Should I Get My Dog Neutered??

[DANBUDDE]

Could Anyone Out There Tell Me If It Would Be A Good Idea To Get My Pup Neutered.right Now My Pup(deuce) Is 6 Months And 70lbs.if I Were To Get Him Neutered,should I Wait Until He's Older.i'm Afriad That If I Get Him Neutered Too Soon,he Might Not Reach His True Size Potential.are There Any Health Risks Involved If I Decide Not To Get Him Neutered. Look Forward To Hearing Some Suggestions


Dan

[JuneyB]

hi Dan....there are many threads on this subject.....search and you'll find out various opinions.

In general, most of us feel that neutering is the only way to go unless a dog is being used as a stud....and that means the dog has to earn the right to breed based on performance, titles, etc. etc. There are way too many unwanted pups out there already. So the question becomes when is the best time to neuter a dog? FYI our dog was neutered at 8 months of age....and it did not seem to affect his growth or dispostion. And he didn't even seem to need any "recovery" time after the surgery...tho I did cut back on his exercise for a few days just to be on the safe side.

[anna30]

I agree, you should neuter your dog unless you plan to show him or breed him. Neutering has so many positives. It diminishes many types of health problems. It negates the drive to chase females when in season.

It does not change his personality or inhibit his growth.

[Ayoka]

I have to agree with the others on this...if he's not going to be a stud or show dog, have him neutered.

My dog was neutered at 9 months and as far as I can tell he's exactly the same dog, except he'll never be a dad that's a relief cause I think he'd be a terrible father!!! I got him as a rescue and I think that neutering a dog of unknown origin is an animal responsability thing. There are so many puppies born into this world without human families who end up in shelters or worse, that I do not think that I or anyone else needs to add to that number.

[DANBUDDE]

Thanks for the imput folks.I was leaning toward getting "deuce" neutered but you guys just re-affirmed my decision.I didnt buy him with the intention of showing him,my schedule is way too busy going to my kids sporting events that I wouldnt have time going to dog shows anyway.I just want a happy,healthy dog.Thanks for the info.I'm really glad I found this website where everyone has one thing in common,their dogs.Thanks again DAN.

[dobbie]

Hello, I am getting Max Neutered In april he will be 7 months. I am doing it because I don,t want him to populate. Also there are other dogs around here and I don`t know if they are fixed or not but this will help Max not to wonder off if there is a bitch in heat.

[kelis]

Im in two minds to get my Bitch done, I dont want to breed or show but I am feeling that id rather not get her spayed? This is purley selfish on my behalf but I think I want to keep her whole? If ya know what i mean..???

Kelis and Kiya..xxxx

[BostonRott]

I tell my puppy owners to wait until 18-24 months.

Neutering a male at 6 months WILL change his growth potential. He will not develop the secondary looks of a mature, in-tact male (i.e. thicker neck, filled-out chest, broad head). Males who are neutered young tend to be very tall and weedy looking.

There are studies done in Rottweilers which strongly link early neutering (under 17mos of age is defined as "early") to high risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer, which is VERY prevalent in this breed).

My personal recommendation: wait a year. It's not very hard to keep a boy away from the girls (leashes are such magical things). People really blow out of proportion males trying to "get at" females in heat. And with today's rates of spay/neuter, it's not like there are females in heat on every corner. Most dogs are neutered.

[BostonRott]

Originally Posted by kelis

Im in two minds to get my Bitch done, I dont want to breed or show but I am feeling that id rather not get her spayed? This is purley selfish on my behalf but I think I want to keep her whole? If ya know what i mean..???

Kelis and Kiya..xxxx

This is an entirely different situation. You NEED to get her spayed. There are very serious health risks for an intact bitch who is never bred. Pyometria, which is an infection of the uterus, comes on with few to no symptoms, until it is too late. The bitch either dies from systemic infection or because her uterus exploded from being too full of pus.

As well, bitches left intact are more prone to mammary gland cancer. Again, why put your bitch at risk if you don't need to.

You're right, it is purely selfish on your point, and it's harmful to your dog, so no, I don't "know what you mean." I personally always act in my dogs' best interests.

