Benefits of neutering female dogs

1. Neutering female dogs can avoid the trouble of estrus.

The genitals of female dogs in estrus swell and bleed, which can easily contaminate fur, floors, and furniture. Dogs will constantly lick their private parts and take every opportunity to flirt with other male dogs and even female dogs for mating purposes. (Perhaps those who oppose sterilization will think that this is a natural physiological phenomenon of dogs and should be allowed to take its course, but Xiuzi believes that since dogs have now become pets, separated from their former natural environment and entered thousands of households, this in itself means As their behavior is no longer free, they must inevitably be restrained by humans when living together. This has to be admitted. Therefore, those who oppose sterilization, who are known as letting nature take its course, are to a certain extent Self-contradictory and irrational.)

2. Sterilization can prevent pyometra.

1 in 4 unneutered female dogs will develop pyometra at some point. Such symptoms are likely to be life-threatening: the uterus is filled with pus, and the only treatment is emergency hysterectomy, and your dog may be old or dying from infection, making surgery more risky. The way to avoid this is to spay or neuter your dog while he is young and healthy.

3. Sterilization can avoid false pregnancy.

The so-called false pregnancy means that some dogs do not mate after they are in estrus, but they still have symptoms of pregnancy, such as bulging abdomen, swollen nipples, and even milk. False pregnancy can cause metabolic disorders in dogs, and in severe cases can lead to severe mastitis.

4. Sterilization can greatly reduce the risk of breast cancer.

If your dog is neutered before the age of two and a half, you can greatly reduce her risk of developing mammary tumors, the most common malignant tumor in female dogs. In addition, the fewer times a dog goes into heat, the lower the chance of developing mammary tumors. Therefore, neutering after the first heat is the ideal choice.

5. Sterilization can prevent uterine and ovarian cancer.

Disadvantages of neutering female dogs

1. Neutering doubles the chance of dog obesity.

Being overweight can lead to arthritis, heart disease, pancreatitis, and diabetes. After a dog is neutered, if the owner continues to feed it the same amount of food as before neutering, the dog will easily gain weight. This is because neutered dogs undergo changes in their hormonal metabolism and therefore no longer need as much food. Owners should pay attention to the changes in the dog's body when feeding, reduce the amount appropriately, and ensure adequate exercise, so that the dog will not become obese.

2. Sterilization increases the risk of hemangioma.

Hemangioma usually occurs in the heart and spleen. The incidence of splenic hemangioma was doubled and the incidence of cardiac hemangioma was tripled in sterilized dogs compared with unsterilized dogs.

But it should be noted that although hemangiomas occur in all dog breeds, they are more common in certain dog breeds., the probability is greater, these dog breeds include Afghan Hound, Bernese Mountain Dog, Belgian Shepherd, Boston Terrier, Bulldog, Doberman Pinscher, Flat-coated Terrier, French Bulldog, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever , Rottweiler, Scottish Terrier.

3. Sterilization triples the chance of developing hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism can cause obesity, lethargy, and hair loss, but these symptoms can be controlled with daily thyroid medication.

4. Sterilization surgery has risks.

Twenty percent of sterilization surgeries are accompanied by at least one complication, such as adverse anesthetic reactions, internal bleeding, inflammation or infection, abscesses, incomplete sutures, etc. Fortunately, most complications are not serious, less than five percent are life-threatening, but the mortality rate is very low, less than one percent.

5. Neutering at the wrong age increases the risk of hip dysplasia, ligament rupture, osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and urinary incontinence.

Hormones are crucial for the development of a dog’s bones, joints, and internal organs, so premature neutering can easily lead to the above problems. So when is the best time to neuter? There is no unified answer to this question. It depends on the breed and size of the dog, and when it is fully developed. You should consult your veterinarian before making a decision. Pyometra is bad... mammary tumors are bad... pseudopregnancy is bad... (note that the chances of these diseases that are not sterilized are greater than those with neutering) and controlling dogs in heat is better than It’s harder than you think.

I don’t recommend breeding on your own either. Why should you blindly breed at the risk of affecting your dog’s life and health? Just to get more puppies? You must know that there are already too many dogs in this world, too many homeless and wandering outside. I think those who really need to think twice and think carefully before neutering are the owners of the breeds mentioned above that are susceptible to angiosarcoma. Because they are inherently susceptible to this disease, neutering increases the risk and needs to be carefully considered. But in general, the benefits of neutering a female dog outweigh the disadvantages.

