Care for ur pets... neuter them...

Important reasons to spay or neuter your pet

More than 4 million pets are euthanized in U.S. animal shelters each year simply
because they have no home. Many are puppies and kittens less than 6 months old.
Help stop this needless loss of life. Spay or neuter your pet.

Spaying your female pet (ovariohysterectomy):
Removal of the ovaries and uterus.
Ideal age is 4 to 6 months.
• Eliminates the risk of ovarian and uterine cancer.
• Eliminates unwanted pregnancies.
• If spayed before the first heat cycle, your pet has a less than 1 percent chance of developing breast cancer.
If spayed after one heat cycle, your pet has an 8 percent chance of developing breast cancer.
If spayed after two heat cycles, the risk increases to 26 percent.
After two years, no protective benefit exists.
• Pets with diabetes or epilepsy should be spayed to prevent hormonal changes that may interfere with medication

Neutering your male pet (castration):
Removal of the testicles and spermatic cord.
Ideal age is 4 to 6 months.
• Eliminates the risk of testicular cancer, the second most common tumor in male dogs.
• Greatly reduces the risk of prostate cancer and prostatitis.
• Reduces the risk of perianal tumors.
• Reduces roaming and fighting.
• Eliminates or reduces spraying or marking in males neutered before 6 months of age or before the onset of these behaviors.
• Eliminates the risk and spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
• Eliminates unwanted litters.

*from firstline

爱护您的宠物，请阉割它们

在美国的动物庇护所，每年大约有4百万只猫狗被迫安乐死，主要原因是它们都是流浪猫和狗，而且大部分都是少于6个月大的小狗和小猫。
为了避免这些悲剧一直重演，请阉割您的宠物猫和狗。

阉割雌性猫狗 （spay/ovariohysterectomy）
- 猫和狗可以在6个月大左右进行卵巢和子宫割除手术
好处是：
- 减低患上卵巢癌和子宫癌的风险
- 避免怀孕
- 在猫和狗首次发情前进行阉割手术，患乳癌率低于1%
- 在猫和狗首次发情后进行阉割手术，患乳癌率约8%
- 在猫和狗经过2次发情期后进行阉割手术，患乳癌率高达26%

阉割雄性猫狗（castration）
- 猫和狗可以在6个月大左右进行睾丸和精索割除手术
好处是：
- 减低患睾丸癌的风险
- 减低患前列腺癌和前列腺炎的风险
- 减低患围肛腺瘤的风险
- 减少到处游荡和打斗的次数
- 若在6个月大前阉割，可减除猫狗到处喷尿留记号的坏习惯
- 减低性病传染的风险
- 可以避免及减少一出世就被遗弃的小狗和小猫

*摘自firstline

苍蝇虫/ screw worms, maggot wound

最近诊所治疗了很多只因为苍蝇虫(screw worms) 蛀烂了他们的耳朵、鼻子、脚趾、屁股及其他部位的狗狗。
这些可怜的狗狗在被送进来的时候，都是满头鲜血和臭气冲天的。大家可以想象，我们通常都会在垃圾堆中，看到苍蝇虫在蠕动，单单这样看，就已经感觉很恶心了，更何况这些虫在活着的动物的身上蠕动，并‘拼命’地在吸食狗狗的血肉，真的替狗狗觉得难受。

其实，苍蝇虫的出现是可以避免的，最重要是环境卫生，以及狗狗要有健康及干净的皮肤和毛发。 很多时候，当狗狗的耳朵、鼻子及屁股都是因为肮脏及产生异味，而吸引苍蝇在该处产卵，而这些卵就会开始以钻洞的方式，钻进皮肉，并且以吸食血肉为生。

要医治苍蝇虫的伤口，首先要将苍蝇虫都除掉，然后喷射一种可以防止苍蝇产卵的药粉在伤口内，并在第二及第三天重复此做法，直至所有苍蝇虫都清除了，就可以等候伤口慢慢复原。如果伤口仍残留苍蝇虫的尸骸，那么，这个伤口可能就不会复原了。

我们经常见到的苍蝇虫病例当中，以西施狗及其他混种狗最为普遍。西施狗的鼻梁和眼角之间，比较容易堆积眼屎和眼水，并会发出臭味，很容易吸引苍蝇在该处产卵。所以狗主们要多注意狗狗的眼、耳、鼻及皮肤，否则，辛苦了狗狗，也辛苦狗主要照顾血腥的伤口。