Page 3259 - Cote clinical veterinary advisor dogs and cats 4th

Castration (Routine): Considerations and Planning

VetBooks.ir Castration, or neutering, is a commonly performed surgical procedure likely to “hump” other animals or even people’s legs. Dogs under
the influence of testosterone are strongly attracted to female dogs
that will prevent your male dog from ever siring (“fathering”) a litter of
in heat. They are also more likely to roam (even trying to escape
puppies. Male dogs adopted from animal shelters undergo castration
surgery to aid in population control. There are several reasons that from enclosures) to find a female to breed. Not all “bad” behaviors
you should consider having your puppy neutered. In addition to are corrected by neutering, and some studies even show that
preventing mating, it is often more convenient to own a neutered neutering before 6 months of age might increase noise phobias.
dog, and there are health benefits that the procedure can provide However, the majority of people simply find it easier to live with a
as well. On the other hand, there may be downsides to having your neutered dog than an unneutered, intact dog.
dog neutered, including some health risks. Neutering removes certain
hormonal influences, and therefore affects behaviors as well. Most BEST AGE FOR CASTRATION
people find it easier to live with neutered males as compared to The best age to have your dog neutered depends on several factors,
intact males. This sheet will provide you with relevant information as including the adult size of your dog and your lifestyle. Many animal
you decide if, and when, to have your puppy neutered. Of course, shelters choose to neuter puppies before they are adopted, and the
your veterinarian is happy to discuss these issues with you as well. surgery can be done safely as early as 6 weeks of age. For your
pup, you may choose to wait until later, for instance until the series
HEALTH AND BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS OF CASTRATION of puppy vaccinations is complete at about 4 months of age. If
Neutering has been shown to increase average life expectancy by you have a large or giant breed dog, you may choose to wait even
14%. Testicular cancer will not occur in a neutered dog, and the longer before having him neutered. By waiting until he is nearly full
risk of transmissible venereal tumor (a kind of contagious cancer) is grown, you might reduce the risk of orthopedic disease later in life.
dramatically reduced. Most types of prostatic disease are extremely
unlikely to occur in neutered males; these include benign prostatic THE SURGERY AND AFTERCARE
hypertrophy (BPH), prostatitis, and prostatic cysts. In dogs left intact, Neutering is a routine procedure performed by most veterinarians.
meaning not neutered, BPH is an extremely common condition Usually, a single incision is made on the furthest back portion of the
that can make it difficult for the dog to urinate or defecate. If abdomen (belly), just in front of the scrotum (the scrotum holds the
BPH is diagnosed in an older dog, the recommended treatment testicles). The testicles are pushed forward to the incision site, tied
is neutering. Neutering also prevents several hormone-dependent off with suture, and removed. The skin incision is closed either with
diseases, including perineal hernia and perianal adenoma. Finally, sutures (stitches) or surgical staples. Often, the sutures used are
neutered dogs are much less likely to roam. The tendency to stay placed just under the skin and dissolve over time; in such cases,
close to home will reduce the risk of injury from motor vehicles, you don’t have to bring your dog back to have the sutures removed.
dog fights, gun shot, etc. This procedure leaves the scrotal sac empty, but if performed on
Excluding the small risk of anesthetic or surgical complications a puppy the sac stays very small. When neutering an older adult
at the time of the castration, there are other potential health risks dog, the scrotal sac can be removed through a procedure called
to consider. Although neutering prevents most kinds of prostatic “scrotal ablation”. This can reduce complications of the surgery
disease, it does not prevent prostate cancer. In fact, neutered and may be more aesthetically pleasing. Speaking of aesthetics,
dogs are at a slightly increased risk of prostate cancer compared some dog owners do not want their dog to look different after
to unneutered, intact dogs. At least some studies have shown neutering. There are implants that can be placed inside the scrotum
a slightly increased risk of bladder cancer, lymphoma, mast cell to maintain the appearance of your dog after neutering. However,
tumors, hemangiosarcoma, and osteosarcoma in castrated males there is no research supporting the use of these implants in dogs.
as compared to intact males, but these studies have concentrated Vasectomy is a surgical procedure where the spermatic cord is tied
on only a few breeds of dogs. If neutering occurs before the dog off, leaving the testicles in place. While this results in a dog with a
is fully grown, bone and joint growth can be impacted. In large normal anatomic appearance that is unable to make a female dog
and giant breed dogs, early neutering might predispose the dog to pregnant, it does not prevent the hormonal diseases associated
orthopedic diseases like hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia and cranial with having testicles or the behavior issues.
cruciate ligament rupture. The method of neutering is different if your dog is “cryptorchid”.
The testicles constantly make the hormone testosterone, and Cryptorchid means that one or both of the testicles failed to drop
removing this hormonal influence will impact your dog’s behavior; into the scrotal sac; it is also called a “retained testicle.” Neutering
most people would argue that the impact is for the better. Neutered is necessary to remove the retained testicle because there is a
dogs tend to be less aggressive than intact dogs. Neutered dogs much greater risk of testicular cancer in a retained testicle than in a
are less likely to “mark their territory” by lifting their leg to urinate normal testicle. This kind of cancer can cause many complications,
on objects inside or outside of the house. Neutered dogs are less including death. As you would expect, surgery to remove a retained
likely to engage in “mating type” behaviors; that is, they are less testicle is more complicated than a normal castration.

From Cohn and Côté: Clinical Veterinary Advisor, 4th edition. Copyright © 2020 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.