Neutering Male dog

mikeoc85

Hi all,

Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated.

We have a male dog, he’s 14 months old now and we had always intended to get him neutered as we didn’t with our last dog and he wasn’t great with other male dogs, so we always said the next lad we would get neutered.

He’s booked in for Monday and now I’m having second thoughts. The reason for this is we love his personality, he’s quiet, great with people, children and especially other animals. He doesn’t wander and he doesn’t have any health issues so far.

What are the main benefits to having a dog like this neutered and what are the risks?

We also have a female dog that is 3 years old and she’s neutered, they get on great.

calfmuscle

mikeoc85 wrote: »

Hi all,

Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated.

We have a male dog, he’s 14 months old now and we had always intended to get him neutered as we didn’t with our last dog and he wasn’t great with other male dogs, so we always said the next lad we would get neutered.

He’s booked in for Monday and now I’m having second thoughts. The reason for this is we love his personality, he’s quiet, great with people, children and especially other animals. He doesn’t wander and he doesn’t have any health issues so far.

What are the main benefits to having a dog like this neutered and what are the risks?

We also have a female dog that is 3 years old and she’s neutered, they get on great.

We have a 2 year old male and were told by our vet not to neuter unless behavioural issues arise.

He is the sweetest guy and no issues. Hoping that maybe one day we might have a pup of his but who knows. But our vet said don't take his hormones away unless you have to.

mikeoc85

calfmuscle wrote: »

We have a 2 year old male and were told by our vet not to neuter unless behavioural issues arise.

He is the sweetest guy and no issues. Hoping that maybe one day we might have a pup of his but who knows. But our vet said don't take his hormones away unless you have to.

Ah ok, that’s good to know. We heard it stops cancers in that region as they age...that is the main driving factor for us at the minute.

Anyone else with pros or cons?

peasant

mikeoc85 wrote: »

We heard it stops cancers in that region as they age...that is the main driving factor for us at the minute.

Of course it does ...you can't get testicular cancer without testes

Upsetting the hormone levels by castrating can have other consequences though. Issues with excessive bone growth (especially if castrated too soon), growth related joint and soft tissue issues and also a change in coat, particularly excessive hair around the hind legs and backside.

Other than excessive sex drive (if present) castration doesn't really change any other behaviour.

Our neutered Bobtail mix was much more unfriendly towards other males than our current intact St.Bernard mix. I suspect that may have had to do with him getting a fair amount of grief from other males because he didn't smell quite right and so he decided to go on the defense quite early instead.

Cherry Blossom

You say he doesn’t wander. You say this like he has the choice which indicates to me that he isn’t kept securely. In that case you should absolutely get him neutered.

mikeoc85

Cherry Blossom wrote: »

You say he doesn’t wander. You say this like he has the choice which indicates to me that he isn’t kept securely. In that case you should absolutely get him neutered.

We have a great parimiter, and they are secure. We love in the country and I mean on walks we can take him off the lead and he stays close.

Is this because of people stealing peoples dogs? If so how would they know he’s neutered anyway before taking him?

mikeoc85

peasant wrote: »

Of course it does ...you can't get testicular cancer without testes

Upsetting the hormone levels by castrating can have other consequences though. Issues with excessive bone growth (especially if castrated too soon), growth related joint and soft tissue issues and also a change in coat, particularly excessive hair around the hind legs and backside.

Other than excessive sex drive (if present) castration doesn't really change any other behaviour.

Our neutered Bobtail mix was much more unfriendly towards other males than our current intact St.Bernard mix. I suspect that may have had to do with him getting a fair amount of grief from other males because he didn't smell quite right and so he decided to go on the defense quite early instead.

Ok, so it seems like it makes very little difference either way?

sillysmiles

mikeoc85 wrote: »

If so how would they know he’s neutered anyway before taking him?

They don't but in theory they are more likely to dump a neutered male dog if they were stealing for breeding. But really who knows how people like that think and operate.

DBB

mikeoc85 wrote: »

Is this because of people stealing peoples dogs? If so how would they know he’s neutered anyway before taking him?

It doesn't take more than a quick glance, or a feel if need be, to confirm whether a male dog is neutered... his testicles are gone!

