Should all male dogs be neutered?

1. 60

   mirraposted 11 years ago

   The hubby and I can't decide whether we should neuter our puppy. I have read both pros and cons of neutering online and it seems there are complications to both such as neutering too early can cause development issues and certain cancers and not neutering can cause roaming and prostate cancer.
   
   Which do you think is the better choice? Anyone have any complications with neutering?

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2. 68

   Pearldiverposted 11 years ago

   I would really have an issue with getting neutered if my dog decided unilaterally to take me to a vet! 
   
   Your question was: Should ALL male dogs be neutered?
   
   No... not all male dogs should have to suffer such an indignity...
   Besides, doesn't it take a while to establish whether or not your dog has mounting ambitions?
   If so, I suggest that you first take note of whether his mounting ambitions include soft toys, shoes, visitor's legs or just bitches! 
   
   Whatever you decide... please.... discuss it with your dog before the vet is involved! 
   It may turn out to be a lot cheaper and more appropriate to simply snip the soft toy! 

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   DrMark1961posted 11 years ago

   You may have already read my hub since I published it after answering this question for hubber DS Duby.
   If you decide to do this, DO NOT do it early. A lot of vets will give discounts (based on weight, amount of anesthesia used) but for the life of your dog it is not worth it. If done too early he has the health issues you are concerned about (decreased muscle mass, orthopedic problems, obesity) but the more important problem is behavioral. A puppy neutered too young can develop abnormalities since he does not "fit in".
   There are advantages to neutering. If the dog runs off on you when a female is in heat (obedience training will not help in this case), and then is hit by a car or stolen, you will have lost him forever. Unless you use him for breeding that is not a risk worth taking.
   The complications during the procedure are virtually non-existant. Just dont do it too soon.

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   psycheskinnerposted 11 years ago

   If you do not plan to breed from the dog, neuter him.
   
   We euthanize about 5 million dogs and cats a year in the US alone.  So it is important to avoid any chance of your dog straying and contributing to that very sad statistic.
   
   If done at an appropriate age there are no over health effects, it slightly increases some risks and decreases others.

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      habeeposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I agree. An intact male is going to have certain "urges." If you don't allow him to breed, his unsatisfied urges could cause a lot of frustration for the pooch. Just be sure you'll never wish to breed your dog. I regret having my fawn Great Dane "clipped." Had I known what an amazing dog he'd turn out to be, I wouldn't have had him neutered. I'd love to have one of his puppies. Honestly, if I had $10,000 extra lying around, I'd have Hamlet cloned.

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      Sphinxs Sanctumposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Hellelujah Phycheskinner!!  I was hoping Someone would state the Exceedingly High, Completly Unnecessary number of animals being sent to their Deaths for our Irresponsible behavior!  Thanks!

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         Sally's Troveposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Hellelujah and amen. If you are not responsibly breeding your dog, then neutering goes without saying. This goes for females as well as males. If you don't trust the vet you have about the appropriate time for neutering, then get another vet.

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   paradigmsearchposted 11 years ago

   I agree with PD. What is the dog's opinion concerning this?

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      Pearldiverposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Yep cheers for that para.... but I'm not so sure that the soft 'toy' is likely to agree! 

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6. 77

   Uninvited Writerposted 11 years ago

   All dogs and cats should be neutered or spayed, it's healthier for them anyway.

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   Bob Bambergposted 11 years ago

   Unless you plan to breed the dog, you should get him/her spayed or neutered.  In my area most vets perform the surgery around 5 or 6 months of age.  While some behavioral benefits may accrue, there are no guarantees...except that the dog is sterile. 
   
   There are health benefits, though, especially in the prevention of certain reproductive cancers.  If you can get females spayed prior to their first estrus, you can greatly reduce the chances of mammary cancer.
   
   In this area, it's rare that every shelter isn't chronically at capacity.  Breeding your dog and adding to the pet population shouldn't be done casually.

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   paradigmsearchposted 11 years ago

   After reading this thread, I have concluded that women should not be allowed to own male dogs.

