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Human_And_Animal_Behaviour_Forensic_Sciences_Research_Laboratory@hotmail.com - 08 Jul 2006 23:40 GMT

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Why non-human animals should NOT be spayed or castrated
WARNING: This Website Contains Mature Subject Matter
You should be an adult to read this page as it addresses sexual and
controversial issues.

Purpose of This Website

There are a LOT of websites that explain the reasons one should have
one's companion animal neutered; these sites are easy to find. However,
this website explains why some people would prefer NOT neutering their
best friends. There is a movement in the animal companion community to
neuter every non-human being that draws breath and wags a tail... if
the poor beast is even allowed to have a tail. In my opinion this
precedent has completely gotten out of paw! It's become a matter of "if
you don't spay or neuter (two words that mean the same thing) your pet
then you aren't a responsible pet owner." The purpose of this page is
to defy this paradigm, explain why it's wrong, and suggest some
alternative methods of controlling the overpopulation of non-human
animals.

A personal note: I suppose the mass sexual mutilation of sentient
beings by humanity wouldn't be such a bad thing if humans would include
themselves in this hypocritical practice; since it is an overabundance
of humanity that poses the greatest detrimental impact on this
beautiful planet's environment.

TERMINOLOGY: A "Bitch" is a female canine and a "Dog" is male.
Forum Contact
What Exactly IS Neutering
neutering, n, the sterilization of an animal [syn: fixing, altering,
castration], see also spay and emasculate

Neutering, or gonadectomy, is the de-sexing of a male or female animal,
whereby the reproductive organs are completely removed. In female
animals neutering is called spay, which literally means to cut out with
a sword. In male animals neutering is called castration. Both terms,
spay and castration, include in their definitions the act of depriving
animals of virility or spirit; depriving them of strength or vigor;
weakening them; devitalizing them.
Surgical Spaying

Long Beach Animal Hospital Surgical Castration

Long Beach Animal Hospital

Click the above images to see complete details of the procedures.

1. Anesthesia is administered.
2. The Bitch is prepped for surgery (spay).
3. A 3-5 inch incision is made in the abdomen, near the umbilicus,
through three layers of tissue.
4. A spay hook or finger is used to pull a uterine horn through the
abdominal incision.
5. The uterine horn is followed into the body cavity in order to
locate the ovary.
6. Three clamps are used to prevent the blood supply to the ovary
from hemorrhaging and the ovary blood supply is cut.
7. Sutures are applied to the ends of the blood supply and it's
allowed to slip back into the abdomen.
8. Procedures 4 through 7 are repeated for the other ovary.
9. The extracted ovaries are used to pull the cervix out of the
abdomen.
10. A clamp is placed at the cervix, the uterus is cut, and the
ovaries and most of the uterus are removed.
11. The remaining portion of the uterus is sutured and placed back
into the abdomen.
12. The three layers of tissues are sutured and the abdomen is
closed.
13. A pain medication is injected and the Bitch is taken to recovery.

1. Anesthesia is administered.
2. The Dog is prepped for surgery (emasculation).
3. An incision is made in the skin in front of the scrotum.
4. The testicle is pushed forward and an incision is made in the
subcutaneous tissue just big enough to squeeze it through.
5. The tunics layer of tissues are incised to expose the testicle
and associated structures.
6. The blood supply for the testicle is pulled out, sutured, and
cut.
7. Each testicle is removed and the sutured tissues which once led
to them are pushed back through the incision.
8. The two layers of tissues are sutured to close the incision.
9. A pain medication is injected and the Dog is taken to recovery.

The Ethics of Neutering

"Forced castration is immoral.
In 1985, the Supreme Court recognized this when it ruled that
involuntary surgical castration
constituted cruel and unusual punishment."
~ Atul Gawande

Why am I against neutering my companion animal? Well, the basic answer
is pretty simple; I don't want to be neutered myself. I don't want the
surgical mutilation of my gender... the loss of my sex and what I was
created by God and Nature to be. I consider my companion animals my
friends, subjecting them to something that I myself could not tolerate
just doesn't seem very friendly to me.

People might say, "but animals don't think like that, they don't care
if they are neutered or not." I must reply that I don't subscribe to
this theory because neutering alters many behavioral and physical
characteristics; it must therefore alter attitudes and drives.
Neutering devitalizes an animal and many people see this as an
advantage because it makes the animal easier to control. Spay has been
shown to cause nervous disorders in Bitches, resulting in worsened
separation anxiety and even digestive issues. In Wolves spayed females
scent changes and they may need to be separated from their pack or
harassed to death by pack members.

