spay

							It has been almost five years since I first started down the controversial path of spay and
neuter in the very young animal. At that time, as is still touted, the recommended age to
perform this surgery was around six months. Being an Abyssinian breeder, as well as a
veterinarian, it was my custom to sell pet quality kittens at around twelve weeks, with the
surgery included in the purchase price. The kitten was then to be returned to me at or
around six months of age to be spayed or neutered at no additional charge. With this
agreement, I found I received around seventy-five percent compliance, well above the
national average for humane societies and rescue organizations, which is approximately
fifty percent. Although my success rate was high, it was not the one hundred percent all
breeders would prefer when placing pet quality animals.

   It happened that I had held on to a couple of kittens, trying to decide if they were show
potential. By the time I had made up my mind to place them as pets, they were eighteen
weeks old and it occurred to me that they were not much smaller than their sex month old
counterparts. After researching the issue, I found no medical information documenting
the magical age of six months, so I spayed the one, neutered the other, placed them in pet
homes and they lived happily ever after.

    Following that experience, I continued my research on this issue and found only
positive information, scarce as it was, regarding prepubital sterilization. In my finite mind,
I reasoned prepubital is prepubital whether six months or sex weeks, so I asked myself,
"What is to contraindicate spay or neuter under six months of age?". Following that line
of reasoning, I began performing these surgeries in progressively younger animals of my
own breeding.

   Coincidentally, some humane organizations in my area, including Anne and Jim
Rambo's Cheshire Pet's Stores adoption program, desired to establish an "all adoptions
already altered policy," and as a veterinarian, I agreed to perform their pediatric
spay/neuters. Thus in the fast few years, virtually hundreds of puppies and kittens have
been successfully altered at an early age and I no longer place any pet quality kittens of
my breeding unaltered.

   Over the past two years, I have lectured on and written about this topic and I am heard
pressed to come up with any derogatory comments as my experience has been an
altogether positive one. I have pediatricly spayed and neutered domestics as well as a
generous sampling of purebreds including Burmese, Cornish and Devon Rex, Exotic
Shorthairs, Maine Coon, Persian, Siamese, and Tonkinese. I continue to recommend to
any breeder and all humane and/or rescue organizations to give this concept serious
consideration.

    I would like to take a moment to address the more common concerns:

   1. It has been my experience that pediatric patients tolerate anesthetic episodes very
        well, and in turn, have a shorter recovery time with less post anesthesia
        complications, especially vomiting. In general, the pediatric patient resumes
        normal activity earlier that the juvenile or adult, and appear to heal quicker as well.
        In the JAVMA January 1993 article they state, "None of the requirements for
        anesthesia should be major obstacles; therefore, neutering a kitten at a young age
        can be incorporated with little difficulty as a routine procedure."
   2.   The surgical procedure itself is easier on the pediatric patient primarily due to
        decreased amount of fat and blood supply to the organs. Dr. Michael Aaronson,
        Director of the early sterilization program at Angell Memorial's affiliate Boston
        Shelter states. "As of April 1992, he has neutered several hundred pupp9es and
        kittens with no ill effect."
   3. There was some speculation regarding prepubital sterilization predisposing the
        patients to chronic urinary tract problems. Recent research information, as well as
        my personal clinical experience disproves this theory.
   4.   Some individuals also theorized that prepubital spay/neuter would "stunt" the
        growth of the animal. Research at the University of Florida has shown that there is
        no stunting of growth, and in ten percent of the cases, the prepubitally altered
        animal is taller than it's intact counterpart.
   5.   Others have speculated that there will be a problem with potential weight gain after
        the procedure. Patricia Olson DVM of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the
        University of Minnesota states, "Conversely to what many expect, spaying a cat
        later in life may enhance her tendency to gain weight more that if she were spayed
        at a younger age."

   As many positive attributes as there are, perhaps they single most beneficial one is the
control given to the breeder. If your kittens are altered before they are placed, you will
know unequivocally that animal will not be intentionally or accidentally bred. This means
no more holding blue or green slips, follow-up neuter agreement phone calls, automatic
declawing at the time of spay or neuter, or owner anxiety at the thought of their dear pet
undergoing an operation.

  Additionally, you also have one more piece of armor supporting your responsibility
against the animal rights activist who work toward the goal of eliminating all breeding.

    When it comes to the issue of pet over-population, let us not be part of the problem, but
all work together to achieve a solution.