Too castrate or leave him

I think my vet must be the only vet in the country that will NOT neuter routinely. He will only neuter if you go to him with a problem, and even then he'll give them the hormone injection 1st to see if will have the desired effect.

When I got H I thought it was a matter of course, until I spoke to him and he asked why I wanted him done!
 
Alec, I have never, ever seen those things of which you mention - either wasted back ends (that's an exercise issue) or weak heads (my dog had a weak head before neutering, but I doubt anyone would mistake him for a female...)
 
Some studies regarding prostate cancer:
'A population study of neutering status as a risk factor for canine prostate cancer'
Prostate cancer in dogs: Comparative and clinical aspects
Both conclude that neutered dogs are at a higher risk (and some other studies show increased malignancy) than non neutered, which dispells that common myth.

And an excellent article, but one I'm not sure everyone will have access to? Let me know if not and I'll summarise further but a brief summary-.

Gonadectomy in Cats and Dogs: A Review of Risks and Benefits

(My apologies to vizlak-prostatis is improved/reduced risk from being castrated) Testicular cancer is removed as a possibility which is a significant advantage.
Transitional Cell Carcinoma (most common tumour of bladder) risk is increased in neutered (either sex) dogs.
Neutered animals are more at risk of increasing weight.
There is a possibility neutered animals are more at risk of Diabetes and hip dysplasia.
Neutered animals are more likely to have canine cruciate ligament rupture and osteosarcoma and cardiac tumours.

So you really have to weigh up the risks. Testicular cancer is common, and neutering prevents this and unwanted pregnancies.
Your dog may be more at risk once neutered, depending also on when you get him neutered (many stuides support later age for neutering as a good risk decreasing factor) of certain tumours and conditions. Other studies have shown that it can increase trainability and decrease aggression but it is not a given.
It's entirely your decision.
(I have never noticed a castrated dog having a 'feminine' head or a wasted back end.)
 
I'd rather not have a dog, prefer bitches. I personally don't like it when they cock their leg and mark everythng, surely a castrated male will do this less? If you have no intention of breeding from him, then why have him entire when it 'could' lead to dominance and wandering? I don't understand why people think its ok for dogs to hump bedding/teddies or peoples legs, be kind, get the balls off. (Masterbating dogs are not pleasent! lol)
Many a time I have seen a well behaved bitch in her own garden/property and even on a lead being chased, harrassed and even the front door of the house being marked. I think it is not the dogs fault, but the owner and a pain in the backside too. Get him done, then you won't have any bitch owners coming to you complaining! I doubt a dog would wait 'days' to mount a bitch if she were ready and receptive. I've heard of many stories and seen first hand what happens when you turn your back for 5 secs. lol All of which the bitch has been restrained and the dog is running lose.

Many people have geldings, with this attitude of 'leave well alone' can you imagin the place if they all had stallions!??
 
My SIL's lab neutered lab cocks his leg just as much as Harley and he humps everything in sight! Harley has got used to getting away, but he has to go on the lead around any other dog we meet on a walk cause he just humps.

It's not uncommon, I've seen other dogs that have had the chop humping other dogs when over excited in play in the area I walk.

Harley very occasionally humps his bed and gets told off for it, and stops. fingers crossed, he has never shown any inclination for another dog.
 
SusieT, who is the author of the Gonadectomy paper? I'd like to link it for the trainee vets at the yard, who have also been told it's the automatic thing to do.

Surely I can't be the only one who has dogs that do as they're told, don't hump and don't chase after bitches? Other than trees/lampposts, I have NEVER seen my dogs mark anything.
 
Ruthnmeg-if a dog is well behaved and controlled, not humping everything in sight, i.e you wouldn't know unless you saw its balls it was entire, why could you change that?
 
m smacked up on drugs and have just lost my 1st reply, so this wll be short.

Take the advice you want and make an informed choice.
I deal with enought dogs (hundreds a year) through rescues and thats does not include work to know that my own informed choice is to neuter, I make no money from neutering my own dogs and the 16 vets nd 10 nurses I work along side make no money for neutering their own dogs and cats and no one in the practice has an entire animal bar 1 nurse whos dogs has a heart condition (he also has very bad hips);)
I have seen no enidence that dogs remian in puppy limbo (that makes me chuccle) I have to say, nor have I seen any evidence and its the 1st have heart re heightened fear in neutered dogs, esp as we deal with alot of dogs with behavioural/aggression/fear issues and neutering did not make them more fearful:confused: nor have I ever seen such cange in my own dogs, my pointer cam ein as a very fearful dog, is is now an extremely calm laid back lad (his balls came off a few months after I took him)
I see many a dog through work with testiculat/prostate issues, sadly most are to far gone as the signs are not easy to pick up on (the treatment also costs more then neutering them ever would) so vets def don't cash in on neutering they make more from difficulties arrising from entire dogs:(
As for the bones cancers, this is very common in larger breed dogs, esp rotts, deerhounds, wolfhounds.
My own deerhound is 15 and was neutered when he was 9 months (along time ago) his brother was left entire and died of osteosarcoma at 9 years of age.
Im not into the old "if it ain't broke don't fix it" cos in alot of the cases I have seen, it's broke and to late to fix it;)
For me the neutering of male and females far outweighs the benefits of leaving them entire. My dogs living forever seems to prove that for me:D
I would say this however for small breeds over 6 months, medium 9 months on and large/giant 14 months on, nothing to do with puppy limbo mumbo jumbo, it simply allows the growth plated to close naturally.
Here is another interesting fact. I looked into this a while back whilst completeing a behavioural course (part of a study), we have more entire large breed female dogs on incontinence meds than neutered too;) same went for diabetes (in both entire males and females for that one). (will check that again) just out of interest:)