Billions of years of trial and error went into the complex living
organism. If gonads were simply isolated organs of reproduction then
removing them would not be such a consequential issue, but these organs
serve complex and interrelated functions involving growth and mental
and physical development... they regulate many biological processes
other than reproduction... and even have a bearing on social
interaction between the animals themselves. Human beings are not wise
enough to know the ways of God and Nature; to presume such is the folly
of fools. We haven't a clue what our animal companions may think of
neuter or how their animal friends may regard them for being de-sexed.

Another reason I'm against neuter is people telling me that I'm
irresponsible for keeping an intact animal. They seem to use the sexual
mutilation of their "pets" as a soapbox to stand on to hoist up their
egos and put themselves above others.

Bob (your) Barker's "be a responsible pet owner, have your dog or cat
spayed or neutered" is an example of some people trying to
guilt-control other people into thoughtless acts. In fact it's not even
an intelligent slogan because spay and neuter are two words that mean
the same thing. Population control of domestic animals is a serious
issue, as is the population control of the human animal which is
totally running amok. Maybe human beings should do first by example,
aye, and get themselves neutered too!

People don't want a dog. People want something that looks like a dog.

I am NOT irresponsible for keeping my animal companions intact. In
fact, to have intact animals and prevent them from mating requires a
good deal more responsibility that most people possess... which is one
reason why neutering is so popular; many people are lazy and would
rather surgically carve their canine into a servile plaything than deal
with the whole creature. Well, fine... if that's your ethic and the
only way you can prevent superfluous life, a tormented existence, and
an early death then so be it... go out and neuter your "pet," but don't
you dare look down on those of us who choose not to do this and call us
irresponsible!

Yet another item that troubles me about the neuter craze are people I
call Neuter Nazis. These, oh so much better than thou, hypocrites
frequently operate animal shelters and rescues while often breeding
animals themselves. They are snoods who want to know everything about
everyone and snoop into peoples lives, under the guise of inspection,
thinking they know what's best for everybody. These people develop
adoption contracts the size of a telephone book that are hardly legal
and impossible to make binding, and demand neuter as a prerequisite of
adoption regardless of another person's ethical or spiritual beliefs
and practices. They are simple control freaks who enjoy playing God,
and they get off on putting down others who do not subscribe to their
practices. What is most important to a Neuter Nazi is their political
agenda, NOT the health and welfare of animals. They are quite likely
responsible for a huge number of the homeless animals who are put to
death annually, because after having a go-round with these people a lot
of folk just say to hell with this and go out and buy a puppy. I devote
an entire section to these people below.

"In happiness and suffering, in joy and grief, we should regard all
creatures as we regard our own self."
~ Lord Mahavira
Possible Health Effects of Neutering

* Anesthesia shock and surgical complications (Dogs and Bitches)
* Post operative pain and infection (Dogs and Bitches)
* Obesity (Dogs and Bitches)
* Hypothyroidism (Dogs and Bitches)
* Cerebellar Cortical Abiotrophy (Dogs and Bitches)
* Loss of estrogen; sex and growth hormone (Bitches)
* Intervertebral disk disease (Bitches)
* Myasthenia Gravis; muscle weakness (Bitches)
* Urinary incontinence (Bitches)
* Altered moods leading to nervousness, separation anxiety, and
digestive disorders (Bitches)
* Vaginal perivulvar dermatitis and recessed vulva (Bitches)
* Loss of testosterone; sex and growth hormone (Dogs)
* Narrowing of the chest resulting in respiratory disorders (Dogs)
* Failure to extrude the penis (Dogs)

Loss of testosterone is directly correlated to: heart disease and
myocardial infarction, strokes and cardiovascular disease, senile
dementia, osteoporosis and hip fracture.

In human beings testosterone has an important role in the regulation of
normal growth, bone metabolism and body composition. Specifically,
testosterone deficiency is an important risk factor for osteoporosis
and fractures in men. Men with testosterone deficiency have significant
decreases in bone density, particularly in the trabecular bone
compartment. Testosterone deficiency has been reported in over half of
elderly men with a history of hip fracture. Men with testosterone
deficiency also have alterations in body composition that include an
increase in body fat. Using quantitative CT scans to assess fat
distribution, we have shown that testosterone deficiency is associated
with an alteration in site-specific adipose deposition with increased
deposits in all areas, particularly in the subcutaneous and muscle
areas.

