Desexing
Desexing or neutering your pet is a surgical procedure that prevents them from being able to reproduce. In male pets it is commonly referred to as “castration”, and in female pets as “speying”. This is the most frequent surgery performed by our vets, and generally your pet is home by the evening of surgery.
The most common age to desex your pet is between 6 and 18 months, however they are never too old to be desexed.
There are many benefits to desexing your pet before. They include:
- Preventing unwanted litters, which can be very costly, and may add to the already overwhelming number of stray animals that are put down each year
- Prevention of testicular cancer and prostate disease in males, and it can help prevent pyometra (infection of the uterus) and mammary tumours (breast cancer) in females
- Stopping the “heat” cycle in females. Female dogs will start to cycle soon after 6 months of age.
- Decreasing aggression towards humans and other animals, especially in males
- Being less prone to wander, especially in males
- Reduction of council registration fees
If you own a large breed dog, with an expected adult weight greater than 20kg, we recommend delaying desexing until at least 12-18 months of age where possible. This decision obviously needs to take into consideration your pets personal environment and if early breeding can be avoided. Age of desexing is an evolving discussion with each patient having individual recommendations, dependant on breed, temperament and lifestyle.
New studies suggest early desexing may affect long term bone growth and conformation in larger breeds, predisposing them to orthopaedic conditions later in life.
New research also suggests waiting to desex dachshunds until 12months of age may also decrease the risk of Intervertebral disk disease.