Advantages and disadvantages to Neuter/Spay
Grandmother Sadie to the rear of her granddaughter Roxy in the bluebell woodlands of Devichoy
Hormones are a necessary requirement for the healthy development of your dog.
Personally I prefer to keep my dogs intact and advise my puppy owners of the pros and cons of following this advise. However, if you do intent to spay, then please wait until both sexes have reached maturity – for females, about two years old and at least two seasons and males a little longer. You wouldn’t expect a four year old girl or boy to develop correctly either physically or emotionally if you removed their ovaries or testes. The same simple principle can be applied to your dog.
Your adolescent, junior boy is pumping testosterone and will probably be “humping” his bed, his toys, just about anything he can mount, BUT contrary to popular opinion, this will not be cured or addressed by removing “his nut cluster!” Increasing his exercise physically and mental stimulation can all help. It is also a misconception that signs of aggression can generally be attributed to an intact dog. There is research and evidence suggesting that aggression is often a sign of fear or lack of confidence and that neutering a dog can exacerbate this situation, not alleviate it. There is a drug called Suprelorin, which is a sustained release implant, which mimics castration by supressing testosterone production. This can be used successfully on a youngster until he matures and raging teenage testosterone subsides somewhat.
IF DONE AT THE WRONG AGE, spaying increases the risk of hip dysplasia, torn ligaments, bone cancer, and urinary incontinence.
The reproductive hormones help your dog's bones, joints, and internal organs to develop properly. If you remove those reproductive hormones too early, they don't have enough time to complete their valuable work.
Early spaying causes the leg bones to grow unevenly. This leaves your dog more vulnerable to hip dysplasia and torn ligaments.
Early spaying triples the risk of bone cancer, a deadly cancer that mostly occurs in large and giant dogs.
Early spaying causes urinary incontinence in up to 20% of spayed females. If your dog is spayed before her bladder is fully developed, weak bladder muscles may start to leak in middle age. This is stressful for both you and your dog, who is understandably upset at "having accidents" when she can't understand why. Lifelong supplementation with estrogen will be required and getting the medication properly balanced can be tricky.
Early spaying can affect the size and shape of a female's "private parts." The vulva of a dog spayed early remains small and may even be recessed inside her body instead of protruding as it should. An abnormal vulva has folds of skin that can trap bacteria, leading to recurrent infections.
The moral is.... Don't spay or neuter before your dog's reproductive hormones have had time to do their valuable work.
A bitches heat cycle or season
Your veterinarian will also discuss the topic of unwanted pregnancies. However, much like humans, a dog's fertility window is quite narrow. A typical "season" lasts around three weeks, with day one starting when you first notice bright red blood. By day ten, the discharge changes to a watery straw color, which signals that ovulation is occurring and your dog is most receptive to mating. This "peak period" usually lasts for about three days, meaning the most fertile days are generally from day ten to day sixteen.
However, it’s important to note that some dogs can ovulate as early as day six or as late as day twenty-one so vigilance is key. Understanding and observing your dog’s behaviour is crucial. Many breeders work with reproductive specialists who conduct progesterone and cytology tests to ensure accurate timing for mating. This is vitally important if you are travelling long distances for your chosen stud or using frozen or “fresh semen” for AI. Understanding her body language is also key. Your bitch may be “flagging” her tail high with other bitches in your home, but will keep it firmly clamped down and refuse a dog even if she is a few hours either early or late. She knows her own body, and is likely to show aggression to the stud if not at peak ovulation. After ovulation, the discharge will gradually return to a pinkish-red color and will typically finish by around day twenty-one. While these patterns are common, individual dogs may vary.
Exercise during a season
Opinions vary as to the correct protocol regarding whether to walk, or not walk your girl in public places when she is in season. Her scent will carry many miles so it is important to avoid popular and busy walks and peak hours. Personally, I do walk my girls off the beaten track, but have them on a lead from day ten to sixteen. I particularly dislike the use of “dog season hygiene panties” for the following reasons. The first season can be quite messy as she may not fully understand what is happening, but by her second, she will take meticulous care of herself and will naturally keep herself clean. If she is unable to access herself, she runs the risk of infection. Most bitches will come into season, maybe every nine months. Although some will cycle more frequently and others less so. Keeping diary dates is always advisable.
Grand old dame “Reilly” with her thick and woolly untamed “spayed” coat.
Spayed thick and woolly coat
A further disadvantage of spaying is that their coats becomes thick and woolly and hair is shed on a daily basis as opposed to a single coat cast a year. Spayed/neutered dogs easily gain weight which means strict dietary control is necessary in order to keep them lean. Additionally there is a one in three chance that a spayed/neutered dog develops hypothyroidism, or as in some cases, incontinence, requiring daily medication for the rest of their lives. Hormones play a crucial role in maintaining both their physical and emotional health and recent trends suggest that spaying before maturity is thankfully becoming less common.
False Pregnancies
Your vet may also talk about false pregnancies. Symptoms of which can include milk production. Should this be the case, it will require veterinary intervention and medication to stop. However, more commonly she will hoard and nest, collecting toys and shoes, behaving in an anxious or agitated manner. My advise is to ignore the fretting, remove the items she is collecting and increase her exercise until normal behaviour returns.
Pyometra
There are definitely benefits to spaying your girl after the age of eight when the chances of her developing a pyometra are higher. A “Pyo” is a uterine infection that the dog does not recognise as she is expected to carry pups, which are in themselves foreign bodies. An open Pyo is easy to detect – your bitch is listless, off her food, normally running a temperature and losing a gunky unpleasant discharge from her vulva. A closed Pyo is the most dangerous – your girl is off her food and listless but there is no discharge – if not detected then the uterus can burst and your girl die. I always say to my bitch owners:- keep a good record of when you girl comes into season and the state of her health nine weeks later. If at all in doubt get her to your vet for an ultrasound or xray.
