Sterilizing and castrating your dog

Just about every dog owner has thought about castration and sterilization, and you´ve probably heard a lot on the subject – some things true, others not so much.   There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding the topic, so let´s set the record straight.

The first thing that you should ask yourself is: ¿are you a professional dog breeder or planning to be? ¿what will you do with the puppies? ¿are you ready for or know about the costs involved in keeping the puppies until you find a home for them? If you are not a professional dog breeder it is better not to get your pet pregnant since dog shelters are already filled with puppies from people who could not keep them. Do dogs really deserve to end up in a shelter or go from home to home? In many countries like the UK it is normal to sterilize puppies once they finish their vaccinations.

The first thing that you should ask yourself is: Are you a professional dog breeder or planning to be? What will you do with the puppies? Are you aware of the costs involved in keeping the puppies until you find a home for them? If you are not a professional dog breeder it´s better not to get your pet pregnant. More than enough shelters are filled with puppies from people who couldn´t keep them. Do dogs really deserve to end up in a shelter or move from home to home? In many countries, such as the UK, it is normal to sterilize puppies once they finish their vaccinations.

You should know that some of the things that are said about this subject are completely false. For example, some people say that dogs should have sex at least once, which doesn´t have any scientific proof.

There is a lot of speculation about when is the right time to do it. There is no right time, but there are two recommended stages. One is when the pet is an adult. For females, it is recommended to sterilize them after the first time they are in heat, and for males before they turn one. The other stage, when the pet is still a puppy, would require a prepuberal gonadectomy, which consists on sterilizing the dog before its sexual maturity and after all the vaccines are given.

Sterilizing and castrating are not the same thing.

When it comes to sterilization, the sexual conduct of the dog does not change at all. The only thing that changes is that they dog is no longer fertile. Meanwhile, with castration the reproductive organ of the animal is taken away, which changes the way the animal behaves.

Things you should know before sterilizing or castrating your male dog

One of the advantages of castrating your dog it can stop him from being overly dominant or aggressive. According to veterinarians, another advantage is that it helps prevent prostate and testicular tumors extending their lifespan. Also, if females live nearby he will be less likely to bark and howl, and he won´t try escaping the house or going around marking every nook and cranny.

What does castration and sterilization mean for male dogs?

There are two types of surgeries. The first, a vasectomy, involves the ligature of the section of the channel through which sperm travels from the testicles. This option only prevents the dog from being fertile and does not modify or affect its behavior in any way.

The other procedure, an orchiectomy, is probably the most well known. This type of castration consists on removing the testicles after the ligature of the sperm channel. This surgery is not long and after 7 to 10 days the dog is completely recovered. This procedure does modify the dog’s behavior and prevents all the problems mentioned above, it inhibits any sexual behavior.

Things you should know before sterilizing or spaying your female dog

For females, castration prevents dogs from going into heat and developing psychological pregnancies, as well as infections and tumors in the uterus, ovaries and breasts. If your pet is aggressive and fights with other dogs, this procedure will change that behavior.

What does spaying and sterilization mean for female dogs?

When it comes to females there are three types of procedures, the tubal ligation, the ovariectomy and the ovariohysterectomy.

The tubal ligation only has the advantage of providing contraception, similar to the vasectomy in male dogs. This type of sterilization does not prevent the problems described above, which is it is rarely used.

The ovariectomy consists on the extraction of the ovaries, which does not prevent all the problems explained above. This procedure is usually used in dog shelters; it is done by creating a small incision and the recovery period is fast.

The third intervention, the ovariohysterectomy is the only procedure that prevents all of the problems explained above. It consists in extracting the ovaries and the uterus. The recovery period is fairly quick; it takes around 7 to 10 days.

Things to be aware of after castrating your dog: sedentary lifestyle, weight gain, special food, ect…

60 to 90 days after the surgery, the levels of testosterone in males and estrogen in females begin to disappear. Apart from making them less active (their energy is reduced by 30%), these surgeries often cause them to gain weight. For this reason, there are many specialized diets for castrated pets that contain fewer calories, fewer fats, and more protein. Don´t forget that dogs need regular exercise and need to go out at least three times a day, even if they haven´t been sterilized.