If she's had one heat, get her spayed ASAP. If not, let her go through one heat to decrease her risk of bone cancer (see mention in post above) and then spay her.

[brunie's mom]

Originally Posted by kelis

Im in two minds to get my Bitch done, I dont want to breed or show but I am feeling that id rather not get her spayed? This is purley selfish on my behalf but I think I want to keep her whole? If ya know what i mean..???

Kelis and Kiya..xxxx

Sorry to be blunt...but that is a very selfish attitude.
She will stay much healthier if she is spayed and live a longer life. Mammary cancer, pyometra (uterine infection) and false pregnancies are a real fact leaving a female intact. Also the mess and inconvenience of having a female in heat every 6 months... She will have to be confined for over 3 weeks, never left alone outside and watched like a hawk every 6 months for the rest of her life....all for the excuse that you want to leave her "whole".
Please have your dog spayed when it's time. A very simple,easy procedure....that will make your and her life much easier.

Gina

[kelis]

Wow I guess this is a very tougth subject!! Thank you for your advice but I wish you wouldnt take things so harshly? I am being selfish yes as I said but this is the first time iv ever thought about spaying.. My other two bitches (who where a different breed) never got spayed and we had no problems what so ever with pyometra, tumours, phantom pregnancies or any kind of interaction from any males as they where very well watched/trained! ..

Mind you I do feel strongly to having to put my dog through the pain and trauma of an op, and im not really liking the idear that her womb be removed ( I know id hate it?, would you?) (thats what I mean by whole..) and maby her putting on weight and incontinence? plus other complications..

Im not a irresponsible owner im maby just under educated?

By what research on the web it seems the only REAL reason to spay is so irresponsible owners do not breed more rescue dogs?

If you carnt rescue dont BREED..xxxxx

[RottieMom51503]

Mind you I do feel strongly to having to put my dog through the pain and trauma of an op, and im not really liking the idear that her womb be removed ( I know id hate it?, would you?) (thats what I mean by whole..) and maby her putting on weight and incontinence? plus other complications..

My female Daphne was spayed at 9 months old (that was 2 years ago) and she hasn't really put on any extra weight that I didn't cause by giving her things like pizza Hut. When I cut the Pizza Hut back to once in awhile she went back to her normal size. Daphne has never had a incontinence problem either. Daphne doesn't miss her womb nor is she laying around thinking "now she can't reproduce". She's still the bouncy happy goofball she was before her spay without the mood swings.

[brunie's mom]

No one is being harsh with you. We are trying to teach you the facts. If you want to be educated about what is best for your dog...then listen.

The surgery for a young female spay is very simple. I worked for a vet for many years and assisted in many surgeries. There is a couple of stitches, and by the next day most dogs are back to normal. Believe me your dog will not me missing her uterus.

I have seen many dogs die because of pyometra and mammary cancer....when the owner's are sobbing because they cannot afford the treatment or it's too late to help the poor dog...wondering how this happened. It happened because they did not want to bother spaying their dog.

Gina

[SWEETBREW]

As far as males go - I am waiting till atleast a year and a half to neuter Brew, maybe longer... It depends what avenue I decided to do with him in dog sports. If we choose schutzhund then I may keep him intact to ensure his drive stays. But if I had a female I would definitely spay after the first heat unless of course she was a conformation dog. Too many health risks involved with keeping a bitch "whole".

[Gunsey'sMom]

Generally dogs who have been neutered or spayed dont really know- It is the owners who stress more than the dogs. Will the dog be mad at me? Blah , blah Blah...We got Gunner neutered at 7 mos and he was fine within a day, granted there is more to spaying.. But I'd say SPAY if you dont plan to breed! Gunner is not involved in any sports and is a family dog, but if we do ever get another dog, I would probably wait longer to neuter him after all of the articles I have read about early neutering. By then the kids would be much older and more mature as well and know all the proper way of how to act around a dog. (they dont mistreat him , they just dont know doggy body language very well) I do feel confident in the choice we made with Gunner though, as he is basically our family pet, we are not ever going to show him or anything like that, or be very involved in competive sports. I would like to get him involved in some sports, but nore for his physical and mental fitness than anything else.