Its your dog and up to you in the end.

Sorry for speling im in pain and aint going back to check.:p
 
If I had bitches, I'd neuter, no question, but a mate's boxer was spayed and is now slightly incontinent because the bladder 'floats' once the won I gone. She's on meds for life, dunno if that will cost more than an accidental litter?
 
cinammontoast said:
If I had bitches, I'd neuter, no question, but a mate's boxer was spayed and is now slightly incontinent because the bladder 'floats' once the won I gone. She's on meds for life, dunno if that will cost more than an accidental litter?
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As mentioned its pretty common in larger breeds weather neutered or not, I board a doberman thats entire and she comes with incontinence meds.
As mentioned we also of females on propalin at work who are entire aswell.
By the time these bitches get a pyo and have a few mammary strips removed the vets wll make far more out of them than neutering will have.
I also recently boarded a bedlington and he has a prostate enlargement (owner never noticed this) the op was near to £400 and after meds the castration would have been about £70.
 
I had my dobe neutered and it was certainly the best thing for him. Prior to that he had a rather nasty leakage from his nether regions which he couldn't help bless him and it ended up going all over the walls!! IT was sticky as hell and took a lot of scrubbing to remove which was gross. It was nothing medically wrong with him, just that since he wasn't breeding I guess there was no outlet for everything (sorry to be graphic).

He was a better dog for it, much less interested in other dogs and all round just happier in himself. Didn't change his personality, was NEVER a fearful dog and an absolute pleasure to have around. He is missed every single day.
 
CT, I have had entire bitches that leak urine later in life, particularly if they have had a litter. I have also had spayed bitches that do so, I have never compared the cost of medication against the cost of an unplanned litter, but I do know that I no longer have Saffie because she wasn't spayed, makes the cost of propalin or similar pale into insignificance.:(

Oh and I have seen plenty of castrated male dogs with heads like buckets, and strong hindquarters etc.
 
I have never been persuaded by a vet to have a dog neutered . I have had all my dogs done and it has been my choice to make life better for my dogs . When I first had my own dogs in the eighties I have to say I never gave it a thought and didn't get my dogs castrated . Then they got a couple of bitches ( and I had to pay to have them injected ) and were then frenzied and dropped weight whenever a local bitch was in season . So for their sake I had them castrated and they were so peaceful I know I made the right decision . I now have all my boys done ( never had a bitch ) and have never been told by a vet to get it done . Having known no end of dogs and bitches lost by people I know to pyo , mammary tumours , testicular tumours I would always recommend people neutered but it is a personal decision . Sometimes it is just too late . My ex step mother in law lost a rottie bitch she bred ( I can't remember her mothers name but she was a big name judge , breeder and dog book writer from what I remember Toni telling me . Some older poster in that world may remember her , if I could remember her name !!!:D )Which she had never spayed to mammary tumours and pyo at nine and she regrets it all the time now . She was of the " If it ain't broke why fix it " brigade and then sadly it was to late to fix it .:(
 
Alec Swan said:
Could someone explain to me why it is, that a castrated dog has a back end which wastes away? and why does the masculine head, tilt towards a feminine appearance? I still look at some dogs, when they approach me, and wonder if they are a bitch, then as they pass, obviously they aren't!

I have never, and would never castrate a dog for my own convenience. I'm with gunnerdog on this one. With the exception of it being on medical grounds, I fail to see the point of emasculating a dog.

Alec.
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And how do I know a dog is a castrate from yards away? Because it indeed gets that less toned shapeless back end.However,as one poster says it prevents osteosarcoma,hmmm...everything off the lot of them :D:D Incidently ,after many many years in dogs of all sorts I have yet to meet an entire bitch on Propalin,maybe that is unique!
 
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Dowjones said:
Personally i am for castrating dogs (or any animal) that are not going to be bred from.
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What about humans?! :D

I was very surprised that a vet told Weevil not to have Sprocket neutered. I'm glad to say she went elsewhere and he is now done.
 
