To Breed or Not To Breed, That Is the Question

             

                       

                        Caring for pets is my life work. My daily aspiration is to educate pet owners about providing compassionate and loving care to their pets to insure that all pets live long and, most importantly, healthy lives. One area that requires constant education by all veterinarians is controlling the pet population.  Unfortunately, my career aspiration will never be entirely successful because there will always be pet owners who breed pets that should not be bred. 

            Call it a pet peeve, but nothing annoys me more as a veterinarian than individuals who choose to breed their pets without a good reason for doing so.  I’ve heard the full gamut of reasons: “I want my children to experience the miracle of birth” or “he’s such a great pet that we want another one just like him,” and my all time favorite, “we want to breed her because she has ‘papers.’” 

            I respond to these comments by suggesting that pet owners and their children visit an overcrowded animal rescue facility to witness the end results of “the miracle of birth” and indiscriminate or “casual pet breeding.”  Attempts to reproduce that “amazing pet” often result in disappointment as the offspring fail to live up to expectations.  Oh yes,  then there’s the issue of the pet being purebred and having (registration) “papers;” did you know that even registered pets often have congenital defects or are descendents of ancestors with multiple defects? 

            The duty of a pet breeder is to improve the breed’s genetics, not to contribute to its defects.  With this in mind, any pet owner who is considering breeding a pet should consult a veterinarian and a breed expert to determine if the pet in question is a good candidate for breeding.  Pets should have hip x-rays to identify hip dysplasia (a malformation of the hip joint), a thorough eye exam and blood tests for hypothyroidism or other specific breed diseases prior to considering breeding. 

            I also like to remind pet owners who are considering breeding their pets that once a litter is born, you, the pet owner, are directly responsible for every member of that litter for its entire lifespan.  That means that any pet adopted out by you should be returned to you if the new owner is unable or unwilling to properly care for it, since that pet is on this earth because you chose for its birth to happen.  While some may think this reasoning is a little strong, I see it as an important responsibility. 

            Casual pet breeders are often struck by the reality that raising newborn pets is a lot of work, especially if the offspring require orphan rearing.  Weaning is another time when the pet owner’s workload multiplies, as very young animals take great effort to keep clean and content.  All too often young pets are weaned too early and then adopted out at an inappropriately early age because the pet owners are no longer interested in attending to them.  Sadly, young animals that are weaned too early or separated from their littermates prematurely are the same pets that later occupy animal shelters because their temperaments are often poor. 

            Who should breed pets then?  The best pet breeders are thoroughly educated about acceptable breed and health standards and the breeding process. Consulting a veterinarian as well as a mentor for your pet’s breed (an experienced, reputable breeder) is essential prior to making the decision to breed a pet.  Furthermore, there is never a good reason to breed a crossbred pet---intentionally or otherwise.   

            Please consider the decision to breed your pet carefully.  Pets that are never bred, but instead are neutered prior to the onset of puberty, experience great health and behavioral advantages. If you are considering creating more pets, I would ask you to ponder adopting a deserving, homeless shelter pet instead.

 

 

By Dr. Bonnie Jones