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      psycheskinnerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      And I conclude that some men don't know the different between people and dogs. Pet overpopulation isn't really a funny subject.  Spay and neuter so some poor person has a few less puppies to kill at the pound.

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         paradigmsearchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         You're still my favorite.

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         Pearldiverposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Hey..... things could be far worse...
         It's not just horse meat in the Mince Pies being served today you know!
         Clearly the wrong animals have been put down! 

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9. 60

   mirraposted 11 years ago

   Thanks for the feedback! No we do not plan to breed him at all. Our concerns our what age is best to neuter as there can be complications if done too early (some vets say 6 months is too early). Also, some research shows that problems can arise if the dog is neutered such as bone cancers.
   
   I tried discussing this with my vet and she seemed dismissive of my concerns and did not answer all my questions. Time for a new vet i think
   
   My puppy is like family so its hard to make a decision like this without doing good research.

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    Pearldiverposted 11 years ago

    Your Puppy emailed me just before and asked me to REMIND YOU to TALK to Him B4 you talk to a new vet! 
    And...... apparently, you have also AVOIDED getting him a soft toy! 
    And.... you haven't discussed the birds and the fleas issues either!   
    Oh yeah.... he said Thank You to all those who replied to you and said No!!
    He's a cool puppy.. and very articulate... you should reward him! 
    
    
    You know...... get him a soft toy... and a facebook account, or an imaginary friend! 
    
    
    
    And a Bone!! 

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    1. 60

       mirraposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       The dog, of course, does not want to get neutered.
       And he says thanks, but he's very happy with his soft toy and bone
       must have been another dog that emailed you!

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11. 100

    DrMark1961posted 11 years ago

    Six months is too early, and the reason vets want to neuter him early is because it is easier and takes less time and materials.
    Read this:
    http://phys.org/news/2013-02-golden-neu … ealth.html
    And do the right thing

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       Bob Bambergposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       I don't see the vets particularly advocating neutering around my neck of the woods.  They don't have to.  Between the shelters, celebrity advocates, humane organizations, Spay Day USA (which has morphed into World Spay Day and is celebrated on the 4th Tuesday of each February, for those looking to buy a card) there's enough outreach to beat pet owners into submission. 
       
       The shelters around here bring in a "spaymobile" a few times a year to do low cost spay/neuters.  The vehicle and staff are among a small fleet that covers the state. 
       
       It will be interesting to see if this study gains widespread acceptance within the veterinary community and the humane organizations.  If they get behind it and promote later neutering, the public will respond accordingly.

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          DrMark1961posted 11 years agoin reply to this

          Maybe not advocating neutering, but when someone comes in and discusses the need with receptionists and tech staff, they are told to get it done sooner rather than later. This has not yet changed, but it should.
          Any study that conflicts with conventional wisdom is going to take a lot of time to catch on, and since it conflicts with the humane societies (who want to neuter dogs before they walk out the door) it will be that much harder.

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             Bob Bambergposted 11 years agoin reply to this

             I can't blame the vets for yielding to the pet owner, because they'll just go to the vet down the street to get it done.  When you've got a dog that's peeing all over the house, or humping Grammy's leg, and you're convinced neutering will change everything, no vet is going to talk you out of it...unless a succession of them are able to convince you otherwise.  If you know the other vets in the area will do the job, you might as well benefit from the first bite at the apple.  Not pretty, but that's the way it is.

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       Sphinxs Sanctumposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       DMark- I greatly disagree with your reasoning of WHY a vet would choose to neuter a dog earlier.  I've worked in the veterinary field for many years & have never seen a vet hospital that doesn't charge for neuters based on a weight scale.   up to 25#, 26 -50#, 51-80#, 80 -120# - Over 120# = Large Breed (Additional Fee)   Therefore, they will get their money one way or another to pay for O.R. time, the surgeons rate, technician pay, Isoflurane (anesthesia) etc...  Most hospitals charge more for females than the males because it takes longer due to being more invasive & can come with greater "suprises" or complications but when those surprises occur, there is an additional fee to the pet owner.  Also, most hospitals charge a fee for "Extra-Large" breeds to recover their additional time and cost.  I've seen far worse reprocussions & shortened lifespans in animals across the board, that Have Not been neutered than those that have and I agree it should Not be done before 6 mos of age for many reasons but the good on this one, TO Neuter, in my experience, outweighs the bad.

