Neutering Dogs

As a follow up to our previous post on neutering cats we’re going to go into some more information on why you should neuter your dogs.

If you are not intending to use your dog for breeding it is best to have it neutered.

Unlike cats it is best to allow female dogs to have one season before spaying. This is because female dogs can develop urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence (USMI) later in life and by spaying them after they have had a season it decreases the risk of this developing. USMI causes urinary incontinence in older bitches and means they will leak urine quite commonly whilst lying down. If they are spayed before their second season they also have a reduced chance of developing mammary tumours later on in life. By spaying bitches you are preventing them developing a pyometra (a pus filled uterus) which is a serious condition and can prove fatal if left untreated. We do spay some dogs before their 1^st season, but this would be unwise for certain breeds.

Male dogs can be neutered at any time from about 6months old. By castrating dogs you eliminate the chance of them developing testicular cancer and suffering from prostate disease later in life. 80% of entire male dogs over the age of 5 years old suffer from prostate problems. Unfortunately castration will not guarantee to resolve any behavioural problems associated with testosterone, but the chances of these developing in the first place are reduced if castrated at a younger age.

Both dog castration and bitch spays are routine procedures that we perform regularly here at Gibson and Jones, prices vary according to the weight of the dog. All dogs that come into our practice for neutering go home with canine painkillers to keep them comfortable during their recovery. If you would like to discuss having your dog neutered in further detail please phone us at the practice on (01792) 879822 and make an appointment with one of the vets.

Tali, at home and comfortable last night after having been spayed earlier in the day