ANSC 250 1st Edition Lecture 7Outline of Last Lecture I. Early animal shelteringII. Humane ShelteringIII. Animal sheltering across the countryIV. Pet Overpopulation film Outline of Current Lecture I. Definitions (spay, neuter, heat, pet overpopulation)II. Estrous cycle of female catIII. Estrous cycle of female dogIV. Benefits of spay/neuterV. Pet overpopulationVI. Pets with no owners VII. Myths about spay/neuterVIII. Mission of Spay Illinois Current LectureI. Definitions A. Spay: removal of ovaries, uterus, and oviducts of a female animal (ovario-hysterectomy)B. Neuter: removal of the testicles of a male animal (castration)C. Heat: refers to an animal's estrous cycle when they become fertile and are most receptive to matesD. Pet overpopulation: "The phenomenon where there aren't enough shelters for the number of animals in a given community.II. The estrous cycle of the female cat A. Estrous cycle of cat may be induced as early as 4-5 months of ageB. Female cats are polyestrousi. Their reproductive systems are only active during breeding seasonii. They will have multiple estrous cycles during breeding seasoniii. The average size of a litter is 4-5 kittens. However, its not uncommon for litters to range from 1-9 kittens. I. Estrous cycle of the female dog C. Varies depending on breed and sizeThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.D. May begin around 6 months of age and as late as 18 months in some larger breeds E. Cycles occur, on average, every 7 months i. Varies from 4-12 months F. Smaller breeds: 2-10 puppies G. Larger breeds: anywhere from 5-20 puppies I. Spay and Neuter: why its so greatH. What is spay/neuter i. A simple surgical procedure to sterilize an animal ii. This procedure prevents the animal from breeding in the futureI. Why spay and neuter your pets i. Happier, healthier petsJ. Femalesi. No heat cyclesii. Less desire to roam iii. Risk of mammary gland tumors and ovarian or uterine cancer is reduced or eliminatediv. Live longer, happier livesK. Males i. Reduces or eliminates spraying/markingii. Less desire to roamiii. Risk of testicular cancer is eliminated and incidence of prostate disease is decreased iv. Live longer, happier livesII. Benefits of spay and neuter L. Combating companion animal overpopulation M. The US alone faces companion animal overpopulation totaling in the millions i. Until we can find good homes for every pet, many shelters across the country are forced to euthanize healthy animalsii. Spay/neuter is the single best way to prevent animal overpopulationN. Community and state benefitsi. Unwanted and stray animals can be a danger to the public, causing a number of health issues 1. Biteii. Capture, impoundment and eventual euthanasia of unwanted animals costs taxpayers and private humanitarian agencies over a billion dollars each year.III. Companion animal overpopulation O. Realitiesi. Illinois1. 127,000 cats and dogs are euthanized in shelters in Illinois every year 2. That’s 348 every dayii. The only safe, humane, and sustainable way to put an end to this devastating trend is through widespread access to affordable spay/neutersurgery iii. Responsible Pet Ownership begins with spay/neuterP. What about the pets w/ no owners?i. Low cost spay/neuter for animal shelters 1. At our clinic, we offer financial assistance and often subsidize spay/neuter for shelter and rescue partnersii. Trap, Neuter, Release1. TNR involves the brief capture, transport, surgery, and ear tip of feral cats, before returning them to their colony2. There are a few organizations working on TNR in Illinois. As a registered non-profit, Spay Illinois uses all overhead funds to finance TNR efforts in downstate areas like Kankakee county. Q. With so many benefits, why isn't everybody doing it?i. Lack of information1. Many folks simply don’t know that there are so many health benefits to spaying and neutering their animals 2. Others may not know that there are VERY affordable and accessible options for veterinary care and spay/neuter surgery nearby3. Many people are unaware of the appropriate age to schedule their pets spay/neuter surgery. We recommend, "beating the heat" and spaying before 5 months of age R. Misinformationi. "I want to become a breeder b/c it’s a great way to make some money" 1. Not only is it incredibly short sighted to forget about the thousands of perfectly healthy puppies and kittens already in shelters facing euthanasia on a daily basis, raising litters is actually a financial burden. The cost of raising little, far exceeds the cost of a spay/neuter surgery ii. "My pet is too young for spay/neuter surgery"1. Cats and dogs can safely undergo spay/neuter surgery before 5 months of age. There are so many benefits to spaying before your pet's first heat cycleIV. Dispelling spay/neuter myths (cont.) S. Misinformationi. "I've heard there's health benefits associated with allowing your pet to have at least one litter"1. Actually, medical science indicates that the opposite is true. Spay neuter surgery is proven to reduce and even eliminate the risk of certain cancers and it also alters certain behaviors that result in injury, like aggression and tendency to roam ii. Financial reasons1. "Spay and Neuter Surgery costs hundreds of dollars and I simply cant afford a procedure like that at this time"a. Sure, many full service vet clinics may charge upwards of $250 to perform the procedure, but its important to keep in mind that many national, state, and local programs exist to help families on a budget provide affordable, quality vet care to their animals, too. Many programs through county animal control and participating vets can offer vouchers forsurgery for remarkably low prices or often times for free. V. What do you do at Spay Illinois?T. Low cost spay/neuter i. Our work is guided by the idea that the only humane way to end the suffering and euthanasia of companion animals is through widespread access to low cost spay/neuter surgery1. Residents can bring their pets directly to the Pet Well Clinic 2. Transport days3. Reduced fees for Feral Cats and Pit bulls 4. Referral program: for customers who don’t live near our clinics, we will refer a participating veterinarian for reduced pricing U. Vaccine clinics i. Every pet over should have access to quality, affordable preventative veterinary care 1. Low cost vaccine clinics