview musings, I gleaned the following insights:
Pet medicine is an increasingly individualized discipline with pet owners seeking idealized conditions for the personal needs of their pets and their households. Sure, population management and public heath are still crucial issues, but I’d argue they receive far less attention than in years past relative to the drive to do what’s best by our family members.
That’s why the issue of tubal ligation and vasectomy has recently surged in popularity. With states and municipalities looking for ways to curb the severe overpopulation of unwanted pets, legislation mandating early spays and neuters in our dogs and cats (four months is way too early according to most veterinarians), pet owners are avidly seeking alternative ways to sterilize their pets.
As for most veterinarians, treating the overpopulation problem among unwanted pets often seems at odds with our goals for the adored ones in our midst. This dichotomy finds no better expression than in the rift between animal lovers with a similar love of animals but who view the mandatory spay/neuter conundrum from opposite sides of the fence.
Could it be that tubal ligation and vasectomy are the solution (though no doubt imperfect) to our political divide? In many ways I hope so. I’d love nothing better than to see animal lovers solve their differences in ways that would meet all of society’s goals.
Tubal ligations in cats? I still don’t think it’s cool. But I’ll support a pet owner’s well-researched decision to do so.
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My good friend (also our vet.) indicated it was extremely unlikely. The fact that she was spayed at a humane shelter pretty much clinched the deal. (I mean, the likelihood they were doing cutting-edge forms of sterilization or some sort of research project, seemed rather unlikely, given the setting.)
Still, my spayed girl continues to amaze the owners of intact male dogs, and other observers at, say, dog parks. Males clamour around her behind, and vie for the best angle. They sniff. They lick. They drool.
I've heard the owners of these males (and some neutered males and even some females) remark with astonishment, he/she/it "...has never behaved like this before." It's so common, I usually just reply, "There's 'something' about her that some dogs are really attracted to." And leave it at that.
Recently, one of these flabbergasted owners asked if my dog was in heat. I explained that she was not only spayed, but was spayed eight years ago. (i.e. no 'residual')
Even more recently, my dog was a bit ahead of me at the off-leash park and met-up with "the group" before I did. A few seconds behind, arrived amongst the other owners only to hear them all exclaiming how curious it was that all the males were gathered around my dog's rump. Their eyes were big. Some were pointing. They were busy commenting on the situation. My girl, used to this attention, just goes on about her business...unless one of them tries to mount her. Then she tells them to knock it off, in a polite way, of course. ;-) Invariably, there'll be at least one (usually immature) male who just won't take the hint, and makes life uncomfortable for her. The owners are usually beside themselves, trying to get their males to stop licking her, following her, and tormenting her. (It's sweet that they try.)
I've always wondered what it is about my dog that garners such a strong and amourous reaction from the fellas.
My #1 reason to choose a complete spay is pyometra prevention. I have always been able to fully prevent accidental breedings, stray dogs and with small dogs, a mess is not an issue.(however, I have had a few with UTI post-season).
Oh, and one of my girls continued to act as though she had regular "seasons", and I too, questioned the possibility of "remnants" ----my males should interest also. This completely disappeared after a couple of years.
But, once again, I have spayed my youngest at the age 7, a year ago, having never been bred (was a bit short on cash to complete sooner!!) and now have a soon to be 8 yr. old that has become "portly" and thinning coat. (yes, a thyroid check is in order--for sure).
My curiosity stems from my experience, that my 2 longest-lived girls , just happened to both whelp & be spayed at a later age, than most. My longest-lived male was also intact for life.
Coincidence---probably??
I'd like to add, that my oldest living "dottie" , did infact have mammary cancer--progressed to lymphoma, and my oldest male Scottie, did have osteosarcoma at the end. Still, both outlived average breed expectancy by 3 yrs and 2 1/2 yrs---and one other also by 3 1/2 years.
If it only happened a couple of times a year, that might support that kind of theory. More importantly, if it only happened a couple of times a year, I doubt I'd even notice a pattern. But it happens most of the time we meet-up with intact males (and occasionally some neutered males and even some females). (A friend's aged, intact female Rottweiler, for instance, was relentlessly after my dog's unit...licking, drooling, and doing the dry hump thing while following her around.)
Since my veterinarian is also a close friend, I could try to do all sorts of hormonal tests and whatnot. It's just that it's not a "problem." So when my friend witnesses this curiosity, even she's not inclined to go looking for an "answer." (i.e. The female Rottie was hers.) (In fact, now that I think of it, the only time my dog ever exhibited a "gay tail" was the first time she met this friend's other dogs, two of them neutered males. The two males were both dry humping her at the same time - the toy breed on one of her front legs, and the blue Doberman behind her. I don't necessarily include that incident with what I'm talking about above. They eventually settled down, after meeting her a few times, and interacted predictably with her. I'm just recalling that all my friend's dogs were rather 'amourous' towards my dog, it seems. All but the spayed female Doberman, who always acted "normally" around her.)
It's a puzzle, that's for sure. There's just 'something' about my dog that is rather enticing to some dogs.