Desexing, also known as spaying (for females) or neutering (for males), is a common veterinary procedure. This practice is crucial not only for controlling the pet population in Rarotonga but also for improving the health and behaviour of pets, writes Dr Rose Hasegawa, medical director Te Are Manu Vet Clinic.

Both population control and individual health benefits make desexing an essential consideration for responsible pet ownership.
One of the most compelling reasons for desexing pets is its role in controlling pet population. Each year, hundreds of cats and dogs are surrendered to SPCA, Te Are Manu and Paws and Claws. Uncontrolled breeding exacerbates this issue, as one unspayed female dog and her offspring can produce hundreds of puppies in her lifetime. Cats, especially, can reproduce rapidly; one female cat and her descendants can produce thousands of kittens within just a few years.
Desexing helps to mitigate this by preventing unwanted litters, reducing the number of stray animals, and easing the burden on our rescue organisations. In turn, this reduces the strain on public resources and decreases the number of animals that face euthanasia. Communities with high rates of desexing have fewer strays, resulting in a better quality of life for both pets and people.

Beyond population control, desexing provides significant health benefits for individual animals. For females, spaying eliminates the risk of uterine infections (such as pyometra) and drastically reduces the risk of mammary cancer. Mammary tumours in dogs and cats are often malignant, making early spaying an effective preventive measure. Spaying also eliminates the risk of ovarian and uterine cancers.
For male animals, neutering reduces the risk of testicular cancer and decreases the likelihood of developing prostate issues later in life. Additionally, neutered male dogs and cats tend to exhibit fewer hormonally driven behaviours, such as aggression, roaming, and marking territory with urine. Roaming can lead to dangerous situations for pets, including traffic accidents, fights with other animals, and exposure to diseases.

In addition to health benefits, desexing can lead to more manageable behaviour in pets. Animals that have been desexed often show decreased aggression, which can make them easier to handle and less likely to engage in conflicts with other animals or people. Neutered male dogs are less likely to display dominance-driven behaviours, such as fighting with other males. Cats, too, may show reduced aggression and territorial behaviour after desexing, which can make them more suitable for households.
Each month Te Are Manu and SPCA hold free dog desexing clinics around Rarotonga in each Puna district. Today, we are holding our Puna desexing clinic in Nikao at the Rangiora meeting house. If you or someone you know has a dog that needs to be desexed, please call us on 27719 or 57206. We are accepting dogs between 8am and 2pm, we also have free pick up and drop off service through SPCA, call Junior on 73362.

We look forward to seeing you there!