Spaying And Neutering Your Dog: What Is It?

Many dog owners struggle with the fear of having their new beloved puppy being spayed or neutered.

This article will ease your fears by explaining some frequently asked questions and hopefully help you make an informed decision. We will briefly talk about: 

• What a spay and neuter are (for which gender)

• When the best time to have it performed is

• The benefits of spaying and neutering

What Is Spaying And Neutering? 

There is certainly a difference between the two surgeries. A spay is only performed on females and a neuter is only performed on males. 

A spay is also referred to in the veterinary field as an ovariohysterectomy and is routinely performed around the world every day on dogs of all ages and breeds. It is when under general anesthesia, a veterinarian goes into the abdomen and surgically removes both ovaries, uterine horns and uterus. 

A neuter can also be called a castration, and is performed under general anesthesia. A veterinarian will however not need to go into the abdomen unless one of the testicles has not dropped into the scrotum. This is referred to as a cryptorchid neuter. The vet will remove both testicles through a small incision just above the scrotum. 

When Is The Best Time To Have My Dog Spayed Or Neutered? 

The recommended times for spaying and neutering is usually the same for either gender, and that is around 4 to 6 months of age as recommended by a vet. It is typically recommended to have a female dog spayed before she ever has a heat cycle, in order to prevent hormone development in the breast tissue that can later cause mammary cancer. 

Males are at less risk by waiting until a later age to neuter them, but they may develop some unwanted behaviors such as aggression and urine marking if they are left intact for too long.  

What Are The Benefits Of Spaying And Neutering? 

When you spay a dog before she goes into heat you are preventing the development of hormones in the breast tissue, which often cause mammary cancer later in life. Unspayed females are also at high risk of uterine infections called pyometras. This is when the uterus continues to fill with pus, which can eventually lead to sepsis, rupture and death. The surgery is very risky and it’s about 5 to 7 times more expensive than if you had them spayed as a puppy. 

Males are at risk for enlarged prostate and testicular cancer later in life. Both of these issues can be prevented by neutering. 

What Are The Different Methods For Spaying And Neutering? 

For the most part, a castration is pretty straight forward. There aren’t really many techniques for neutering in dogs. The small incision above the scrotum is the general method for this procedure. 

With spays, there are two common procedures for spaying. Most vets use the original technique of going into the abdomen via an incision and removing the reproductive organs from there. Others have developed a technique that uses small instruments and cameras to remove the reproductive organs, called the “Keyhole” method, or a laparoscopic approach. 

This technique is much more expensive and many people opt for the traditional method instead. The benefits to the keyhole method is a slightly quicker recovery.  

Spay And Neuter Your Pets 

Whether you are worried or not, please know that there are numerous benefits to having your dog spayed or neutered. There are few arguments for not having it done, especially if your dog is not going to be used for breeding purposes. Always make the decision with an informed outlook, knowing that what you choose could potentially affect your pet’s future health.