Spaying (female), neutering (male), altering, sterilizing, fixing and castrating are all standard terms used to describe the surgical process to render pets unable to reproduce.

There are several misconceptions and old wives’ tales about pets being spayed or neutered.

One of them is you should let your female dog or cat have at least one heat cycle before having her spayed.

Another is that neutering a male dog will change his personality, making him less masculine and more submissive or feminine-like. Then there’s the idea that all pets spayed or neutered always become overweight and often obese. Once again, not right.

The fact is there is no scientific evidence supporting any of these claims.

Altered pets do tend to gain weight. However, most pets change at an age when they are no longer young puppies or kittens. They begin to calm down and are less active.

Altering slows their metabolism. Therefore, you should decrease food by 25 percent after getting a pet “fixed.”

With modern-day, exceptionally safe anesthetics, the surgical procedure for sterilization is safer and more routine.

Scientifically-proven facts show sterilized pets have significantly reduced chances of developing certain types of cancer.

In general, spayed and neutered pets live longer.

Neutered male dogs have significantly reduced chances of having enlarged prostate, prostate cancer, testicular cancer and rectal cancer.

Neutering also reduces undesirable behavioral traits such as urine marking, aggressive behavior and the tendency to roam.

Spayed female dogs have reduced chances of having mammary (breast) cancer.

It diminishes chances of uterine infections and heat cycles, which are messy because of bloody vaginal discharge.

Most importantly, sterilizing pets saves lives by preventing overcrowding in animal shelters. In the United States, an estimated 52 million dogs and 57 million cats live with families.

For every human born, seven puppies and kittens are born.

One female and her offspring can produce 420,000 cats in seven years.

One female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 dogs in six years.

More than 12 million dogs and cats are euthanized in shelters each year. Millions more remain abandoned in rural and urban areas.

At least 25 percent of dogs entering shelters each year are purebred.

Shelters euthanize approximately 61 percent of all dogs and roughly 75 percent of all cats entering its doors.

There are numerous programs to assist in the cost of getting your pet “fixed.”

Several nonprofit groups have received federal grants for spaying and neutering homeless and feral cats. They often take some animals from shelters and provide foster homes for them until they are adopted.

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture usually budgets money for spay-neuter programs for low-income pet owners. Contact your veterinarian for information regarding spay-neuter assistance.

Remember: Have your pets spayed and neutered to ensure they live long, healthy and happy lives.

Dr. Jeff Castle is a veterinarian at Clark County Veterinary Clinic.