Small Animal Advice

Should I Neuter My Dog?

This information sheet sets out the advantages and disadvantages of having your dog neutered

06.01.2013

What is neutering?

In the female dog neutering (also known as "spaying" or ovario-hysterectomy) is the removal (under general anaesthetic) of the uterus and ovaries. In some instances this can be done before the first season, however it is more common to wait until after the first season. Timing of the operation is important and must be about three months after the last season.

In the male dog neutering (also known as castration) is the removal of both testicles (under general anaesthetic) this is usually done at around 6 months of age. In contrast to humans vasectomies are not carried out in dogs.

What are the advantages of neutering?

For the female dog:

• Prevents potentially life threatening uterine infections. (Approx. 1 in 3 bitches who have not been neutered will develop this infection in later life)
• Decreased chance of mammary cancer.
• No further "seasons" and hence no unwanted litters of puppies or attention from male dogs.
• Prevents false pregnancies.

For the male dog:

• Prevents many prostatic and testicular diseases later in life e.g. testicular cancers.
• Can modify antisocial behaviour e.g. urine marking, roaming and inter male aggression. (Please note that if any of the above behaviours are well established then castration will need to be combined with behavioural therapy)

What are the disadvantages of neutering?

As mentioned above, in order to be neutered your dog will have to have an anaesthetic and surgery. There is always a very small risk of anaesthetic complications, but we do take measures to decrease the risk as much as possible, see later. As with any surgery occasional complications such as wound swelling or breakdown can occur.

In both male and female dogs, removal of the "sex hormones" tends to result in a slower metabolic rate. This means that if you feed your dog the same amount of food after the procedure as you did before then your dog will gain weight. This is easily remedied by adjusting the amount of food fed after the operation.
In some breeds neutering can alter the condition of the coat.

Urinary incontinence is more commonly encountered in older, neutered bitches. This can be treated using drugs.

The procedure.....

If your dog has not been seen by us before we will ask you to make an appointment with a vet so that we can examine your pet and check that they are fit and healthy.

Your pet should be starved from 8 pm the evening before. Access to water is fine.

We will ask you to bring your pet to the surgery, to be admitted by one of our nurses, between 8:30 and 9:00 am.

The nurse will run through our consent form and answer any last minute questions you may have.

Your dog will then be weighed to determine an accurate weight (so we can give the correct amount of anaesthetic and other drugs) and taken to the kennel area where they will be given "pre-medication" drugs. These drugs are used to decrease anxiety and hence allow us to use lower doses of anaesthetic drugs therefore reducing the risks as far as possible.

For female dogs:

• The procedure involves making an incision into the abdomen to locate and remove the uterus and ovaries.
• There will generally be around five to ten sutures in the wound which will be left in place for ten days.
• Please not that spaying means that it is not possible for your dog to have puppies!

For male dogs:

• The procedure involves making an incision in front of the scrotum. The wound is closed with around two to four sutures to be left in place for ten days.
• The scrotum is not removed, but generally reduces in size over time.

Following the above procedures your dog will generally be allowed home that afternoon. For the rest of the day your dog will be a bit drowsy and should be allowed to sleep/rest quietly.

We then ask that your dog is kept on a lead until the sutures are removed. This is to reduce the chance of wound breakdown. Please note that if your dog licks or bothers the wound you must ring the vets as this can also result in wound breakdown.

We want you to be happy with the decision you have made for your dog. If you have any worries or questions please do not hesitate to contact us.