Neutering your dog
What is neutering in dogs?
Neutering (or castration) in dogs refers to the removal of the dog’s testicles. Neutering your dog affects not only its reproductive function, but also its hormone balance. We recommend that you read up on the different options and possible side effects beforehand.
There are two ways to neuter your dog: 1) Surgically by removing the testicles; or 2) Chemically by placing an implant. The main difference is that the first option is irreversible, while the second is only temporary.
Surgical castration
During a surgical castration of a male dog, both testicles (testes) are surgically removed under anesthesia. These are hormone-producing organs; their removal prevents your male dog from producing testosterone.
Chemical castration
In chemical castration, we insert a hormone implant (Suprelorin) under the skin between the shoulder blades. Suprelorin is a safe medication to make male dogs temporarily infertile. After insertion of the implant, production of the hormone testosterone is halted – depending on the dosage – to at least 6 or 12 months.
From what age can your dog be neutered?
The age at which a male dog can be safely neutered varies by breed. For example, larger breeds are slightly more prone to some orthopaedic problems if neutered at a young age. Our general advice is that your male dog can be safely neutered from the age of six months. Of course, you can always discuss your dog’s specific case with us.
Is neutering your dog necessary?
In the past, neutering a male dog was often something that was done by default. Nowadays, this is not always the case. In fact, in most male dogs it is not necessary at all. Without castration, the dog sometimes remains leaner and better muscled later in life. There may also be medical disadvantages to castrating your male dog. In some cases, however, it may make sense to have your male dog neutered. Feel free to discuss this with us.
Reasons for neutering
Neutering a male dog can be done for a variety of reasons. It obviously ensures that your dog is no longer fertile, but it can also have a positive effect on certain medical and/or behavioural problems. The main reasons are listed below:
Behavioural reasons
You may consider neutering your male dog for the following behavioural reasons:
- Showing interest in females in heat and having the tendency to runaway from home
- Exhibiting excessive mounting behaviour
- Displaying dominant or aggressive behaviour
- Marking territory by doing many small urinations
Medical reasons
You may consider neutering your male dog for the following medical reasons:
- When your male dog has (recurrent) preputial inflammation
- To prevent or treat tumors formed under the influence of testosterone
- In case of prostate problems, i.e. difficulty in urinating and/or blood loss from the urethra outside of urinary moments
Disadvantages of castration
There can also be disadvantages to neutering, namely:
- The dog’s metabolism changes after castration and muscle mass decreases, making it easier to gain weight
- Certain behavioural problems, such as aggressiveness or anxiety, can worsen after castration
- In some cases, neutering can help prevent or treat tumors formed under the influence of testosterone, but the risk of prostate tumors actually increases after castration
In some cases, castration may reduce or even eliminate unwanted behaviour, but it is good to know that it is not always the solution to behavioural problems. To determine whether castration will have the desired effect, a chemical castration can be considered on beforehand.
Chemical castration, an alternative to surgical castration
In chemical castration, we insert a hormone implant (Suprelorin) under the skin between the shoulder blades. Suprelorin is a safe medication to make male dogs temporarily infertile. After insertion of the implant, production of the hormone testosterone is halted – depending on the dosage – to at least 6 or 12 months.
Chemical castration also has advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages
The advantage of chemical castration is that it is reversible. The effects are similar to those of surgery, but they disappear after a certain period if the treatment is not repeated. It is a safe option to experience how the dog responds physically to no longer producing testosterone.
Disadvantages
Do keep in mind that after insertion of the implant, it can take up to 8 weeks for the male dog to become infertile. In addition, in the first period, on average 4 to 6 weeks, the amount of testosterone increases which may cause the unwanted behaviour to temporarily worsen.
How does neutering work?
Our clinics are equipped with a very extensive and modern operating room. In addition, our veterinarians have ample surgical experience. If you would like to know how an operation works, please check our surgery page.
The preparation
It is important that your dog is fasted before surgery. This means that he should not eat for 12 hours before the procedure. This is because animals may vomit from the anesthesia, and if they have eaten, food may get stuck in their throat. Your dog is allowed to drink water though.
Please walk your dog before bringing them to the clinic. During anesthesia, they may run their feces and urine and this gets into their fur. This causes less hygiene during surgery. It is also more pleasant for your dog to wake up with a clean coat.
The procedure
Before your dog goes under anesthesia, we examine him completely to be sure your dog is healthy. Next, we place an IV into a blood vessel in one of the front paws. Through this drip, we give anesthetics that will put your dog to sleep quickly and safely. Then we place a tube in the trachea through which we can give oxygen and gas anesthesia and connect him to the monitoring equipment. During the procedure, this monitoring equipment is used to monitor heart rate, ECG and breathing. We also give additional IV fluids to maintain blood pressure.
During the treatment, the entire testicles are surgically removed through one small skin incision. All sutures are placed under the skin.
Recovery and aftercare
Your dog can go home on the day of the surgery. Our nurse will call you as soon as we know what time you can come and pick up your dog. You will receive an aftercare letter that explains exactly what you can do for your dog after the procedure. Please consider how you will bring your dog home when picking him up. Your dog has been under anesthesia and may still be groggy and more susceptible to getting cold. It is not recommended to take a long walk.
Drinking
You may offer your dog small amounts of water after surgery. Do not give him too much at once. If your dog drinks too much water in short period of time, it may cause him to vomit.
Eating
Several hours after surgery, you may offer your pet some food. Start with about ¼ of the normal amount because your pet may still be a little nauseous from anesthesia. We will provide you with a can of easily digestible food for the first evening.
Medication
Your dog will receive pain medication before surgery. Sometimes we see that dogs (especially Retrievers) may be a bit agitated or restless due to one of the pain relievers they have received. This will go away on its own.
We will provide you with painkillers for the first few days after surgery. You can start giving these the day after surgery. Even if you feel that your dog is not in pain (anymore), it is important to give these because they also have an anti-inflammatory effect. Antibiotics are not necessary.
The wound
The sutures are both in the skin as well as in deeper layers of the tissue. If your dog jumps or makes a sudden movement shortly after surgery, these sutures may tear. Therefore, it is important to keep your dog as calm as possible. He should not touch or lick the wound. If he does, he must wear a collar or a medical pet shirt. Dogs should be walked on a leash until the wound has been checked by us, and is not be allowed to swim until then.
Wound check up
We would like to see your dog back at the clinic after 7-10 days for a check-up. There is no charge for this. If the wound looks good at the check-up, your dog can do everything as usual. Of course, in the meantime you may always contact us if you have any questions.
What is the cost of neutering your dog?
You can find an estimate of the costs for neutering your dog on our contact page. You can also call, whatsapp or email our clinics for a price estimate.
Contact
If you are thinking about having your dog neutered feel free to stop by for advice or contact us. Our nurses can also help you with behavioural questions.
