Neutering your dog or bitch

Neutering is routinely performed by many Veterinary Surgeons on a daily basis. The decision as to whether to have your dog castrated or your bitch spayed should be carefully considered and discussed with your Veterinary Surgeon. Below we give you some guidelines as to what the procedure involves and some of the points to consider during the decision process. Your Veterinary Practice will advise you on the most appropriate time for this to be done.

Castration for dogs

This is considered to be a form of contraception for male dogs, unlike heat control in the bitch. It is a permanent procedure, so should not be undertaken if you wish to mate from your dog. It involves a general anaesthetic and is a sterile surgical procedure performed by a Veterinary Surgeon and assisted by Veterinary nurses.

Reasons for castration:

• To make the dog sterile, so he cannot father puppies

• To stop adult dogs roaming after bitches on heat

• To remove the testicles if testicular cancer is diagnosed

• To help with the problem of hypersexual behaviour, which is still present after puppy hood and into adulthood

• To help with aggression towards other dogs

The procedure

The procedure involves complete excision and removal of the testicles from the scrotal sac. The scrotum is left behind and will naturally look a lot smaller after the operation. There may be some swelling in the scrotum immediately post operatively. If this persists, please consult you Veterinary Surgeon.

If you are planning to have your dog castrated for behavioural reason, it is worth considering that sometimes the problems may disappear overnight. Sometimes the traits are as a result of learned behaviour and because of this, they may not subside for a few months.

Castrated dogs may have an increased tendency to gain weight, so it may be worth considering a "lighter"diet. Please discuss this with your Veterinary Practice.

Spaying the bitch

If you are not considering breeding from your bitch you may want to consider having her spayed. This is considered to be a form of contraception and heat control. There are also long term health benefits to having this procedure performed. Again this is a permanent procedure and it involves a general anaesthetic. This is also a sterile surgical procedure performed by a Veterinary Surgeon and assisted by Veterinary nurses.

Reasons for spaying:

• To make the bitch sterile, so she cannot have puppies

• To help reduce the chances of your bitch getting mammary tumours, uterine problems like pyometritis and prevent false pregnancies

• To increase the enjoyment of owning a bitch by preventing her coming on heat and all of the issues associated with bitches on heat for at least 3 weeks, twice a year

The procedure

Unlike human sterilisation in women, most Vets perform a complete Ovariohysterectomy in the bitch, which means removal of the womb and the ovaries. This is because the hormones produced to trigger pregnancy and heat are excreted from the ovaries. Your bitch may be left with a small scar along the centre of her tummy, which should not be seen after the fur grows back.

Spayed bitches may have an increased tendency to gain weight, so it may be worth considering a "lighter" diet. Please discuss this with your Veterinary Practice.

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