Neutering a dog: sensible or unnecessary risk?
Should I neuter my dog? This is a question that will occupy the mind of every dog owner one day. Since neutering a dog has not only advantages but also disadvantages, it is hardly possible to make a general recommendation for or against it.
How the castration of a dog proceeds, what it costs and which gender-specific differences there are, we explain in the following. You will also learn how the health of your dog can benefit from the procedure and why you should pay particular attention to your dog's diet after neutering.
Castrating your dog: how the procedure differs for male and female dogs
If you have your dog neutered, you naturally want to prevent unwanted reproduction in both the male and female dog. However, due to anatomical differences, the procedure is different depending on the sex of the dog. In a bitch, the ovaries must be removed, whereas castration of a male dog requires the removal of the testicles.
Irrespective of this, before castrating the dog, the veterinarian must examine the health of the four-legged friend to see if there is anything that speaks against the procedure. As with other operations under general anaesthesia, the dog must not eat for 12 hours before the castration.
Castrating a bitch
The neutering of a bitch is a comparatively large procedure. After the four-legged friend has been put under general anesthesia with a precisely calculated dose of an anesthetic, the incision area on the bitch's abdomen is shaved and disinfected.
Now the abdomen is opened with an incision so that the ovaries and the uterus can be placed in front of it. Next, the veterinarian ties off the ovaries, removes them and returns the bitch's uterus to its original position.
Once this is done, the abdominal wall is closed again in several layers. Inside, self-dissolving sutures are used for the sutures. For the outer suture, a normal thread is used, which is removed after about 10 days.
In bitches, the uterus is also partially removed in addition to the ovaries during castration. If the bitch is castrated because of an illness, this is necessary in many cases, whereas it is often at least advisable in older quadrupeds.
Castrate a male dog
Since the testicles are not located inside the body, neutering a male dog is much less complicated compared to a bitch. In order to be able to carry out the procedure, a general anaesthetic with individually adapted dosage is also required for male dogs.
Next, the veterinarian shaves and disinfects the incision area and cuts open the scrotum. Now the vas deferens are disconnected, the testicles are removed and the incision is sutured again. The stitches used for this can also be removed after about 10 days in male dogs after neutering.
What are the costs for neutering a dog?
The cost of neutering a dog is significantly influenced by its sex. In males, the procedure is usually completed after about 30 minutes, while in bitches it can take about an hour. After neutering, it takes another hour or two in both cases before the dog awakens from the anaesthetic.
The difference in effort is also noticeable in the cost of neutering a dog. If you want to have a male dog neutered, you will normally have to reckon with costs of between 150 and 200 Euros, whereas neutering a bitch is considerably more expensive at around 300 to 400 Euros.
What are the advantages of neutering a dog?
The actual goal of neutering a dog is, of course, to prevent unwanted reproduction. However, apart from this, the procedure has a number of other advantages for both male and female dogs, which should be taken into account when making a decision.
Advantages of castration for males:
- Castrated males are significantly calmer and less inclined to mark their territory.
- By castrating the male dog, testicular cancer can be avoided.
- The probability of prostate disease can be reduced by castration.
- Castrated males have little interest in bitches, so that encounters with females are more relaxed.
Advantages of castration for bitches:
- Early castration reduces the risk of breast cancer.
- Castrating the bitch can prevent uterine infection (pyometra).
- In castrated bitches, the formation of tumours on the milk ducts is significantly less frequent.
- Since neutering prevents the bitch from being in heat, changes in behaviour and bleeding will not occur in the future.
When should a dog be neutered?
In principle, dogs can be neutered at any age. With older animals, however, the procedure is associated with greater risks. But even with young dogs, castration is only advisable in certain exceptional situations, as it limits the development of the four-legged friend.
If a dog is castrated too early, this can impair both its mental and physical development. If a male dog is neutered too early, there is also a risk that he will become more aggressive.
Before you have your bitch neutered, she should therefore always have her first heat behind her, which, depending on the dog breed, is the case after about six to 12 months. If you are planning to neuter your male dog, you should wait until he has reached the age of one year.
What are the risks of neutering for the dog?
Basically, neutering a dog is a routine procedure for the veterinarian. However, it is of course an operation under general anaesthetic, which inevitably involves some risks.
Especially bitches can become incontinent after neutering. In males, on the other hand, incontinence after castration only occurs in exceptional cases.
Is a chemical castration of dogs useful?
In addition to the surgical removal of the testicles or ovaries, it is also possible to temporarily infertilise dogs by means of a hormone chip or hormone injection. In contrast to castration, this method does not lead to a permanent loss of fertility.
This is because the effect of the hormones usually lasts only a few months before it wears off again. During this time the behaviour is similar to that of a normally neutered dog. However, the risk of certain diseases such as testicular cancer cannot be reduced in this way.
Nevertheless, hormones in the form of a chip or an injection can be useful in certain situations, for example to give a breeding bitch a temporary break. However, in this case you should be aware that the effect of chemical castration can sometimes last longer and in some cases even permanently, especially in small dog breeds.
What do you have to consider when feeding a castrated dog?
In dogs, castration leads to changes in the hormone balance, which can affect appetite and metabolism. After a castration, dogs often have significantly more appetite. However, as their energy consumption decreases at the same time, they tend to be more overweight.
As the owner, you must take this fact into account when feeding your dog. Adapted portion sizes as well as a well-tolerated dog food, which provides your dog with optimal nutrients and energy after his castration, are essential for a permanently slim and vital four-legged friend.
In the case of already existing weight problems, a dietary supplement with a high-quality dietary powder such as Shiimun Slim can also be useful to support the castrated dog's change of diet.
Castrate your dog - our conclusion
As you can see, neutering is associated with numerous advantages for your dog. The procedure can have a positive effect on both behaviour and health. Since neutering is a routine procedure, the risks associated with the operation are usually negligible.
In view of the fact that in most cases reproduction is not desired anyway, neutering of dogs is usually sensible and should at least be considered by the owner.
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