Did you know there are more reasons to have your male dog neutered than just population control?
Controlling pet overpopulation is the number one reason for neutering both male and female pets, as there are seven dogs and cats born every day for every one new person! There are simply not enough homes for all of the pets being born.
Buddy, a three year old Springer Spaniel, arrived today for a routine well-patient vaccination visit. His arrival reminded me that not everyone knows those other reasons, so today we’ll cover them.
As a doctor, the first one that comes to mind is always prostate disease. I’ve seen my share of old male dogs unable to urinate because their prostates were swollen from fifteen years of stimulation by testosterone. No cancer, no infection, just BPH, Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy. Just as in people, dogs’ prostates get bigger and bigger in response to years of exposure to testosterone. Being unable to urinate is a horrible way to die.
While research has not yet reached a final conclusion, veterinary urologists generally agree that the likelihood of prostate infection and prostate cancer are both reduced as a result of neutering a dog when he is young. A small prostate is a healthy prostate.
While it might take years to see the benefits of a disease-free prostate gland after having your dog neutered, there are many advantages that will occur in the first thirty days.
One is that he will be much less likely to mark his territory by urinating on your furniture, your house, your trees, your children and everything else he wants to smell like him.
He will be unlikely to dig out of the yard when he smells Fifi down the street coming in heat every six months.
Since he won’t be en route to Fifi’s house, he won’t get hit by a car along the way.
And he won’t be fighting with the other dogs who are vying for Fifi’s affections.
Perhaps thinking of the longer, happier life your male dog will have as a result of his neuter surgery will make you want to call and schedule an appointment right now.
See you tomorrow, Dr. Randolph.
I found this Q and A forum very helpful in understanding why and what the discharge my male dog is having and if I should have my dog neutered and when is the proper time to do so. So, just want to say thank you for your time and efforts in providing a blog that we can get answers to knowing our dogs health better.
I have a 6 months old Cane Corso.
He is already over 80 lbs.
Was told to wait on neutering him.
What is your opinion ?
I usually get my male dogs done at 4 months. But this is my first Cane Corso.
Early-age neutering became the norm many years ago. Many still follow that routine, and there are definite advantages. However, many are extrapolating information from the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study to other large-breed dogs because there seems to be orthopedic and cancer-preventing advantages to delaying spay/neuter to about two years of age. Our practice is following those guidelines, although we don’t protest if a pet owner is tired of his female dog’s heat cycles or his male dog’s marking and girl-chasing behavior. Click here to read more about the study.
Own the mom and dad of 2 litters of chihuahua pups. The first litter i kept .they are now 8 months old. 1 boy 1 girl. The girl is spayed. My question is; their daddy pays no loving affection to mama now. He gives his son all the love. Follows him around. Cleans his face. His ears. His penis. Acts as if he’s his mate. I do not like this. Can you tell me what’s going on and how and if i can stop this??
That would be a question for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist. Thanks for reading our blog, Dr. Randolph.
At what age do prostate problems normally present? I probably will breed my purebred German Shepherd Dog, very good lines, excellent appearance & health. He displays NO problems or behavioral issues. But I love him–would like to keep him unneutered as long as possible. Would absolutely neuter if prostate became a problem. Should I expect it to? How common is enlarged prostate in large breed dogs or German Shepherds?
Would neutering AFTER developing a prostate problem help alleviate, or would it be too late?
Older dogs are most likely to develop prostate trouble, but it’s not age-specific. Many believe large-breed dogs should not be neutered before age two, but, you should proceed with the surgery by age 7 or 8. Prior to breeding, he should be certified free of genetic disorders with the Penn Hip method. Please DO NOT breed him without that certification. Thank you for reading, Dr. Randolph.