Because truncal fat correlates with glucose intolerance and
cardiovascular risk, hypogonadism may have important implications with
regard to overall health and mortality. In one study, the alteration in
skeletal muscle composition was associated with a decrease in muscle
strength. Therefore, testosterone deficiency is associated with an
enhanced risk for osteoporosis, altered body composition including
increases in truncal fat, and, possibly, decreases in muscle
performance.

Loss of estrogen leads to an acceleration of the bone-degradation
process, which in turn results in a loss of bone mass and a raised risk
for incurring bone fractures (osteoporosis). Loss of this hormone also
causes violent mood swings, irritability, and depression.

In human beings, a drop in the production of sexual hormones can have
considerable consequences for the emotional world of women. Many
menopausal women observe a reduction of their general performance, an
increasing forgetfulness, an impaired fine motoricity, and a diminution
in their powers of memory and of planned, targeted, flexible and
adaptable thought. Furthermore, many women display a tendency towards
pronounced fluctuations in their mood, and even massive symptoms of
depression. Very recent studies indicate that estrogen deficiency also
increases the risk for Alzheimer's disease.

The process of aging and the regression of the sexual hormones also
involves a degradation of the muscle mass. This results in a
deterioration of the coordination of body movements and enhances the
tendency for falls. The elasticity of the joints also diminishes. The
joints become stiff and painful, especially upon rising in the morning.
This is due to the reduction in the production of collagen and a
reduced storage of water as a consequence of the estrogen deficiency
Why People Neuter

It's the "right thing"

Whenever a special interest group wants a certain something they spread
propaganda designed to promote it. There's no difference in the animal
companion community. The fact is that there are a lot of domestic
animals put to death because people can't cope with all of them. This
is the big guilt trip this propaganda is designed to inspire and it is
used to push people into spaying and castrating their companion
animals.

What about the millions of animals killed as food, most of whom have
dramatically worse living conditions than a superfluous dog or cat?
These animals are sentient too... meaning they have emotions and feel
the things human beings subject them to. Killing for food is, however,
a natural process that Nature demands of many beings, especially
predators, so I'll not question the act of killing for food... although
tormenting an animal to death IS evil... and people do this a lot in
industrialized ranching. Killing an animal for no reason other than
because the creature is superfluous and because killing is convenient
is not civilized in my opinion. This is evidenced by the fact that
civilized people don't kill each other this way or for similar
reasons... we don't round up our transients and hungry multitudes and
kill them. People have an "it's just a dog" mentality... people put
their own kind above all other living things and justify their acts by
contrived philosophy and religious dogma. This is done regardless of
what an animal being may think or feel and without any respect for how
they want to live just as much as we do.

So the right thing, it is said, is to keep animals from reproducing,
and the easy solution to this is to surgically alter them so they can't
reproduce. This may be justified, but neutering is just one way of
achieving this goal. Neutering is an invasive procedure that
drastically affects an animal's biological processes. There are
alternatives to this from as simple as proper containment to tubal
ligation and vasectomy. These are much less invasive and respectful,
but the problem is that people are brainwashed into this "be a
responsible pet owner, have you dog or cat spayed or neutered"
paradigm... and because veterinarians make so much profit from these
procedures, they rarely suggest the alternatives - or even explain the
risks.

Health Concerns

This is a very valid issue. There may be evidence to support improved
longevity and health associated with neutering. I won't disrespect
those who neuter for this reason. I will say that I personally do not
trust the source of this data due to the bias of those who provide it.
I have NEVER seen an unbiased study where there was proper scientific
methods implemented to show altered verses non-altered canines over a
lifetime period with records showing the actual health consequences of
each group. Without such an unbiased report I must conclude, being an
acute observer of human nature, the facts commonly made public are the
propaganda of Neuter Nazis to support and justify their politics.

In short, I don't trust them to tell the truth. I have a thirteen year
old Dog who is intact and is the picture of health and happiness. I
think ANY animal can get sick and ALL will eventually suffer the
effects old age unless they meet a fateful early end. Face it... Nature
wants us dead... that's where life leads us all. I had rather put my
trust in the fact that life developed over millions and millions of
years of trial and error and that this is as good as it gets. Seeing
what human interference has wrought upon our earth I simply do not
trust the wisdom, or lack of it, to surgically edit such a wondrous
creation.

