The advantage and disadvantages of dog neutering.
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Neutering Disadvantages
- Your pet will be incapable of producing offspring.
Neutering Advantages
- Eliminates likelihood of:
- Testicular cancer – Life threatening
- Mammary cancer - Life threatening
- False pregnancies – Distressing for both dog and owner
- Pyometra – (womb infection) possibly life threatening if not caught in time, results in the bitch needing to be spayed anyway
- Seasons – Can be very messy and time consuming
- Straying – Entire male and female dogs quite commonly find ways to escape to find a mate, this is a common cause of road traffic accidents.
- Eliminates the risk of unwanted pregnancies
- Is known to calm behaviour
Myths and Facts
Dogs put on weight after being neutered
No, but their diet may need reducing as they no longer need the energy to produce the sex hormones.
Bitches need to have litter of pups before they are spayed
Bitches don’t need to have puppies before being spayed there is no evidence to suggest it has any effect on their behaviour.
Will my dog have to stay in the hospital for a few days
Neutering is a routine operation. Your dog will be admitted in the morning and discharged that afternoon/evening.
It is very expensive
It does come at a fee, it is but it is something that should be taken into account when getting a new pet it is certainly cheaper than an unwanted pregnancy or the cost incurred from a road traffic accident from dogs straying. Please call reception for a quote.
Our Advice
If you are thinking of getting your dog castrated we generally advise they can be neutered any age from 1 year old onwards, with large breed dogs waiting until 18 months old.. Current studies show this decreases some health issues later in life and allows for the adolescent surge of testosterone which helps with their confidence. Confident, smaller breed dogs can be neutered earlier.
If you are thinking getting your bitch spayed, again we advise from 1 year old onwards, with large breed dogs waiting until 18 months old. If she comes into season we advise that she is spayed 4 months after the season has finished.
Please make sure that the decision to neuter or not to neuter is the right one.
At the Ardmore Veterinary Group we aim to provide the highest standard of professional veterinary care. If you find any of the information displayed incorrect please do not hesitate to call us. We are here to listen and assist in any way we can.