It’s still difficult for me to comprehend that there was a time in my veterinary career when there wasn’t a pair of canine or feline testicles or ovaries that was safe from my scalpel. But just as we no longer remove reproductive organs from humans at the drop of a hat (let alone those of children) for reasons science makes clear, so science is making me and others question of the wisdom of doing so to companion animals.
I also acknowledge that this remains a contentious and often highly symbolic issue in our society that never may be resolved. Even so and in spite of all the rhetoric and emotion surrounding the subject, what we do when and how ultimately boils down to what we and our animal gain by doing it vs. what we and they lose. The challenge is to accept the responsibility for whatever we choose as if affects our animal’s health, behavior, and bond with us.
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