In an effort to combat the rabies problem in the Philippines, veterinarians are urging the public to spay and neuter their pets.
The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) explained that spaying involves removing a female animal's ovaries, while neutering refers to removing a male animal's testicles.
Castrating pets reduces their tendency to roam outdoors, decreasing their exposure to dangers and reducing the population of stray animals.
"This is very important because it prevents animals from roaming the streets," said Mitzi Padrinao, President of the Philippine Animal Hospital Association.
Padrinao emphasized that castration lowers the risk of spreading zoonotic diseases like rabies to humans.
“For example, if you castrate a male dog, he won't hunt for female dogs anymore, and the pheromones of female dogs in heat won’t affect him. The same goes for females; once spayed, they will no longer seek a mate,” Padrinao explained.
Additionally, spaying and neutering can prevent breast cancer and pyometra in females, reduce the risk of testicular cancer in males, and lower the likelihood of fights among male animals.
The Philippine Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA) is also actively addressing this issue.
According to PVMA President Dr. Harris Constantino, the organization continues to train veterinarians in rural areas to perform proper castrations.
“We’ve reached almost all provinces across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Our goal is to help them understand the importance of what PVMA is doing by teaching castration techniques,” Constantino said.
He stressed that veterinarians in remote areas are gaining confidence through these training programs and breaking the common misconception that their role is limited to administering vaccines.
“People think veterinarians only give injections but with the increase in pet ownership, the risk of rabies transmission has also risen,” Constantino said.
To address this, the PVMA is prioritizing depopulation programs to help reduce the number of stray animals and curb the spread of rabies.
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