Welcome to Maine’s radio show and podcast all about dogs and cats and the people that share their lives. Our goal is to inform and educate you about the needs and wants of your furry friends so that your lives together can be the best that they can be. 
Kate and I discuss the latest news from the pet world covering a wide range of topics such as; basic healthcare, how to choose a good cat or dog food, training, behavior, and management of your pet, resolving problem behavior, serious health issues, and more. Sometimes a show is just the two of us having a conversation, but we also have guests on the shows from our hometown, Bangor, ME and from all throughout the USA. Veterinarians, authors, trainers, behaviorists, filmmakers, shelter managers, and others have all shared their knowledge with us on The Woof Meow Show.
Whether you listen to our podcast or to the show as it is broadcast on Saturday at 9 AM on Z62 Retro Radio AM620, WZON, and WKIT HD3, we hope you find the show enjoyable and a valuable resource and that you become a regular listener. If you have a topic you would like us to consider for the show, contact me at donh@greenacreskennel.com.
Don Hanson, Producer & Co-Host
Feb 15, 2020
If you are wondering if you should spay or neuter your pet, and when to do so, may find this podcast helpful.
Not so many years ago, the consensus opinion was that spaying and neutering pets early was necessary to control pet overpopulation. Evidence also suggested spaying/neutering reduced the risk of various cancers and the development of certain behavioral problems such as aggression and marking. Today, the evidence is less clear. In fact, if you ask five different pet professionals if you should spay or neuter and when to do it, you may get multiple opinions even from the same individual.
Before you decide whether to spay or neuter your pet, the best thing you can do is take the responsibility to do some research and to consider the information that is available. Your decision may depend on many factors; species, breed, your individual pet, lifestyle/situation, and even where you live. Did you know that in some countries it is illegal to spay/neuter a pet, or that, in some of those same countries animal shelters and rescues are unnecessary because they do not have homeless pets? As for the health and behavioral pros and cons of spaying and neutering they can go both ways.
For this show, which first aired on February 15th, 2020, Kate and Don invited Dr. Christine Calder, a veterinary behaviorist, who also spent fifteen years as a general practice veterinarian, to help us sort through the latest information on spaying and neutering so that you will know what to ask and consider when you discuss whether to spay your pet with their veterinarian. Our podcast page will include links to several articles you may find helpful, but be advised they do not encompass all the information on the risks and benefits of spaying and neutering your pet.
Contact Info for Dr. Calder
Facility: Midcoast Humane
Address: 190 Pleasant Street, Brunswick, ME
Phone: (207) 449-1366
Website: https://midcoasthumane.org/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Christine-Calder-DVM-DACVB-Veterinary-Behaviorist-104864721012254/
More info on Dr. Calder from the January 2020 issue of Downeast Dog News - https://downeastdognews.villagesoup.com/p/what-is-a-veterinary-behaviorist/1846547
Podcast – Introducing Dr. Christine Calder, Maine’s 1st Veterinary Behaviorist - http://bit.ly/WMw-DrCalderVetBhx
For Reference
Reexamining the early spay-neuter paradigm in dogs, dvm360, 2019, Dr. Mike Petty and Dr. Mark Goldstein, - https://www.dvm360.com/view/reexamining-early-spay-neuter-paradigm-dogs
Are There Behavior Changes When Dogs Are Spayed or Neutered?, Stanley Coren, PhD., DSc, FRSC, Canine Corner, Psychology Today - https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/canine-corner/201702/are-there-behavior-changes-when-dogs-are-spayed-or-neutered
Long-Term Health Risks and Benefits Associated with Spay/Neuter in Dogs, Laura J. Sanborn, M.S., dogs naturally blog, - https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/long-term-health-risks-benefits-spay-neuter-dogs/
Behavioral and Physical Effects of Spaying and Neutering Domestic Dogs (Canis familiaris), Summary of findings detailed in a Masters thesis submitted to and accepted by Hunter College by Parvene Farhoody in May 2010. - http://www.naiaonline.org/uploads/WhitePapers/SNBehaviorFarhoodyZink.pdf