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Care of your dog - Desexing
Depending on the sex
of your dog, desexing involves with a castration
procedure for a male, or a spay
procedure for a female.
Castrating
Your Dog
What
is meant by "castration"?
In this operation,
which is performed under general anaesthetic, both testicles
are removed, thus removing the source of sperm and the male
sex hormone (testosterone).
Why
should I consider castrating my dog?
There are many
advantages:
- Usually the dog
becomes less aggressive and more placid
- The dog is less
likely to wander and chase bitches on heat
- Many councils
charge more for entire (i.e. undesexed) males
- Desexing prevents
tumours of the testicles
- Desexing reduces
the incidences of problems occurring in the prostate
gland, perineal hernias, and hormone-related
tumours
Will
castration change my dog's nature?
There is no great
character change, although the dog may be quieter. A good
watchdog will still be a good watchdog and bark at
strangers. Ability to guard your territory is not altered.
Will
it cure him of viciousness, biting, etc.?
Maybe. It depends
on the dog and the nature of his aggression. If it is due to
hormone-related dominance, the chances are good that he will
bite less after castration. If he is aggressive while
"guarding" his territory then he will usually keep doing so.
(Talk to one of our vets if you have this sort of
problem.)
NB: The dog's libido may remain the same for up to two
months after the operation. The change is not immediate and
he may still want to wander and mount bitches at
first.
At
what age should he be castrated?
We recommend that the desexing operation takes place at
about 4-6 months of age. If your dog has been used for
breeding and you now want him desexed, there is no problem
with performing the operation on older dogs. We prefer not
to perform castrations at earlier ages because male dogs
reach sexual maturity when they are about six months old. By
this time, both testicles have usually descended, and thus
the surgery becomes more straightforward.
What
does the operation involve?
The dog is placed
under general anaesthetic so that he is deeply asleep and
will feel nothing. The skin prepared and the surgeon removes
the testicles with sterile instruments. The incision is
closed with either non-absorbable or absorbable sutures.
How
long after the operation is the patient himself
again?
It does not take long - usually after two days he is back to
normal.
What
precautions do I take after surgery?
Do not allow your
dog to jump or exercise vigorously until the stitches are
removed or your veterinarian says that it is OK. There
should be no games or forced exercise for the first week.
Castration is unlikely
to cause your dog to become overweight. However, sensible
feeding and adequate exercise are important to maintain your
desexed dog in top shape!!
Spaying
Your Dog
What
is meant by "spaying"?
Spaying, or
desexing, is the term applied to the operation in which the
ovaries and uterus are removed from the female dog (bitch).
The object of spaying is to stop the bitch from coming on
heat and reproducing.
Should
your female be spayed?
There are four
main advantages in having your bitch desexed:
- It avoids the
bitch coming into heat twice a year, with the
accompanying messy discharges and invasion by all the
neighbourhood dogs who can smell a bitch in season
literally kilometres away
- Dogs are extremely
persevering in their attempts to gain access to and mate
any bitch on heat (in season), thus desexing prevents
unwanted attention of this sort and any potential damage
to your property
- Desexing prevents
unwanted pups - population control in our pets is a very
real and serious problem
- Spaying greatly
reduces the likelihood of breast cancer (if the bitch is
desexed before her first cycle)
- Spaying eliminates the possibility of pyometra (an infection in the uterus which is often life threatening)
Should
my bitch have a litter before being
desexed?
No. Well-meaning people may tell you that your bitch should
have a litter of puppies or at least a heat period before
she is desexed. There is no clinical evidence to support the
view that this enhances her "female" characteristics.
At
what age should she be desexed?
The female dog will come into heat anytime from 6 months of
age onwards, depending on the size of the dog. Small breeds
usually come on heat at about six months of age, while
larger breeds may not start until nine to ten months of age.
We recommend that the desexing operation take place at 4-6
months of age regardless of the breed.
What
does the operation involve?
The spay
operation, or ovariohysterectomy (meaning the ovaries and
part of the uterus are removed) is performed while the dog
is asleep under general anaesthetic. Consequently, she will
not feel anything during the procedure.
The instruments are
sterilised and the skin is prepared before the surgeon opens
the abdomen, thereby minimising bacterial contamination.
Both ovaries and the uterus are removed. The abdomen is
closed using suture material that dissolves and is absorbed
by the body. The skin is usually sutured with stitches that
have to be removed in 10-14 days. (For more information
about what happens in preparation for surgery,
click
here.)
How
long after the operation before the patient is herself
again?
It does not take
long. After 3 days she is usually back to normal.
What
precautions should I take after surgery?
Do not allow your
bitch to jump or exercise vigorously until the stitches are
removed. There should be no games or forced exercise for the
first week.
Desexing is unlikely
to cause your dog to become overweight. However, sensible
feeding and adequate exercise are important to maintain your
desexed dog in top shape!
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