Pressure

People are pressured into neutering their companion animals for many
reasons: Animal rights groups and radical anti-breeding groups.
Breeders who want to have more control over where people can acquire
animal companions. An increasing number of landlord/tenant policies
and municipal ordinances, which should have nothing to do with personal
choice.

I've seen a movement for mandatory neuter law... this is nothing less
than fascism!

There's a tendency for people who choose NOT to sexually mutilate their
companion animals to be looked down upon and I've even been insulted
and declared irresponsible because I refuse to go with this flow. This
pressures a lot of people into neutering without fully understanding
that they are surgically altering another living being permanently and
taking away the creatures sex. There are alternatives, but they aren't
even discussed. To me this too is a form of pressure toward neutering.
In my opinion all these things combined is an attitude toward the
forced neutering of companion animals... a big brother attitude... and
unless we resist this paradigm there may, indeed, be written more laws
telling us what we can and can't do with our animals.

Modified behavior

This is often a big selling point for neutering: A neutered animal will
be easier to control, wont rove, wont enter heat (estrus), wont mark,
will be less aggressive, will smell better, and etc. Some of these
things may indeed be true, and for a lot of people they are good
reasons to sexually mutilate their "pets."

I regard these reasons as selfish acts of laziness and vanity, however.
When someone desires to carve another being into what they want them to
be, what I see is a control freak... I see someone who can't love
another for who they are... I see someone who must change another to
suit themselves. I consider people who would cut into someone they call
a friend and tear the flesh and sex out of their bodies, for this
reason, a vandal who wants a slave... a servile plaything to show off
to their friends and to make up for something they lack in themselves.
These are, of course, my personal opinions and a lot of folks will take
exception to them.

Also, in my opinion, someone who wants a servile plaything puppet sown
to their whim and specification would do better to get a plushie (a
stuffed toy animal), rather than subjecting a living being to suffer
the knife for their vanity and lack of ability to love and care for the
whole living being.

Could there be a conspiracy?

>From the way Neuter is pushed as the ONLY responsible way to control

domestic animal overpopulation, I sometimes feel there's some kind of
conspiracy in the works. Veterinarians can perform tubal ligation of
vasectomy, which are less invasive techniques than neuter, and which
allow the production of estrogen and testosterone, thus allowing an
animal's normal urges and development, however few of them offer this
alternative. I also wonder if breeders haven't been responsible for so
much of this push to neuter every canine that moves in order to create
a market for their puppy-milled stock. Just some things to think about
from one who has found that human beings don't always reveal the
ulterior motives behind their actions.
Alternate Altering

Repression of heat cycle

Ovaban (megestrol acetate) and Cheque drops can repress a Bitches heat
cycle. Both have very serious side-effects so I DO NOT recommend them.

Containment

This is the most natural and least invasive method of preventing
mating; keeping your male and female animals away from each other so
they cannot copulate. This can require a lot of attention on your part,
especially if you have a male and a female companion. You need to know
how to read the signs when your Bitch is entering estrus and be
prepared to move her to an isolated area and keep her there during
heat. You should also be ready to provide massage therapy to calm her
anxiety during heat and the lactation of pseudopregnancy to remove
carcinogens from her nipples that may cause breast cancer. Dogs should
also be relieved occasionally, and will be very appreciative of this,
especially when the scent of estrus is in the air. These things require
an uncommon, deeply devoted, human companion, so keeping intact animals
isn't for everyone.

"Whatever can go wrong will go wrong." ~ Murphy's Law

Believe it or not, if woofs can even touch muzzles, chances are they'll
find a way to mate when you aren't paying attention. Consider this the
rule: Absolute separation of male and female canines during heat. If
you only have male or female animals then it's just a matter of not
letting them roam and seeing to their individual needs to comfort and
protect them. The key with keeping canines from breeding is to keep
Murphy's Law in mind and do whatever necessary to subvert what can go
wrong. When you have made certain that NOTHING can go wrong, only then
are you behaving responsibly.

Vasectomy and tubal ligation

Vasectomy is a low-invasive surgical procedure whereby the Dog is
sterilized without depriving him of testosterone and avoiding possible
side effects associated with the loss of this hormone. Vasectomy
involves the surgical removal of part of each vas deferens and is a
fairly simple procedure.

