Neutering a male dog is the smartest choice if you want your pet to be free of the endless cycle of mating and breeding. Neutering means the removal of the testes and the additional epididymis in males. In females, the ovaries and the uterus are removed, through a procedure that is called spaying.
Neutering and spaying can have great health benefits for your dogs. Males can avoid developing testicular cancer, while the prostate cancer is also minimized, as the prostate is prevented from growing older with age and therefore the risk of infection is smaller. In females, it has been noticed that spaying can reduce the risk of mammary cancer, uterine and ovarian cancer so overall neutering and spaying is a beneficial procedure for your dog.
Neutering can prevent unwanted puppies from ending up abandoned or worse, euthanized. It can also control the development of dog population in the United States and prevent the overcrowding of animal shelters.
There is no right time to neuter a dog. However, specialists recommend early-age neutering (between 6 to 8 months of age) so that complications after the surgery are avoided.
Moreover, early age neutering has been proven to reduce the obesity issues that may occur in adult pets that have the procedure and can help them avoid developing behaviors induced by the heat period. Note, however, that it is speculated that neutering at an early age can lead to cancer and joints problems; but this allegation has not been further researched yet.
On the other hand, thanks to neutering, the dog is less aggressive and less inclined to jump fences and run in front of a car. The early age neutered dogs have also longer legs and lack masculine muscular mass, which makes them less attractive to their opposite gender counterparts and therefore prevents the entire courtship behavior.
In the same manner, the spaying of a female before her first heat period will help eliminate the risk of breast cancer completely, so it is highly recommended that you perform the procedure as soon as possible.
However, early age neutering is not a golden rule. Each veterinarian will agree that a dog can be neutered at any point in its life, especially if this is done as a result of a preexisting medical condition related to the reproductive system that cannot be addressed unless treated surgically. The complications and post-surgery risks are 6.1 percent higher than in the younger puppies, which can safely undergo a surgery.
The outcome of spaying and neutering is favorable. Removing the uterus or the testes means eliminating the secretion of hormones like estrogen in males or progesterone in females. This also prevents the occurrence of heat behaviors such as the vulva swelling in bitches or the roaming and the mounting in male dogs.
Once neutered, your dog will be much more relaxed and will have time to focus on having fun and enjoying all the love and care you surely provide him – and you will have fewer troubles as well.