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          DrMark1961posted 11 years agoin reply to this

          You have never seen a vet clinic that does not charge by weight? I do not know where you live, but all you need to do is call around.
          Of course it costs more for a female. The surgery requires the body cavity to be opened, whereas a neuter is performed in with only opening the skin and fascia.
          Not all hospitals charge for extra large dogs; again, I would suggest you call around.
          A dog should be a lot older than 6 months. Is there a definite date? No, this issue is still being studied and debated.

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             Sphinxs Sanctumposted 11 years agoin reply to this

             Vet Hospitals, not small clinics or spay neuter clinics (where that's all they do).  I live in Central Florida & have worked here and in W.V.  If a Full-Service Veterinary Hospital Is Not charging per weight or adding an extra large dog breed fee or In-heat fee or Chrytorchid fee, etc..., then they have a fool for an owner / vet.  And it really should depend upon the breed type & which genetic illnesses or maladies that breed (or mix of) faces most often.  There are many considerations to be made when deciding this.  Also, it depends upon what the projected future of the dog will be.  If you want your dog for purposes of showing, protection & bite work, working the farm or to be an agility champion, then you're just not going to want to castrate.  But for the dog that is a common housedog that doesn't do anything too taxing on the body or have need for increased stamina, managed aggression or frivolous showmanship, then snip, whack, take 'em off the back-- for you'll have a longer lived companion in Most cases.  Certain breeds Should Not go in for this surgery before somewhere between 9 & 18 mos old but those are mostly larger breeds.  The smaller breeds seem to fare well when you castrate between 7 & 10 mos.  As I said, there's much to be considered before making the final decision.  But, when millions of healthy, loving, perfectly wonderful animals are going to their Deaths every year, it is Irresponsible behavior as an individual or society to not spay and neuter the common house pet that could slip out the back gate or get away from his owner for any number of reasons and cause more unwanted litters for us to kill!  If you're a highly physical person who is choosing a large breed dog to be your running partner or sled-dog, then he's just not your average house dog.  No - he's going to be a highly active animal & you should wait on the surgery.  Then again, you should also wait to allow your large breed dog to go on that run or play frisbee or chase balls too hard until he's over the age of 1 to 1 1/2 yrs old so that his bone plates have closed & bones have thickened, lessening the possibility of injury.  There are just so many side-shoots of all that goes into this for me to get into here so the best advice I can provide Mirra is to research the breed thoroughly, decide what activity level or what type of dog this is going to be for your family.  Read, read & read some more but do so from respected veterinary websites where you can match-up the scientific studies, not from sites where just any Jo-Schmo (like myself) are typing comments.  Although I deal with this every day!  And while doing so, make sure you also look at the incidence rates of the varied illnesses that can present to the patient for both neutered and in-tact animals.  Lastly, I want you to ask yourself which behaviors will be accepted or not from your adult dog.  There are many people who will first choose to Not neuter their dog because they feel it is cruel or whatever reason, only to find a year later that they are going nuts because of behavioral issues that probably could have been headed off at the pass with this surgery. You would not believe how many animals wind up dying in shelters because people can't handle their unwanted behaviors and the behaviors are now fairly set & Very difficult to change once the animal has been doing them for months on end.

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                Sphinxs Sanctumposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                Furthermore, if your vet has not been able to answer all of your questions to your Complete Satisfaction & done so in a way that you fully understand, then no, they are not the right vet!  I also don't recommend going to the Spay/Neuter conveyor belt where that's the only service they provide because the patient will not get the level of care or aftercare at one of those places that they will at a full service animal hospital but I totally understand that not everyone can afford to make that choice as my Own health issues, draining my finances, have forced me to take one of my animals to one of the snip, in & out shops.  I see many cases of disease, especially different strains of K-9 influenza & Kennel cough leave with their patients and enter my place of work.

