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Whether you are a first time dog owner or an old hand who has “parented” several dogs, there is one decision we all need to make when bringing a puppy or older dog into our lives. And that is, if we should have our dog spayed or neutered. For breeders this is not something they need be concerned about but as responsible pet owners the rest of us should consider this option very seriously. Read on for spay and neutering facts to help with your decision.
Spay and Neutering Facts
Male dogs are neutered; there are many good reasons to have your male dog neutered. This is known as an orchiectomy, where the testicles are removed. It is a simple operation done routinely at most veterinarian practices, and your dog is back up and on the go after a week to ten days. The pluses for doing so are the dog tends to be calmer as an inside dog and for outside dogs as well. By removing the testicles the male dog is not driven by the hormone testosterone to run off and find a willing female dog.
The dog will also be less prone to developing prostrate problems, prevents testicular cancer, and lowers the risk of developing perianal cancers and hernias. He will also be friendlier towards other male dogs.
The female dog is spayed. This is the surgical removal of her reproductive organs. Known as an ovariohysterectomy the normal time for this procedure is at 6 months of age, and prevailing evidence suggests that spaying your pet before she has her first heat cycle greatly reduces the possibility of developing breast cancer. And of course it completely eliminates the threat of uterine and ovarian cancer as well as uterine infection issues.
The advantage of having your female dog spayed include no chance of having unwanted puppies, thus far fewer dogs have to be put down at animal shelters. This is reason enough as far as I am concerned. No messes to constantly clean up when she is in her ten day heat cycle twice a year plus no need to keep her confined from other male dogs.
We have found that our dogs seem to be a lot calmer and have a better temperament than in the past when we did not have them fixed.
Spay and neutering facts need to be better understood since the common misconception is these procedures will make their dog fat. This is a flat-out myth, as explained in an article on the Humane Society’s website:
MYTH: My pet will get fat and lazy.
FACT: The truth is that most pets get fat and lazy because their owners feed them too much and don’t give them enough exercise.
Do you routinely spay and neuter your dogs? Can you tell a “before vs after” difference? Share your experiences below.
