Neutering your Dog

Neutering dogs and cats is a common surgical operation that has many indications for both medical and behavioural reasons.

Castration is the removal of the testicles in any male animal. This means testosterone and sperm are no longer produced.
Ovario-hysterectomy (spay) is the removal of the ovaries and uterus in any female animal. This means that she will no longer have seasons and cannot become pregnant.

Castration...

• Reduces desire to roam and find a mate
• Prevents testicular tumours
• Prevents unwanted pregnancies
• Reduces potential prostate problems
• Eliminates/ reduces sexual behaviours
• Reduces chance of perianal ruptures
• Eliminates/ reduces dominant behaviour

Spaying prevents….

• Unwanted pregnancies
• False pregnancies
• Oestrus (seasons)
• Malignant mammary tumours if spayed before the first season
• Pyometra (infected uterus- see below)
• Ovarian or uterine tumours
• Eliminates/ reduces dominant behaviour

Bitches usually have a season twice yearly. During this time they produce a bloody discharge from the vulva and then will stand to be mated. If she is not pregnant her body still goes through hormonal changes associated with pregnancy. This is a pseudo-pregnancy (false pregnancy) and will affect each bitch differently. Some cope fine yet others become depressed, anorexic, unusually aggressive and possessive and may even produce milk. False pregnancies can be treated with a hormone called cabergoline - Galastop, though neutering is a better longterm treatment. Neutering can be carried out either before the first season i.e. approx six months of age or between seasons. It is not recommended to spay a bitch during a season or during a false pregnancy. Treatment with Galastop during a  false pregnancy would be recommended prior to speying. 

When a bitch is entire (not been neutered) her cervix opens at each season and this is an opportunity for bacteria to enter the uterus and cause a life-threatening infection in her uterus. This is called a Pyometra and symptoms are usually noted a few weeks after the end of the season. Lethargy, anorexia, a vulval discharge and drinking and urinating more than usual may be noted. If your bitch has a pyometra she will need to have emergency treatment and surgery to remove her uterus. The body is often in a toxic state and this unfortunately poses a higher anaesthetic risk. Spaying would prevent this condition.
Scientific research shows that spaying a bitch before her first season eliminates malignant mammary tumours; even if she is spayed after one or more seasons she is still at risk from developing them though the less seasons a bitch has the lower the risk.

Vasectomy is the tying of the vas deferens (part of the spermatic cord) so that the sperm is no longer able to exit the body through the penis and is instead absorbed by the body. Testosterone is still produced however. It is uncommon for this procedure to be carried out routinely on dogs, cats and rabbits. It is mostly used for male ferrets that live with an entire female, so that they still mate with her but cannot make her pregnant. Female ferrets, if not neutered, may get the condition ‘Oestrogen Induced Bone Marrow Suppression’. This is prevented by either having them spayed or mating them with a male at each season.