Why You Should Spay and Neuter Your Pets (Hint: You'll Save Money!) (2024)

6 second take: You might save a few bucks today by not getting your pet fixed, but you’ll end up spending more money in the long term.

Growing up, I always had a friend with a litter of kittens or puppies stashed away at home. Getting pets spayed or neutered was an expensive surgery that was beyond the means of most people in our town, so few parents had the procedure done to their pets.

While I understand why people might be reluctant to shell out several hundred dollars for an elective surgery, in the long run, you’ll likely pay a lot more if you don’t do it. So I decided to take a look at some of the lesser-known costs of not spaying and neutering your pets to see how much extra you might shell out over their lifetimes. I also researched ways to minimize the cost of the surgery.

1. Behavior Problems, or “What’s That Smell?”

If you don’t spay or neuter your pet, chances are that they’ll make a mess out of your living space. Both males and females can spray, claw, dig, howl, and bite through things in a desperate attempt to find love.

You could end up facing thousands of dollars in repair bills if you own a home. Or if you're a renter, you might lose your deposit on your apartment. The deposit on my apartment is $400, and I would like to get it back when I leave!

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On top of that, animals who haven't been spayed or neutered are more likely to escape. They'll also likely roam farther in their quest for a mate than a fixed pet would. They could ignore cars and bikes, causing expensive accidents or death.

If animal control picks up your lost pet, you’ll also face impound fees. My local animal control charges $40, plus an extra $10 per day for boarding costs.

There's also a good chance that your lost pet could hurt someone while roaming — especially another dog.

“Neutering your male pet decreases the occurrence of bad behaviors like humping, marking, and aggression, and eliminates their risk of testicular cancers,” says Elizabeth Miller, an associate veterinarian at Pleasant Valley Veterinary Clinic. You could be sued for tens of thousands of dollars if your dog bites someone.

2. Health Problems Galore

Why You Should Spay and Neuter Your Pets (Hint: You'll Save Money!) (1)Unspayed females are prone to an infection of the reproductive system called pyometra. Pyometra affects roughly one in fourunspayed females before the age of 10, according to Huffard Animal Hospital. and the most common treatment is surgery — with an average price tag of $1,200.

Animals who haven’t been spayed or neutered are also prone to cancer in their reproductive system simply because they have more parts that can get cancer.

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“Spaying drastically decreases your female pet’s risk of mammary cancer, and completely eliminates their risk of uterine and ovarian cancers and life-threatening uterine infections (pyometra),” Miller says.

Unspayed female dogs, for instance, have a 26 percent risk of developing breast cancer after their second heat, while spayed females have a .5 percent risk, according to the American College of Veterinary Surgeons — and cancer surgeries don’t come cheap. You could spend upwards of $7,000 to treat your pet.

That said, you might want to invest in pet insurance to help cover unexpected costs, even for a fixed pet. For example,Pets Bestcovers up to 90 percent of veterinary costs.

3. The High Cost of Dealing With Newborn Puppies and Kittens

The consequences might be cute if your pet unexpectedly becomes pregnant, but those consequences come with a high price tag. New puppies and kittens need to be checked by a veterinarian, then vaccinated and wormed.

Dogs can give birth to one to twelve puppies in a litter. Cats can give birth to five or more kittens. That could add up to a vet bill of several hundred dollars.

4. Licensing Fees — Yes, You Have to Pay Them

Did you know that you’re supposed to register your pet with your local government? Many people ignore registering their pet, but in most places, it's the law. Registering your pet can help you get them back if you lose them, and it helps to support your local animal shelter.

However, when registering, you’ll likely pay higher fees if your pet isn’t spayed or neutered. My local government charges $12 for each fixed cat or dog, but if your pet isn’t spayed or neutered, that number jumps to $35. If my dog and two cats weren’t spayed, I’d spend an extra $230 over the course of 10 years!

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Why Don’t More People Have Their Pets Spayed and Neutered?

There are many reasons why some people believe that they don’t need to have their pets fixed.

“Some male owners feel that their male pet ‘will feel like less of a man’ if they get him neutered,” says Miller.

“Many female owners tell me that they don’t want to spay their female pets because they want their human children to ‘experience the miracle of birth' or that they want to try their hand at breeding. But the lack of interest in spaying and neutering usually stems from a lack of education on the risks and benefits.”

However, the benefits clearly outweigh the negatives.

Low-Cost Spay and Neuter Options

Hopefully, I’ve made a good case for you to have your pets spayed or neutered if they aren’t already. If you’re strapped for cash and can’t afford the surgery, the good news is there are plenty of low-cost spay and neuter options available.

If you're looking to get a new pet and are concerned about the cost of getting them neutered, you could save money by adopting a pet from a shelter. Shelters often spay and neuter the pets they have up for adoption at no additional cost to the adopter, or else offer a financial incentive to get the procedure done. Plus, by choosing this option, you’ll be helping out a homeless animal and driving down the demand for backyard (read: often unscrupulous) breeders at the same time.

“Prevention is always less expensive than treatment. Always. Most spays and neuters cost a few hundred dollars at most veterinary clinics, and even less at rescues and shelters,” Miller says.

“The operations that are required to save your pets’ life when they are left intact and develop serious cancers or infections cost several thousand dollars and are often much more risky, as these pets tend to be older and can have other concurrent diseases that increase their risk when undergoing anesthesia,” she adds.