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                   DrMark1961posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                   Good thing you seem to have the power of absolute knowledge and i find it funny that anyone that disagrees with you find a fool.
                   You need to do a lot more research and reading.

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       mirraposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Thank you for the article, it addressed many of the issues I have been concerned about. I think we will wait until he is a bit older to make a decision. So far we have had no problems of him peeing in the house or humping because we spent a considerable amount of time training him.

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          DrMark1961posted 11 years agoin reply to this

          Good luck with him Mirra. He is very lucky to have an owner that is thinking about what is best for him before rushing ahead!!!

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    mistyhorizon2003posted 11 years ago

    Having worked in two vet's surgeries over the years I would strongly recommend neutering for all the reasons previously mentioned (humping, urinating, avoiding Cancers etc). In addition to this aggression towards other male dogs can be a factor in males that haven't been neutered, (especially if the other dog encountered has also not been neutered). I experienced this first hand with a doberman of my own that was about a year old. He was attacked by a Border Collie when we were out on a walk, and needless to say my Doberman retaliated. Luckily my Dobie had the weight advantage and quickly pinned down the Collie until the owner could retrieve their dog (I couldn't split two of them up and could only try and pull mine off of his dog and try to avoid being bitten). I asked the owner if his dog was castrated, and he said that it wasn't, I told him that mine wasn't either, and we both agreed it was a case of too many hormones between them. Luckily no damage was done to either dog, but it could have been very different depending on the breed and size of dogs involved.  This potential aggression could also be a risk to children if the male dog gets territorial when a strange child comes into your home etc.
    
    Over my time in the vets I saw health problems caused by both male and female dogs NOT being neutered, but never saw any health issues as a result of them having BEEN neutered. Where I worked we recommended neutering at no younger than 6 months, but the 6 month point was the ideal, and as I said, I never saw any problems as a result of doing it at this age (certainly in females leaving it until over 2 years old can result in females who have never been bred still developing mammary tumours later in life anyway, so better to do it before they reach 2 years old so that the preventative benefits are in place).

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    wolfbane8701posted 11 years ago

    Heres a thought, and i may be thinking waaay to hard about this but it had actually crossed my mind a few weeks ago while reading on another subject..  Statistics already show that 78% of the canine population is spayed/neutered. What if that number rises? could our pet population be in danger? Think about it this way..  If i adopt a puppy and i then have it neutered/spayed, it can no longer reproduce again. What were to happen if every person who owned a German Shepard had their pet fixed? that would severely endanger the population of that breed. Like i said, just a thought....

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       mistyhorizon2003posted 11 years agoin reply to this

       I can't see the pet population ever becoming endangered based on people neutering their pets. There will always be strays that breed and the puppies/kittens picked up by local authorities. There will always be breeders who breed for showing/selling and want to breed from their top performing dogs or cats. There will always be accidental pregnancies where a dog or cat comes into season and gets pregnant just before they were due to be neutered. If ever things did get to a stage where there was shortage of dogs and cats people would be hearing about it well before it became a real issue, and therefore breeding would no doubt start again with people buying in 'entire' animals and not getting them neutered. We would also have the option of bringing in dogs and cats from other poorer countries where dogs and cats are rarely neutered and are often just wandering the streets looking for scraps of food.
       
       I just hope for a time when all the rescue centres are empty and there is slightly less need to be so stringent about encouraging people to neuter their dogs and cats.

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    PattiKakesposted 11 years ago

    If you're not going to breed your dog I would say you should get him neutered.  I know my vet said 6 months for the female but I think males have to be a bit older not sure. If a female dog in your area goes into heat your dog will be able to smell it from 2 miles away and if he can get out and he's not neutered believe me he will try everything to get to that female and their heat can last about 21 days.  Not only could he get a female pregnant but if he escapes he could get hurt trying to get to a female.

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       mistyhorizon2003posted 11 years agoin reply to this

       6 months old is fine for males or females, but if one sex did need to be older than the other for safety reasons it would be more likely to be the female because their operation is more invasive (and therefore 'major') than the operation on a male dog.
       
       All your other points are valid and worth pointing out

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