I haven't noticed a weak behind in our castrated dog but then maybe that is because he was entire until he was 6 or 7 maybe (maybe older i can't remember!). He is 14 now and still trots along happily, can jump in and out of a car (doesn't always want to mind). I think he is a lot calmer and chilled since being done. I know nothing really about the related medical conditions - there is probably no conclusive proof either way currently. we had a dog who was entire, big GSD x and he lived til he was 14 until his back end went. I think, given the amount of unwanted dogs and 'accidental' litters it is just common sense to have dogs neutered to avoid these accidents happening. Unfortunately our dog DID end up creating some mini me's and, although they were all homed succesfully it was silly of us not to have had him done sooner.

Puppy - As for castrating people, I can think of numerous types of people who I think should be sterilised as a mandatory requirement!!! Ha ha
 
cinammontoast said:
Surely I can't be the only one who has dogs that do as they're told, don't hump and don't chase after bitches? Other than trees/lampposts, I have NEVER seen my dogs mark anything.
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Same here, mine is a full blooded male that's for sure but he doesn't hump. He marks out on walks but only when he's off the lead. I don't let him cock his leg at anything whilst he's on lead (as drummed into me by gundog trainer!) out shooting he mixes with mostly entire males and females but his mind is on the job. He did get a bit too sniffy sniffy around a gundog trainers bitch at a recent working test but he got a smack on the nose (by him) and didn't take his eyes of me for the rest of the day!
 
EAST KENT said:
And how do I know a dog is a castrate from yards away? Because it indeed gets that less toned shapeless back end.However,as one poster says it prevents osteosarcoma,hmmm...everything off the lot of them :D:D Incidently ,after many many years in dogs of all sorts I have yet to meet an entire bitch on Propalin,maybe that is unique!
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Must say I have never noticed neutered males being less toned/having the wasted look:confused: none of my certainly have, most of my boys are well muscles up , bu they do get alot of exercise. I cannot find the post where it says dogs wont get or are less prone to osteosarcoma:confused:, unless that was a different post:o apologies I have been missing, castation will certainly not prevent osteosarcoma is pre disposed in alot of large breeds balls or no balls.
 
Dougalsmum said:
I had my dobe neutered and it was certainly the best thing for him. Prior to that he had a rather nasty leakage from his nether regions which he couldn't help bless him and it ended up going all over the walls!! IT was sticky as hell and took a lot of scrubbing to remove which was gross. It was nothing medically wrong with him, just that since he wasn't breeding I guess there was no outlet for everything (sorry to be graphic).

He was a better dog for it, much less interested in other dogs and all round just happier in himself. Didn't change his personality, was NEVER a fearful dog and an absolute pleasure to have around. He is missed every single day.
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Lol, re the nasty leakage, I knew of someone who's GSD has this rather gruesome issues and castration indeed cued it:D
 
My 9 year old whippet is entire, he doesn't hump, bother bitches and has
never sired a litter of pups. He's a good well behaved dog who I've never
needed to neuter.

He lives with a neutered male and a spayed bitch with no problems.
 
Our labx was neutered before we got hm from a rescue aged 18months. I'm glad he was neutered as he had a spark of dog aggression which i am sure would have been worse if he had'nt been done and sprayed abit whch also I am sure would have been worse. We didn't spay our red setter and nearly lost her to pyometra, she then got ovarian cancer, so I really regret not having her spayed when she was young.
 
I whip them off as soon as they come through :) seen too many problems on the vets table to keep them on.

I have notices people with cocker/springers ie working dogs are very much in favour of keeping them on :( thats not all though but noticed on another fourm everyone wants to keep them on and dont lisen to there vets :(
 
I have my bitches spayed if I'm not breeding them because apart from anything else it's easier lol.

I had Jimmy, my JRT, castrated because he was scent marking the house a lot but apart from that he wasn't aggressive, he did as he was told, never wondered off to "accidentally" mate a bitch but in fairness probably would if he could. He never ever humped arms, legs, bedding, toys etc. The only difference in him after castration was he stopped tiddling every where. You can see he's a male from all angles and he has one of the most solid back ends I've ever seen.

He wouldn't have been castrated if he was being a pain, he'd also sired 2 litters and I was hoping to use him my self at some point but ho hum. His brother is still entire no probs.

I'm neither for or against - but I wouldn't have them done before 12months at the earliest
 
Oh, here's the weak headed, weak limbed castrato.
SP_A0479.jpg

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And the dog with the biggest balls I have ever seen, who I think looks a bit bitchy in the head....:p
P1020215.jpg
 
dingle12 said:
I have notices people with cocker/springers ie working dogs are very much in favour of keeping them on :( thats not all though but noticed on another fourm everyone wants to keep them on and dont lisen to there vets :(
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Clearly we're all weirdos! The vet didn't mention it when we took them for their jabs. He refused to neuter Brig when I enquired about it because Brig was frequently attacked (I thought maybe cos he was entire)

CaveCanem said:
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He's gorgeous: is he yours?

If I had bitches, I'd spay asap. Pyometra sounds horrific and I'd never breed-plenty of people doing that.

Has anyone ever had to resort to the mis-mate jab? Just interested, not trying to cause a row!
 
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