If you’re looking to spay or neuter your current pet, you can also find low-cost spay and neuter programs all over the country. These operations work through volunteer veterinarians and technicians who schedule many operations in one day, driving the cost down for you. Some local governments even offer voucher programs that will reduce costs even further.

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My local government runs a Spay and Neuter Incentive Program (SNIP) and offers vouchers for surgeries that cost between $35 and $75 per pet. That’s as much as a bag of food! With prices that low, there is really no excuse.

Additional reporting by Lauren Fierro.

Why You Should Spay and Neuter Your Pets (Hint: You'll Save Money!) (2024)

FAQs

Why You Should Spay and Neuter Your Pets (Hint: You'll Save Money!)? ›

Spaying female dogs and cats eliminates the possibility of uterine or ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the incidence of breast cancer. Neutering male dogs and cats reduces the incidence of prostate cancer. Neutered animals are less likely to roam and fight.

Why we should spay and neuter your pets? ›

By having your pet spayed or neutered, you will do your part to prevent the birth of unwanted animals. What's more, you could be setting your pet up for a longer life, as studies have repeatedly shown that spayed or neutered dogs and cats live longer, on average, than other dogs and cats.

How does spaying and neutering save lives? ›

Benefits of Spaying and Neutering. Neutering decreases the risk of prostatic disease, hernias, and certain cancers in males. Spaying eliminates life-threatening conditions such as ovarian cancer and pyometra and has been shown to reduce the risk of certain cancers in females.

Why does Price is Right say get your pets spayed or neutered? ›

Bob Barker's Personal Commitment:

In the early 1980s, he made the decision to spay and neuter all of his own pets, setting an example for others to follow. His personal commitment to responsible pet ownership laid the foundation for his passionate advocacy.

Why is spaying or neutering so expensive? ›

Spaying a female dog is often more expensive because it requires abdominal surgery that is more complicated and time-consuming, say Turano. Neutering a male dog doesn't require entering the abdominal cavity. So, the procedure usually doesn't take as long, he adds.

Do neutered dogs live longer? ›

Another study, conducted by Banfield Pet Hospitals on a database of 2.2 million dogs and 460,000 cats reflected similar findings, concluding that neutered male dogs lived 18% longer and spayed female dogs lived 23% longer. Spayed female cats in the study lived 39% longer and neutered male cats lived 62% longer.

Is spayed and neutered good or bad? ›

How is spay/neuter good for my pet? It improves its health and wellness. Spayed or neutered pets are less prone to diseases including breast cancer in females and testicular cancer or prostate enlargement in males. In addition to that benefit, spay/neuter will not make your pet overweight or lazy.

What are the positive and negative effects of spaying and neutering? ›

On the positive side, since dogs who have been spayed or neutered no longer have sex organs, they don't get diseases associated with sex organs or hormones. There is also evidence that it is the loss of hormones from spaying and neutering dogs that is causing an increased risk of long-term health problems.

Why do neutered cats live longer? ›

Neutering male pets eliminates their risk of testicular cancer and eliminates the possibility of developing benign prostatic hyperplasia which can affect the ability to defecate. Another reason why altered cats live longer than their unaltered peers, is that their urge to roam is significantly decreased.

Is spaying good for animals? ›

Spaying (in females) and neutering (in males) means sterilization of pets so that they can't have babies. There is scientific evidence that spayed and neutered pets live longer and may experience other health benefits.

Should I spay my dog pros and cons? ›

Why Should Pets Get Fixed: The Pros and Cons of Spay/Neuter
  • Pro #1: No unwanted pregnancy. ...
  • Pro #2: Help decrease pet overpopulation. ...
  • Pro #3: There are health benefits with being fixed. ...
  • Pro #4: There are behavioral benefits. ...
  • Con #1: The risks. ...
  • Con #2: Hormone imbalances can happen.
Feb 9, 2024

Are female dogs spayed right? ›

It is generally recommended that all female dogs are spayed There are many health benefits and advantages to spaying your dog and spaying also helps reduce the pet overpopulation crisis; however there is emerging evidence to support delaying the surgery in large breed dogs.

Is it cheaper to get a male or female dog fixed? ›

In general, it tends to be more expensive to spay a pet than it is to neuter one.

Why do spays cost so much? ›

Given the specialized skill, modern equipment, high-quality materials and expensive drugs attached to pet sterilization, it's no stretch to say that spays are probably underpriced by most veterinary hospitals.

Is spaying more painful than neutering? ›

Spaying female dogs is a more complex procedure than neutering males, but both have similar recovery times. After surgery, your dog may feel tired or queasy due to the effects of anesthesia, but they should begin to act like themselves the following day with minimal pain or discomfort.

What happens if you don't spay or neuter your dog? ›

From a health perspective, male dogs that aren't neutered can develop serious infections of the prostate, as well as testicular cancer and tumors, which can require invasive and expensive surgery. Unspayed female dogs can also cause a whole other set of problems — one big one being that they can get pregnant.

Why should you spay and neuter your cats? ›

Spaying or neutering your cat, as well as community cats (i.e., free-roaming cats who live outdoors), prevents unwanted births, which helps reduce overpopulation in animal shelters. Another benefit is that spaying or neutering reduces or eliminates sexual behaviors in cats that people generally consider a nuisance.

Should all pets be spayed or neutered? ›

All pets should be spayed or neutered at 6 months of age. It is most beneficial for the health of the pet if done before the first “heat” cycle.

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