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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Neutering

33 replies

whatever17 · 04/06/2011 01:33

I got my lovely dogs balls lopped off on Wednesday.

I felt so sorry for the little lully bear. He wobbled out and we carried the poor lully to the car and wrapped him in his blankie.

Obviously it is too late to sew his balls back on - please tell me I did the right thing.

He was 9 months and had never displayed any testostorone behavior, except for barking.

OP posts:

BooyHoo · 04/06/2011 01:37

well, whether it is the right thing depends on why you did it.

if you did it because you think it will give him superpowers, then sorry but i think you've made a mistake

but if you did it for health reasons and to prevent unwanted pregnancies then yes, of course you did the right thing.

when you say testosterone behaviour. what do you mean?

BooyHoo · 04/06/2011 01:38

(BTW, barking is a dog behaviour, you will find he will still bark after the OP. it would be very wrong if he didn't )

Original poster

whatever17 · 04/06/2011 01:54

BooHoo - I did it to prevent pregnancies and on-heat bitch seeking stuff. And just to go with the PC flow really. I just felt sorry for the little sausage really, wobbling out of the vets.

OP posts:

OldLadyKnowsNothing · 04/06/2011 01:55

You did absolutely the right thing. :)

BooyHoo · 04/06/2011 01:57

he'll be fine. it will heal in no time and he will be back to normal. honestly he wont hate you for it

BitOfFun · 04/06/2011 02:20

I was all set (albeit reluctantly) to have my Cavvie pup spayed at six months, but I've just read [[http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/longtermhealtheffectsofspayneuterindogs.pdfthis] and now I'm confused.

What do other people think?

BitOfFun · 04/06/2011 02:21

Sorry, This.

kid · 04/06/2011 08:18

Well I had my pup neutered at 7 months following the advice of my vet. I wanted to be a responsible owner and didn't want him roaming trying to get hold of a dog on heat.
Sadly he died on the operating table. I'm not really comforted that statistics are 0.1% of dogs die during neutering. I will not be taking the same risk with my 1 yr old pup. My new vet has been sensitive and not even mentioned neutering. He knows my story so maybe that's why or perhaps he doesn't believe all dogs should be neutered?

I don't believe I should scare others with my story, but I do believe people need to know that deaths during the op do occur.

minimu1 · 04/06/2011 09:39

You did the right thing without question. Stop over thinking and get on and enjoy your dog.

I in no way want to upset Kid but her dog died due to the GA not the actual neutering from past posts.

So if you have a healthy dog neutering is the right thing to do.

Bast · 04/06/2011 12:36

Mine was done this week and my two kittens are being done next week. Go for a look on dogsblog at all the poor unwanted creatures both from intentionally and unintentionally bred litters ...it's sad reading but it always helps reaffirm to me that we're making responsible choices

coccyx · 04/06/2011 12:39

Completely the right thing. Very sad to lose a dog , but any operation carries risk whether it be for castration or tumour removal.

Bast · 04/06/2011 12:50

Whatever17, aside from meeting social responsibility, you've saved him from a lifetime of sexual frustration!

Kid, I am so sorry to read of what happened to your pup x

midori1999 · 04/06/2011 13:41

I absolutely hate the idea that we have to neuter in order to prevent unwanted pregnancies in dogs. Responsible management and ownership can prevent unwanted breeding just as equally as neutering can, hence I (as well as lots of friends of mine) am able to 'run' a mixed sex dog household where no dogs are currently neutered and never have an unwanted litter.

My male dog will be neutered now he is becoming mature, but I have to admit that is mainly because logistically it will make things much easier for me, seeing as two of my bitches already have to be kept seperate at all times in the house/garden and we don't have a huge house. If he was the only dog in my household, I wouldn't opt to have him neutered at all (despite hating the sight of his 'bits' [shudder] girl dogs are so much nicer... ) and I do not feel the health benefits to male dogs are as clear cut as with bitches where neutering is concerned.

That said, I wouldn't feel bad about neutering a dog because of how the dog feels about it. I would, personally, wait until any dog was physically mature prior to neutering as I feel the benefits outweight the negatives far more in a mature dog.

BooyHoo · 04/06/2011 14:12

also agree with mid WRT waiting until the dog is mature as i am doing with WB. he is only 11 months so it will be a while before i have him neutered. but for me personally i still think i will have it done even though we are a one dog household. i am very responsible but i just cant tell what might happen.

