When it comes to our pet’s health, we want what’s best for them. That’s why we often bring them to the vet to ensure that we can give them the proper vitamins, supplements, and care that they need.
Some owners even choose to spay and neuter their fur buddies to prevent illnesses such as uterine infections and testicular cancer. Yes, the process of dog spaying and neutering has a lot of benefits for your pets.
If you’re not familiar with dog neutering, then you’re on the right page. Here, we’ll discuss all the benefits and right care after neutering.
What is Dog Neutering?
Neutering or castration is the surgical process of removing the testicles of your dogs. Once the testicles are removed, it will also remove the primary source of testosterone in the body. This can result in changes in their sex drive, hormone-related health issues, and hormone-related behaviors.
This process can protect your dogs against health complications like testicular cancer, prostate enlargement, or other hormone-related tumors. Since dogs have different sizes, breeds, and body structures, the ages for castration may also differ.
Generally, the recommended age should be before puberty to prevent any unplanned litter and to have behavioral benefits especially when it comes to their sex drive. In most breeds, vets may suggest neutering from 6 months to 2 years of age. But to ensure your dog’s safety, it’s best to consult your veterinarian personally so they can also observe and check your dog directly.
Effect of Neutering on Your Dog’s Behavior
Since testosterone can influence your dog’s sex drive and sexual acts like searching for mates and territorial behaviors (aggression between males and urine markings), neutering does have a huge impact on their sexual behavior.
Apart from these, neutering is historically considered a crucial part of dog therapy especially for those who show unwanted aggressions. But this should undergo your vet’s examination and recommendations to prevent any fear-related behaviors.
Is there an alternative to neutering my dog?
In some cases, if your dog is not suitable for castration because of its age or any health condition, your vet may recommend a vasectomy as an alternative. Vasectomy is also a great way to prevent unplanned litter for your pets.
Vasectomy is another surgical procedure that uses two small incisions to remove a portion of the Vas Deferens which travels from each testicle of your dog. The testicles will not be removed but the sperms will no longer travel to the Vas Deferens.
Take note that sperm may still be present in the Vas Deferens for at least 30-50 days so your dogs should stay away from female dogs for 2 months just to be sure.
How Soon Can I Walk My Dog After Neutering
Dogs differ in many ways. Therefore, some dogs can go on walks 3 days after their surgery while others may need time to heal. Usually, dogs should rest for 10 to 14 days until they can resume their daily walks.
Usually, neutered dogs have a roughly 8% increase in excitability so make sure to keep them calm to prevent hyperactivity. Though activity should be limited after their surgery, it’s still best to let your dog walk and do minimal exercises to keep their muscles moving.
You can try short walks and observe if your pup is comfortable with them. If your pup is okay with it, you can try increasing their walks day by day. Also, make sure you check and clean incisions before and after daily walks.
Walking will stimulate your dog’s energy to move again, that’s why your pet needs to have their daily walk once they are healed. In fact, Mitchell from Spot Dog Walkers mentioned that: “after neutering, vets usually recommend a minimum of 48 hours of no physical exertion. Then, by Day 3, you can take your dog for short strolls around the backyard, and by Day 10 your dog should be much more ready for a normal walk.”
After surgery on your dog, additional care is necessary but occasionally, you may not even have time to walk your pup with all the necessary precautions. Luckily for Canadians, Spot Dog Walkers save the day. With Spot, you can book trusted dog walkers easily, and all walkers are background-checked and insured. Similar services exist in most large cities.
Benefits of Dog Neutering
Dog neutering can reduce the chances of health risks such as testicular cancer, uterine infection, and breast cancer. It can also lessen or prevent their heat cycles and have positive behavioral changes.
Reduces Heat Cycles and Behavioral Changes
Once your dog is neutered, it will not feel any urge to find a mate and can reduce its aggression. This will change their sexual behavior even during heat cycles and will help prevent dog fights between males.
Your dog’s breeding attempts at masturbation will also be reduced once they undergo neutering so expect a lot of behavioral changes.