Cherry Blossom

No sorry I meant if he was not secured properly he would be going round breeding indiscriminately. You have not said what breed he is though. If he’s a large dog I’d leave him till he’s at least two years old. Small dogs mature earlier. It’s important to make sure they are finished growing to avoid bone cancer and joint issues as much as possible.

PsychoPete

Had my male dog neutered, didn't change his behaviour or personality in the slightest. He is still as much of a lunatic as he always was

tk123

It’s normal to worry and question putting them under - well it is for me lol :pac: to the point I’m usually asking the nurses and vet as he’s getting sedated if it’s the right thing to do lol as I feel guilty. This is an elective procedure so if you’re doubting it hold off a little longer - assuming the dog isn’t able to get out and roam. If our next retriever is a male (waiting for a a pup and will let faith decide if it’s a boy or girl), I won’t be getting him neutered unless theres a compelling medical or behavioural issue I can’t handle.

Kattunge

While there are risks with all operations, it’s amazing how quickly the boys recover compared to the girls. Years ago, I remember being in a dither for days before my fella “was done”. When I collected him not long after the op, I was really surprised to see him literally bounce into the car. Recovery for girls takes longer. Any vets I know all advise in favour of neutering and it’s interesting that all their own dogs are neutered. They say it reduces/eliminates some conditions. One thing to watch for though is, neutering can lead to your pet gaining a few pounds. As regards wandering, I’ve been dog sitting a friends pet dog for a month and boy do I know it! ... She’s in season and every Tom, Dick & Harry has visited my back door in hopes of a “date” ... and Tom, Dick & Harry are all neutered! LOL

cocker5

My previous dog was neutered at 6 months (15 years ago before I knew better) .. my new guys a rescue and was neutered at 15 months by the rescue ..

Just on the gaining weight .. neither of my dogs gained weight after neutering.. so I think that’s a myth.. their metabolism does not change.. weight gain is a direct result of calories in and calories out - both in full control of their owners ... so no neutering doesn’t caused weight gain. Over feeding and a lack of proper exercise causes weight gain (in all of us)

If I ever got a dog again from a puppy - I would neuter / spay once fully grown but that’s me ..

peasant

Here's some fairly extensive reading material (links in the first post) on the matter

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=94858909

from one of the studies quoted:

Dogs neutered or spayed at any age were at significantly increased risk for developing mast cell cancer, lymphoma, all other cancers, all cancers combined, and fear of storms, compared with intact dogs.

random_banter

OP, I'll be in a similar situation to you when my new dog is old enough. I didn't neuter my last Lab as it just wasn't something we'd ever done with our dogs, and I guess we were sceptical. The vet did advise us to, as he said it would reduce the chance of certain cancers by 33%. He ended up being diagnosed with a very complicated cancer in his stomach and died at 11. It was very traumatic (for him obviously, but also for me) as I thought we'd have a few more years with him. I regretted not taking the vet's advice, though I don't fully understand if there was any link between not being neutered and the type of cancer he had.

My mum has a Lab too and we rescued him neutered. He doesn't seem to have any personality issues or weight issues, and no cancer issues yet. He's about 7.

I'd thought the most common medical advice was that neutering would reduce chances of cancer (in fact, my aunt's vet said it can extend lifespans by up to 5 years in a lot of cases, so she just had her Labs neutered recently). After the experience with my last boy I'd pretty much decided that my next Lab would be neutered. But some of the links posted and advice here says otherwise. Now I'm confused!

Does anyone else have an opinion on the matter?

Back to the research I go...

tk123

The prob is a lot of vets are still following the outdated advice of neuter/spay before 6 months and everything will be fine and it cancels out/minimises certain cancers. This was actually covered in a CAM post last week. If you skip forward to approx 36 mins they talk about early spay/neuter - note this is about joint issues/arthritis more than cancer... But arthritis isn't something you should just shrug off as can be debilitating to some dogs and it's not just an "old dog" disease. Many dogs are suffering with it long before their owners realise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VIdeSESG18&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR2MokUESxY3vps2BAkGFJ0g-SWV_pszy4CRZz5kdF4DZNof2g_zoM00qko

mobby

I have a almost 3 year old Cavalier not neutered and wont be either unless he starts to cause issues, none so far TG. My previous dog was neutered at 8 months and even though he lived to 10 years was never right after. Just my two cents worth.