BitOfFun · 04/06/2011 17:48

Isn't six months awfully young though? Or do they get over the surgery more quickly if they are young?

midori1999 · 04/06/2011 18:37

Six months is very young IMO and I can't see any genuine reason to neuter males that young. I can understand the reasoning in neutering bitches prior to their first season, but the risk of mammary cancer is still very low even after one season. The risks or urinary incontinence later in life is much higher when neutering early and although people say it isn't life threatening for the dog, medication doesn't always cure it and incontinence is neither pleasant for owner or dog and for a lot of people would be a reason to rehome.

Some vets say neutering early eases recovery, but in again, in dogs particularly, I am not sure this is the case unless the dog is very old at the time of neutering. Some vets still prefer to neuter bitches after the first season and obviously their personal opinion will come into it, regardless of their profession knowledge, just like with any profession.

As a breeder, I prefer to people to neuter their puppies once they are mature or with bitches at least after their first season and I do tell them my reasons for this, but also that they must discuss with their vet (pros and cons) and do what they are happy with. I wouldn't home puppies to those I didn't feel could make sure they were 'safe' until neutered and I do advise people not to walk in season bitches as a precaution because not everyone has control of their dog.

Original poster

whatever17 · 07/06/2011 01:00

Glad to say Doggy is back to full health, we only kept his cone head on for a day cos he was crying and just stopped him licking his wound for a couple of days.

They said only to let him have short lead walks for 2 weeks which is pissing him off more than losing his balls.

It sounds bad, I always liked him but now that I had to worry about his op and see the little lully wobble out of the surgery, I love him.

I think it's a bit like PND when you only realise you really LOVE your kids when they really need you.

OP posts:

chickchickchicken · 07/06/2011 13:05

you absolutely did the right thing. all of mine are neutered. it is the responsible thing to do. mine were neutered young on the advice of my vet, whom i trust. i also think its kinder to the dog as well as having long term health benefits. the overriding reason for me though is the disgraceful amount of dogs being pts every single day. you may be responsible with your pet but it doesnt guarantee others will be

midori1999 · 07/06/2011 15:18

"you may be responsible with your pet but it doesnt guarantee others will be"

it makes no difference to me what others do, there will be no accidental matings here thanks and the same applies to the many people I know who keep entire dogs (in order to show them) and would be mortified if it were suggested an accidental mating might occur.

GrimmaTheNome · 07/06/2011 15:27

Mine isn't neutered. He's 5, only just started (a little, not very determined) humping this year. We did neuter our last dog, because he was very humpy - he turned from being a fussy eater to a pig (if we'd let him). The current dog has such a lovely personality that we don't want to risk altering it.

However... DDs best friends over the road have just got a collie bitch, and I don't know what their spaying plans are. I'm a little concerned that, while our dog is always under close control when we're out for a walk, an accident might happen closer to home if the girls took the dogs out together.

Threadworm8 · 07/06/2011 15:35

I left neutering my terrier until he was 11 months because I was worried about the need to be sure he was fully mature physically. He has a problem of aggression towards other dogs, usually male dogs, and I do think this is partly from habits of pre-neutering sexual aggression (though it is also fear aggression).

I can't help wondering how much damage I might have done by delaying neutering, how much better off he might have been if I had done it earlier

midori1999 · 07/06/2011 15:36

It would probably be sensible not to attempt to walk an in season bitch and an entire male dog together at all tbh. Unless you and they have very good control over your dogs, an 'accident' is likely. Even if it doesn't happen, it's not very fair on an entire dog to be in close proximity to an in season bitch.

I don't walk my own bitches when in season and don't leave them in the garden unsupervised simply because I cannot account for what other people do with their dogs or how much control they have over them and whilst an accident is still unlikely, my girls are too precious to risk.

midori1999 · 07/06/2011 15:38

Threadworm there is actually quite a lot of evidence to suggest that neutering too early can actually increase aggression in some dogs, particularly where that aggression is fear based.

That is one of the reasons I have put off neutering my own male dog, although I doubt any 'bystander' would put his aggression towards other dogs down to nervousness, it looks anything but. We've pretty much got it sorted now though, hence I am more comfortable neutering.

Threadworm8 · 07/06/2011 15:43

Really, that's very interesting. That makes things even more complicated. I'm sure I was right to neuter him in the end though. But that varies a lot from dog to dog I guess. After I had neatered my spinone (at 18 months -- slower maturing I think) I thought 'why did I do this'. I'm not sure it was necessary at all for him.

GrimmaTheNome · 07/06/2011 15:44

midori, I'd certainly keep them well apart if I know she's in season - but is it always obvious, esp the first time? (bitch is still a wee pup). Sorry to hijack but its been somewhat bothering me, seems drastic to put a perfectly happy healthy dog through surgery on the chance of something preventable by other means. I'm more worried about the little bitch, wondering how high a fence the local farm dog can scale...

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