Eliminates Urine Spraying and Markings
Neutering can also reduce your dog’s habit of urine spraying or markings. Their territorial behavior will be lessened compared to before.
This can be a huge advantage especially if you have two or more dogs and will prevent any aggression towards one another. Also, you won’t have to worry about cleaning all the urine markings since they will be reduced after the surgery.
Prevent Unplanned Puppies and Controls Dog Population
Apart from these benefits, it can also control the pet population since there will be no unplanned puppies. This is a great way to reduce the number of homeless animals in your area.
Before going to your vet, make sure that your dog is in the right age requirement. Usually, the maximum age for dog neutering is 4 years old, your dogs should also undergo a physical examination and blood testing to ensure that they are fit for surgery
Lessen Urge in Finding a Mate
After neutering, your male dog will no longer feel any urge to find a mate which means they will no longer roam outside your house or will no longer try to run wild when you open your door.
Since they’ll have lower testosterone levels, their sexual behaviors will be diminished and they’ll be calmer as a result. Just make sure that you’ll keep your newly neutered dog away from female dogs that are in heat for at least 30 days.
Dog Neutering Aftercare
After your dog is neutered, you need to make sure that they are safe while recovering. To ensure that your dog is safe, you must keep them inside and separate them from your other pets until it feels comfortable.
Activity Levels
You should also prevent activities that involve running and jumping within two weeks after your pet’s surgery. Using a cone is also recommended to ensure that your dog will not lick their incision site, you can also ask your vet if there are any alternative methods to prevent this.
Medication
When it comes to medication, ensure to give them the proper medicine and vitamins that are advised by your vet. After 24 to 36 hours of surgery, the effect of pain reliever can wear off so make sure to give them their pain medication on time.
Also, do not give any human medication to your dogs since it’s not meant for pets and can risk their health. Make sure to have a list of your dog’s medication and set an alarm or a reminder on your phone so you won’t forget.
You should always check if blood is still present in your dog’s urine, though, a small amount can still be present for the first 24 hours of surgery, it’s better to contact your vet if you have some questions about his bathroom habits.
Regular Diet
After their surgery, your dog’s appetite can change; no worries, however, because it will return within 24 hours. You can give your dog a half-size meal for the first few hours and then try to feed them their normal meal at night.
Also, water should always be present to prevent dehydration. Do not give them other food like junk food, milk, and other human meals to avoid diarrhea and vomiting. If your dog experiences these symptoms, it’s best to contact your vet and seek assistance.
Dog Neutering: FAQ
We gathered top frequently asked questions about dog neutering. Below are some answers to those inquiries.
Neutering will not cause obesity or overweight to your pets, but it can be linked to an increase in weight if you will not change the amount of meals that you feed your dog after surgery. To prevent obesity, make sure that your neutered dog is not overfed and under-exercised. Take note that behavioral change can affect your dog’s metabolism and appetite after their surgery. Make an observation and consult your vet if necessary.
As mentioned above, neutering is historically considered a crucial part of dog therapy, especially for those who show unwanted aggression. But it can only reduce the undesirable behavior that’s caused by the heat cycle such as urine markings, aggressiveness, and urge to find a mate.
This still depends on your dog’s situation. Some dogs can easily walk within 3 days after their procedure while others may take several days before recovering. It will be best to let your dog rest for 10 to 14 days before they resume their daily walk routine.
The suggested age for dog neutering is 6 to 9 months but there are puppies that are being neutered even if they’re still eight weeks old as long as it’s vet-approved and there’s little chance of health complications. An adult dog can also be neutered but late neutering can have a much higher chance of health complications.
Neutering your dog can prevent health risks like breast cancer pyometra, testicular cancer, and uterine infection. It can also remove heat cycles and sexual behaviors such as aggression and the urge to find a mate.
Neutering is also recommended for owners who don’t want any unplanned litter, especially if they can’t take care of new pups. In this way, you can help reduce the overpopulation of dogs in the area and help your community to have a healthier and safe environment.