Neutering your dog

Did you know, that having your dog from OUR castrated / neutered is a term in your adoption contract?

It’s important to speak to your vet or a behaviourist if you are worried about any effects the surgery may have on your dog. One thing to think about is if your dog is nervous, or wary of new situations/people/other dogs. Sometimes working on their reactivity before having surgery is a better option for you.

For dogs, the health risks that come with not having them spayed/neutered are very high. An example, pyometra, which is a severe infection of the uterus, can be fatal to dogs when untreated. It can also be the cause of ovarian and uterine cancer, both of which are rare, but are not easily detectable.

Some vets may suggest, if you are wary of going straight to surgical castration, and have a male dog, an alternative called the implant. The implant is like a microchip, and is inserted into your dog’s neck. There are options of whether to receive a 6 month or 12 month dose usually, and it lessens the amount of testosterone in their body. Although not as cost effective as surgical castration, the implant is, in some cases, a good way to see how your dog reacts to having less testosterone. Testosterone is a hormone which can make dogs much more “brave”, so slowly removing it, can tell you if it’s right to go ahead with surgery, or wait a little longer.

It’s important to note, the implant can take a while to “kick in”, and is not usually deemed a long term fix. You may wish to keep getting the implant, however this is not cost effective in the long run, as one implant can be as costly as two thirds of the total cost of surgery.

Castration can help with unwanted breeding, certain behaviours including peeing in the home or very often on walks, and will remove a lot of health risks.

Please remember to always consult a vet and/or behaviourist to decide what the best course of action is for you.