NEUTERING

The decision of whether or not to neuter a pet is often a confusing one for owners as there are both advantages and disadvantages associated with the procedure.  

Speying in bitches is another term for an ovariohysterectomy, which involves the removal of both the uterus and the ovaries. Veterinary practices may vary in their policies of when they will spey bitches, but it is most commonly done 3 months after their first or subsequent seasons. The consequences of having your bitch speyed are that she will no longer come into season which in turn prevents any unplanned litters and removes the possibility of developing a false pregnancy following the season. Most importantly, from a medical perspective, speying eliminates the possibility of developing potentially life threatening disorders such as pyometra - an infection in the uterus - which if left untreated can be fatal. First choice of treatment for this condition is removal of the uterus (speying), however the procedure at this stage is not routine as the bitch is often quite debilitated by the disease. In addition, studies have shown that speying reduces the chances of developing mammary tumours later on in life. Similar studies have also shown that neutered bitches have an increased risk of developing urinary incontinence later in life, however this is easily treatable with medication that can be prescribed by your veterinary surgeon.  

Castration in dogs involves complete removal of the testicles. Again, the timing of the surgery varies between practices, but is normally from around 6 months of age onwards (ask your veterinary practice for information on their neutering protocols).   Castration can help eliminate the chance of the development of testicular cancer, and is sometimes performed to control other testosterone related diseases such as anal adenomas.

There are few disadvantages to neutering. A common misconception is that they will alter the character of the dog, which is simply untrue. In some breeds neutering can occasionally make their coats slightly fluffier, but unless you are planning on showing your dog, this does not cause a problem. Another popular belief is that dogs become fat and lazy following neutering. The basis for this belief is that their metabolism slows down as a result of the reduction of hormones in their system resulting in them requiring less food to maintain the same weight so by continuing to eat the same volumes, many pets do increase in weight. This potential problem can easily be remedied by reducing the amount of food given and keeping a close check on the dog’s weight in the 4-6 months or so following the procedure to ensure that the new feeding regime is keeping a balanced weight. It is essential that you monitor your dogs weight closely following neutering as obesity can lead to many other problems such as joint disease, diabetes and heart disease among others. Finally, many people are concerned about the anaesthetic, and don’t want to put their pet at risk of an anaesthetic unless it is absolutely necessary. Firstly, whilst any anaesthetic carries a slight risk, anaesthetic drugs used nowadays are the same as those used in human medicine, and are incredibly safe. Most dogs will go home the same day as their surgery, full of energy and with a wagging tail! In fact, the biggest challenge for most owners following neutering of their pet is to keep the dog rested for a week! The second anaesthetic consideration is that animals will tolerate, and recover from anaesthesia and surgery far quicker and easier when they are young and healthy than when they are older and perhaps debilitated by one or various other diseases, which then necessitates neutering to be performed as an emergency procedure.  

If you still have any queries or concerns about neutering, your veterinary practice will be happy to answer any questions that you have.

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