Tubal ligation is a low-invasive surgical procedure whereby the Bitch
is sterilized without depriving her of estrogen and avoiding possible
side effects associated with the loss of this hormone. Tubal ligation
means, literally, to tie up a small tube within the Bitch. This too is
a much less dramatic procedure than neuter. Ask your vet about cutting
the tubes instead of clamping them, for clamps have been known to come
undone.

Veterinarians tend to shy from vasectomy and tubal ligation surgeries
because they do not eliminate production of testosterone and estrogens.
Because of this their idea of what a canine animal should behave like
is not realized by the human companion. This should not be the vet's
decision however - they are not his or her concern so long as you make
an informed choice. If you are prepared to live with canines the way
nature intended them... if you can love and care for the whole
animal... then it's no ones business but your own. You should look
around until you find a health care professional who will respect this
position. I personally prefer NOT allowing control freaks to cut into
my best friends.

Note: if you want a servile plaything to tie up in the back yard and
forget about until friends come around to show off too, then these
procedures are NOT for you. Have the standard neuter procedure
performed, for in the long run your victim will suffer less and live a
more "comfortable" lonely and futile existence. And if you have a
vanity issue I suggest you consider Neuticle implants for Dogs.
How to Care For a Sexual Being

WARNING: This section will likely freak out and offend a lot of people.
Herein I express controversial opinions regarding the care of intact
companion animals. I don't care what people think... the health,
safety, and happiness of my friend is the paramount issue and I put
this issue way before the dogma of an insecure multitude. I include
these views for like-minded people.

Due to the nature of this section I've placed it on a parental control
tagged page: Special Care for Dogs and Bitches
The Neuter Nazis

What follows is purely a rant.

Neuter Nazi is what I call a person that is radical about neutering.
Neuter Nazis are ruthless in their attempts to see that all animal
companions are sexually mutilated, and this agenda is a priority that
goes beyond rational good sense and charges blindly into the absurd. It
doesn't matter if someone is spiritually or ethically against neuter...
it doesn't matter if an animal suffers or even dies from the surgery...
nothing matters to a Neuter Nazi except clip and snip! I firmly believe
most of these people have ulterior motives for behaving like this.

There are a lot of dogs put to death each year in shelters due to over
population caused by uncontrolled breeding. I don't believe as many of
these come from "accidental" mating as the Neuter Nazis claim. I think
a lot come from people who want to watch "the miracle of birth" or who
breed them simply for profit. I think Neuter Nazis hold this idea that
they know what is best for everyone! Many of them operate shelters and
rescues that intimidate people with contracts and inspections until a
lot of folk just give up on the adoption process and buy a pup. So a
lot of these animals come from Neuter Nazis themselves!

Neuter Nazi's who do rescue insist that every dog they locate a home
for must be neutered regardless of how someone might feel about the
practice. They play God with an animal's life so they can wag their ego
over someone else's head. It's really a shame that people have to
strain compassion to the point of oppression so profound, that it
discourages the adoption of animals in need. Many people despise having
a sword waved over their head by fanatic zealots on an ego hike: I know
I do!

Anyone who defies the will of Neuter Nazis are treated like evil and
sometimes even accused of being animal abusers! Neuter Nazis won't stop
there... they want to create fascist-style mandatory neuter laws! They
want to punish responsible people by charging them more for licensing
an intact animal! The person who doesn't want to neuter must pay extra
for the sin of puppy mill operators!

It's a shame animals must be put to death just because they are
superfluous. On the other paw, millions more are put to death in
horrendous ways simply because we eat them. So tell me... why is the
life of a cow so much less important than the life of a Bitch? The
deaths of dogs in shelters are used as guilt fodder to trip people into
neutering their companions... even though millions of animals are
treated much worse by human beings, day and night, regardless of neuter
or not in industrialized ranching! This makes no sense to me. I don't
want to see any animal needlessly killed, but just because I don't
believe in neutering my companion does NOT make animal suffering my
fault! My companion animals have NEVER produced a single unwanted life!
So lay off the guilt trip you control freaks! Yours is NOT the only
way! I don't even believe yours is the right way.

Comments and concernes may be sent to ebon@neutering.org
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Pet Forum / Miscellaneous / Animal Health / July 2006

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