Recovery from neutering

[Helgathehairy]

I have a 2 year old male golden retriever.

He's not neutered yet as research now shows goldens shouldn't be neutered before 18 months. When he got to 18 months I had just had a baby so just forgot about it for a while.

Started thinking about it again and we are dithering between getting the implant and full neutering.

What's putting us off the full neutering at the moment is PILs had their golden neutered at 6 months and he had a really tough week of recovery. Whinging, crying, being sick. I'm on my own with DD all day and wondering if this was normal?

My previous experience with male dogs is that they've been pretty much back to normal within a day or so. My bitch was neutered last year and was ok within about 3-4 days.

It is quite an individual thing, it can hit some dogs harder than others, and also all depends on what drugs are used as a premed, to anaesthetise, pain relief etc etc. Ideally they will probably bit a bit quiet for a 24-48 hours, but should be recovered fully from the GA by this time. Also, if there is decent pain relief on board, not too much whinging and crying. SOME dogs do do this for a bit of attention though anyway! There shouldn't really be any vomiting, unless they don't agree with the pain relief, which is mostly non-steroidal anti-inflammatories nowadays, unless contra-indicated, and can cause GI upset.

Do you think he needs neutering? There is the opinion that the reasons formerly given to castrate (anal adenomas, prostate issues, testicular cancers) aren't actually all that prevalent anyway. There are a lot of people choosing to not neuter their male dogs now. Does he have regular access to an un-spayed female? Hunt down the ladies in season? Mount the teddy bears and/or the children?

Normally you get a day or two of being a bit off, just subdued and not quite right, occasionally that lasts a week and they're a bit sore and bruised...whinging crying and being sick isn't normal.

My dog was done at 10 months (terrier and humping constantly) and he was back to normal the following day .

My dog was done at three and apart from being a bit grumpy for a day he was fine. Being ill for a whole week is not normal. Surely they took the dog back to the vets?

My guys was pretty much normal 24 hours after. The issue was keeping him still to heal! All dogs are different though. It sound as if your PIL's dog was particularly sensitive to the anaesthesia.

Aked I'm really undecided in having him done at all really! I've been reading research which is showing that not neutering is possibly the healthiest option.

He doesn't have contact with female dogs and we have a completely secured garden but we live rurally where there are a lot of unspayed sheepdogs. If he were to get out there could be trouble.

He humps DH and I but no teddies and DD is only 11 months so not humping her! The humping is the reason DH wants him done but I think the humping is more excited related and having him neutered might not stop it.

Yes PILs contacted the vet re their dog and he said it was probably just a reaction and to just watch him. It took him about a week before he recovered.

We had our lab done at 18 months because he was being a real nuisance at doggy day care humping every dog he could. Also he took ball licking and sucking to a new level!
Took 24 hours to recover. Absolutely no humping since although the rest of lab teenage behaviour remains! e.g. selective hearing

Had my lurcher done at 12 mths,& was fighting fit 24hrs later,we had internal stitches so no need for the dreaded lampshade.

Fwiw my dog also humps, when she gets excited. She has it all wrong

My boy was neutered at 12 years as he had a lump in his testicle, was fine later that evening and he is the biggest whinger going, had the lampshade but only left it on him at night as he wasn't bothering with the wound at all
He never really was a problem humping and only used to do it occasionally, although when he did he was like a dog possessed he still does it now and then and has to be sent to the kitchen for some time out and to calm himself down

We had our goldie done at 15 months because if there was a bitch in heat within about 100 miles he wouldn't eat and would pace and whine and look for every opportunity to escape. He would also hump anything and everything and spend far, far too much time keeping his bits clean. He was fine again within a day or so and all the behaviors stopped, except he'd still try and hump our older dog when he got over excited on a walk.