Vet has just recommended leaving dog entire

[ijustwant8hours]

Is this normal? I always expected that he would be neutered...

She said that if there were no behavioural issues her advice was to leave them whole.

Thanks

[issey6cats]

what an old fashioned attitude having balls or not has nothing to do with thier behaviour pre op rescues up and down the country are at breaking point because of attitudes like this and this from a vet, im speechless, all my dogs all my life have been neutered and they havent seemed to miss thier balls lol

[flowerytaleofNewYork]

Did she say why? The breeder we got our spaniel from said she personally preferred to leave them entire because their coat stays more glossy..

We decided that wasn't good enough reason and had him done last week, much to his disgust.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Males there is emerging evidence that there significant long term risks associated with neutering. I tend to give owners all the benefits and disadvantages and let them make the decision.

[flowerytaleofNewYork]

What are the health risks Lonecat?

Bit late now mind...!

I didn't want the doggy CSA on my back...

[ChickensHaveNoEyebrows]

What risks, Lonecat? I had Jas neutered at 6 months to make sure he didn't add to the dog population. Apart from the fact there are already too many dogs and not enough homes, he's genetically waft.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

There is some evidence of increased risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer) in neutered males of certain large breeds.
There is some evidence that whilst neutering reduces the risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia there is an increased risk of prostatic adenocarcinoma.
As I say some evidence in both cases we don't have a clear cut answer I am afraid.
What I can say is I choose to neuter my male dog, but partly as he often runs with my Dad's dogs and he breeds in a tiny way so has un-neutered females.

[ijustwant8hours]

She didn't elaborate and I didn't get my head together in time to ask

I have to speak to them again anyway so I will enquire further, I don't want any risk of unwanted puppies, although I will be careful of course. I would prefer him to be "done". He isn't a large breed.

[fanoftheinvisiblebigredman]

My vet did advise getting it done as a matter of course but my decision will have be when.

My vet advises from 6 months but the behaviourist at puppy classes recommends 12 to 18 months to avoid ending up with immature behaviours for good. I was all geared up for getting him done aroynd feb but now unsure again.

[AdoraJingleBells]

So, presumably, if he runs off in persuit of a bitch the vet is going to home and look after the puppies . I'd ignore the "advice" and neuter him if that's what works for you. Mine are neutered because I don't have the space, or inclination to deal with litters of puppies.

[ijustwant8hours]

I will definitely get it done, but I was a bit shocked at the vets advice and just wondered whether it was standard!

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Best practice is to advise that it is not clear cut and that these are the potential risks. Unfortunately both the diseases that it can increase the risk of are virtually unresponsive to any current treatments.
I attended a large clinical review meeting in the summer which discussed all of these issues surronding neutering.
It was felt that with the emerging evidence it would be wrong not to give owners the facts about the potential risks.

[WhenSantaGotStuckUpACunnyFunt]

The breeder who my friend got her bitch from asked a bloke who took one of her male puppies to leave him entire so if she needed to, she could borrow him to breed from the bloke wasn't going to do that but as it turned out he had to have them lopped off for a medical reason anyway.

[Scuttlebutter]

Lonecat, my understanding (and please correct me if I'm wrong) for males is that it can increase the risk of osteosarcoma in large breeds such as greyhounds, GDs etc and that this risk is increased if neutering is carried out early before physical maturity is complete. So as with many issues, it depends on the breed of dog and their propensity to particular diseases. As you know we have greys, and bone cancer is a big worry but fortunately most ex racers are not neutered until they come off the track when their physical growth has completed.

Even though this risk is present, I still think it's impossible to compare this to the massive risks of death caused by overbreeding - you only have to look at the heartbreaking PTS statistics for dog pounds in UK and other countries even 20 years ago - the death rates were monstrous. I'd hate to see the huge strides made in reducing this (which still haven't gone far enough) reversed. I saw a very interesting paper done by an American economist who had created a mathematical model looking at the effects of spay/neuter programmes on shelter/pound populations. It was amazing. Will have to see if I can dig out the reference.

[Floralnomad]

We had ours done mainly because by about 8 months he was humping everything and anything and you couldn't dissuade him from it and it was a complete nightmare and quite embarrassing

[lougle]

I was advised to leave my pup entire because he is very nervy (around, well, everything, really) so the behaviourist said that he needs as much testosterone as he can possibly get right now, so don't neuter.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Scuttle the most recent study found that age of neutering made no difference to the osteosarc. We are sadly seeing them in older dogs now rather than the classic young to middle aged.
I think we feel that we have to arm owners with all these facts before a decision is made in this increasing litigious world we live in.

[Ephiny]

I thought waiting until 18mo or so reduced the risk of osteosarcoma too, though I may be out of date. We have rotties so bone cancer is a big worry here too :(

I would still generally say neutering should be the default unless there's a good reason not to do it though. There've been a couple of occasions where a bitch in season has got away from her owner and run up to one of mine when we've been out, and fortunately they were 'done'! I know that's the other owner's responsibility and problem, not mine, just saying it can happen even if the dog's owner is careful, because other owners are often not.

[tabulahrasa]

I've got a rottie too - I'm waiting until he's about 18 months or so, more because I've read about potential joint problems because the growth plates haven't closed.

My vet pushes for early neutering though.

[ArtfulAardvark]

Seems like a funny idea to me - are you never going to walk your animal in public, surely this has the potential to cause a bit of a headache for you?

Also bear in mind that if you were to be using a dog walker or pet sitter I know for a fact that mine will not look after animals that have not been done.

I am sure if there were major reasons why dogs/bitches should not be done then the major rehoming charities wouldnt all be doing it as a matter of course.

[thegriffon]

I think the rehoming charities are more concerned with reducing the number of unwanted puppies than the health risks of castration for individual dogs.

[happygardening]

I've been told that neutering male dogs affects their coats is this true?

[higgle]

My last two dogs, who were rescue were done. My first two dogs were not, they never had the opportunity to mate with a bitch and as they had nice tempraments and didn't play hump ( much) I just felt it was nicer to leave them as they were. If I bought another puppy now I'd have him done, but I wouldn't actually think that taking into account where we live and where he would be exercised it would be necessary, it is just the expected and correct gesture in these times of homeless dogs.

[flowerytaleofNewYork]

happygardening that's what our breeder says. She owns a kennels and shows her dogs, as well as judging shows etc, so I guess she'd know. We just didn't think that was reason enough not to neuter ours.

[happygardening]

I've always had male dogs and never neutered them all have been well socialised so have never fought with other dogs never humped anything and one I think is asexual as he looked completely baffled when he recently met a desperate in season female!
Im not against it just never seen it as necessary. Im not bothered about my dogs coat just wondered what difference it makes or whether its an old wives tale.

[flowerytaleofNewYork]

at completely baffled dog!