There is a lot of controversy about spaying and neutering dogs. Some vets argue about when in a dog’s life it should happen and others say it shouldn’t be done at all! There is so much information about it, that it can be overwhelming. Making the decision for your dog specifically, as an owner can be really difficult. There are potential benefits and negatives to both and it really depends on you and your dog. The truth is, there really is no right or wrong answer to this question.
The discussion about this surgery can bring up a lot of hot issues, from reproduction and genes. The reasons for and against will be discussed so you can educate yourself further. No matter which way you’re leaning, you’ll also want to discuss it with your dog’s vet. A vet may have more reasons that are specific to your dog, for reasons why or why not to.
If you’ve adopted a dog that is already altered, don’t worry too much about the age at which it happened. The best thing for adopted dogs to have now is an awesome life with you. With adopted altered dogs, you’ll want to watch their weight and make sure they’re getting a balanced diet. As you’ll read, no matter the time of life of a neutering or spaying, diet is key for a healthy and long life.
What You Should Consider When Thinking About Neutering And Spaying
When you’re weighing the pros and cons, it’s good to consider your specific dog’s time in life, and gender. Take important facts into consideration and talk about it with your vet before you decide. If you haven’t yet thought of all of the risks, here are some common things to consider.
Female Dogs
It’s common for spayed female dogs to have more protection from mammary cancer. If the procedure happens earlier in life, they lower their chances dramatically. Not being able to get pregnant can drop many risks and save you the time of caring for or finding homes for offspring.
If your female dog is older, considering a spaying might also save them from a womb infection. Older female dogs can be vulnerable to this as it is a very serious disease. Treatment of that disease can involve an emergency surgery which also has it’s risks.
Spaying a younger female dog can immediately prevent the dog from going into “season”. This can be very messy around the house, but it also can cause unnecessary attention from male dogs. Another benefit of spaying a dog to avoid “seasons” is to also avoid “nesting”, which may have her acting like she is preparing for puppies.
Male Dogs
The male dog is quite different compared to the female. Male dogs are better behaved after they are neutered. Their aggression is reduced and they are much easier to live with.
Male dogs can have an extreme change in behavior after neutering, so make sure you get behavioral advice beforehand.
The Risks Of Spaying And Neutering
The actual surgery of the procedure has been perfected over the years. You should have confidence when choosing surgery for your pet that everything during the operation will go smoothly. Although it’s a scary process, your choice for surgery has a very small percentage of risk involved. You should know there are risks involved with any surgery though, which is what we have listed below:
- Hip disease
- Obesity
- Cancers
- Incontinence
- Ligament disease
The risks are rare, but they’re always a possibility and mostly all the benefits will always apply too. While many of the risks are time sensitive to when you spay or neuter, one that is not is obesity.
All spayed or neutered dogs are at a higher risk of gaining too much weight. If you elect to give your dog surgery for spaying or neutering you absolutely need to make sure their diet is balanced. Continually watch out for incontinence after the surgery, or if your dog is younger. Incontinence can be a urethral condition that can happen around maturity from hormones.
Make sure no matter what your decision, you’ve considered both the pros and cons to the surgery. Either way, keeping a conscious eye on their health will be important for living a long and happy life.