Benefits of neutering male dogs

1. Neutering can reduce the phenomenon of random urination

Affected by testosterone, unsterilized male dogs like to raise their legs and pee everywhere to mark their territory. Neutered male dogs will not urinate everywhere.

2. Sterilization can stabilize personality

Of course, if the dog itself has a bold and stubborn temperament, or does not have enough basic exercise, or has not been trained for normal social interaction, neutering alone cannot fundamentally solve the problem. (Most dog parents and parents must have witnessed male dog fights, which can only be described as terrifying... so daily social training must also be kept up.)

3.Neutering can reduce the risk of being attacked by other male dogs.

Even if your dog is naturally docile and good-tempered, unneutered male dogs are more likely to be targeted by other male dogs.

4. Neutering can help shift the dog’s attention from other dogs to the owner.

Unneutered male dogs always spend a lot of energy paying attention to other dogs, either looking for a "wife" or a rival. Neutering and proper training can greatly improve this, allowing the dog to focus more on its owner, and its obedience will naturally improve.

5. Neutering can reduce mating behavior.

Here, mating behavior refers not only to actual mating, but also to the mating of dogs with toys, or even the owner's legs or feet. Neutering and master education can be minimized to avoid this indecent behavior.

6. Neutering can prevent male dogs from being overly excited around female dogs.

Male dogs will be extremely excited when near female dogs, especially female dogs in estrus. This is easy to understand, they are always looking for potential partners. Be aware that this behavior is often the source of trouble or even tragedy. Male dogs that are near female dogs tend to purr, drool, rush, and sometimes even run away from the house. I’m afraid many dogs are lost or involved in car accidents because of this

7. Sterilization can reduce the risk of prostate disease.

The prostate diseases here do not refer to prostate cancer, which is uncommon in dogs. The diseases here refer to prostatic hypertrophy, prostate cysts, prostate infections, etc. 80% of unneutered male dogs over five years old will develop prostate enlargement. Some dogs may have difficulty urinating or defecating as a result. Fortunately, when prostatic hypertrophy occurs, sterilization will quickly solve the problem, but prostate cysts and prostate infections are more difficult to treat.

8. Sterilization can prevent testicular cancer.

About 7% of unneutered male dogs will develop testicular cancer. Fortunately, this cancer rarely spreads and the cure rate is 90%. It should also be noted that dogs with cryptorchidism are 14 times more likely to develop testicular cancer than other dogs if they are not neutered.

Disadvantages of neutering male dogs

1. Neutering triples the chance of dog obesity. Being overweight can lead to arthritis, heart disease, pancreatitis, and diabetes. After a dog is neutered, if the owner continues to feed it the same amount of food as before neutering, the dog will easily gain weight. This is because neutered dogs undergo changes in their hormonal metabolism and therefore no longer need as much food. Owners should pay attention to the changes in the dog's body when feeding, reduce the amount appropriately, and ensure adequate exercise, so that the dog will not become obese.

2. Sterilization increases the risk of hemangioma. Hemangioma commonly occurs in the heart and spleen. Neutered dogs are twice as likely to develop splenic hemangioma and heart hemangioma as compared with unneutered dogs.The probability of occurrence has increased fourfold. However, it should be noted that although hemangiomas occur in all dog breeds, they are more common and more likely to occur in certain dog breeds. These dog breeds include (I don’t know several breeds in the original article, but they are definitely domestic If there are no or uncommon ones, I will just pick the common ones and list them...) Afghan Hound, Bernese Mountain Dog, Belgian Shepherd, Boston Terrier, Bulldog, Doberman Pinscher, Flat-coated Terrier, French Bulldog, German Shepherd , Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Rottweiler, Scottish Terrier.

3. Sterilization triples the chance of developing hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism can cause obesity, lethargy, and hair loss, but these symptoms can be controlled with daily thyroid medication.

4. Sterilization increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Apparently reproductive hormones also protect the brain to a certain extent.

5. Sterilization surgery has risks. Twenty percent of sterilization surgeries are associated with at least one complication, such as adverse anesthetic reactions, internal bleeding, inflammation or infection, abscesses, incomplete sutures, etc. Fortunately, most complications are not serious, less than five percent are life-threatening, but the mortality rate is very low, less than one percent.

6. If spayed at the wrong age, it increases the risk of hip dysplasia, ligament rupture, osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and urinary incontinence. Hormones are crucial for the development of a dog’s bones, joints, and internal organs, so premature neutering can easily lead to the above problems.