If you have recently gotten a new kitten or puppy, one of the most important health decisions you can make is to have him or her neutered or spayed. Spaying, the removal of the ovaries and uterus in female pets, provides lifelong health benefits while neutering, the removal of the testicles on male pets, reduces behavioral issues and protects against certain types of cancers.

Spaying Reduces the Risk of Health Problems

Spaying a female cat or dog prevents uterine infections. It also helps prevent malignant (cancerous) breast tumors in 50% or dogs and 90% of cats. Getting your cat or dog spayed before her first heat cycle provides the best protection against uterine infections and breast cancer.

Neutering Prevents Diseases, Too

Neutering your male pet prevents the development of testicular cancer. It also prevents some prostate issues.

Spaying Eliminates the Heat Cycle

Heat cycles may vary some, but in general, female cats are in heat for four to five days every three weeks during breeding season. To attract a mate, female cats will yowl and urinate more often. It’s not uncommon for a female cat in heat to urinate throughout your home.

Neutering Reduces Behavior Problems in Males

Male cats and dogs will do just about anything to find a female to mate with. If your male pet happens to get free, he’s prone to injury and fights with other males. Neutered males aren’t tempted to escape your home or yard.

An unaltered male dog may urinate to mark his territory. Getting him neutered will reduce or even eliminate this behavior. An unaltered male cat has a strong desire to spray. Getting your kitten neutered before he turns four months old is best, given that kittens younger than four months of age haven’t begun to spray yet. Neutering resolves 90% of spraying in male cats, even if they have been spraying for a while already.

Neutering a male dog also reduces aggressive behavior. Research indicates that most dog bites are caused by unaltered males. Neutering also reduces mounting, barking, and other dominance-related behaviors.

Saves Money

Spaying or neutering your pet saves you money. Unaltered males are more likely to fight each other, which often leads to costly veterinary bills to treat a pet’s injuries. Additionally, reproductive cancers cost thousands of dollars to treat. If the cost of a spay or neuter surgery is a concern for you, check out low-cost spay and neuter clinics in your area.

Reduces Pet Overpopulation

Millions of cats and dogs of all breeds and ages are euthanized each year in shelters. You can easily prevent unplanned litters by getting your pet spayed or neutered.

Spaying or neutering your cat or dog is very beneficial to your pet. With a simple spay or neuter surgery, you can help your pet live a healthier life, reduce behavioral issues, and help control pet overpopulation.

 

Now that clinical pot is legal in 29 U.S. states and is treating human patients for pain and diseases, it is only a matter of time before it becomes a pet-friendly alternative to synthetic medicine. California, who has had legal medicinal weed since 1996 and just approved it for recreational purposes, is now paving the way for veterinarians to prescribe the remedy to their animal patients.

One veterinarian, Dr. Tim Shu, has founded VETCBD, a clinically tested manufacturing supplier of CBD tinctures for dogs. CBD is the non-psychoactive part of the cannabis plant with 80 cannabinoids that relieve ailments like inflammation, nausea, epilepsy, and chronic pain. Although it is legal to produce the medicine, it is still illegal for veterinarians to prescribe since the medical bill only allows doctors to recommend treatment to humans. Because of this, Shu’s products are only sold in California dispensaries not vet offices.

To allow vets the ability to supply and control doses of CBD oil to pet owners, research must first be conducted to understand its effects and the recommended dosages. Regulation is important for pet owners to understand the difference between THC and CBD and to not self-prescribe their pets. Animals that ingest THC could become unresponsive as levels vary depending on the strain of cannabis and the pet’s weight and metabolism.

Recently, Cornell University conducted one the first studies on CBD for dogs. They found that more than 80% of their patients were relieved from most of their pain and illnesses. More studies like this one need to continue in order to move the process along.

The law also needs to be changed to include pets in the medical marijuana loop. In San Jose, State Assembly Member Ash Kalra has begin to push legislation in order to let vets write pet CDB prescriptions and educate owners on its use. However, there is push back from the California Veterinarian Medical Association as they claim the FDA needs to get involved to approve dosage amounts and conduct more research.

For now, the discussion still remains of how much involvement veterinarians will have in the entire process. But, the fact that CBD oil has already been proven to improve the lives of both humans and animals, it is only a matter of paperwork to ensure the safe use of the plant on our beloved pets.

Source: https://hightimes.com/news/california-vets-want-prescribe-medical-marijuana-pets/

Veterinarians have stated that many animals today are too fat. There is a cat named that weighs 22 pounds, which is twice the size of a normal cat. Alfie is a Jack Russell who enjoys eating steak sandwiches.

There is also a 28-pound Maltese that enjoys cheese. Veterinarians have decided to fight this obesity epidemic by giving people an incentive to help their pets lose weight. They are selecting pets and putting them on a six-month exercise and diet program. The program is overseen by PDSA, which is a charity. The pet who loses the most weight will win an award.

This weight loss program has been around for 13 years. It has helped 124 pets lose a combined total of 994 pounds. Alfie the Beagle was the winner of last year’s competition. He lost 34 percent of his body weight.

Fifteen overweight cats and dogs will participate in this year’s program, which is based in the United Kingdom. Carole Sweeney, who is 55-years-old, is the owner of Elvis. She did not realize how big her dog was until her family members and friends started making comments.

Carole named her dog after the late singer Elvis. She is a huge fan of the singer and has posters all over her room. Carole stated that she fed Elvis too much food and did not realize she was overfeeding him. Elvis basically had an all-day buffet. She filled his food bowl up and allowed him to eat out of it all day.

Rebecca Ashman is a vet who works for the PSDA. She stated that 40 percent of pets in the United Kingdom are overweight. She also stated that a healthy diet and exercise can help improve a pet’s life expectancy and happiness. Additionally, Rebecca believes that prevention is better than the cure.