Male dog neutering, otherwise known as sterilisation, "fixing", desexing, castration (castrating) or by its correct veterinary name: orchiectomy (also termed gonadectomy), is the surgical removal of a male dog's testicles for the purposes of canine population control, medical health benefit, genetic-disease control and behavioral modification. Considered to be a basic component of responsible pet ownership, the neutering of male dogs is a common surgical procedure that is performed by most veterinary clinics all over the world. This page contains everything you, the pet owner, need to know about male dog neutering. Neutering topics are covered in the following order:
2a. The benefits of neutering (the pros of neutering) - why we neuter dogs.
2b. The disadvantages of desexing (the cons of desexing) - why people choose not to neuter dogs.
- 3a. Current desexing age recommendations.
- 3b. Neutering puppies - information about the early spay and neuter of young dogs (puppy desexing).
5. Neutering after-care - all you need to know about caring for your dog after neutering surgery. Includes information on feeding, bathing, exercising, wound care, pain relief, sutures-out time and stopping dogs from licking surgical wounds.
- 6a. Pain after surgery (e.g. dog walking stiffly, not wanting to sit down and so on).
- 6b. Swollen, bruised, blood-filled scrotum after surgery.
- 6c. Wound break-down - break down of the skin stitches.
- 6d. Wound infection.
- 6e. Suture-site reactions - swollen, red skin around sutures or stitches.
- 6f. Penis and/or urethra laceration.
- 6g. Excessive wound hemorrhage (excessive bleeding during or after surgery).
- 6h. Failure to ligate (tie off) the testicular blood vessels adequately.
- 6i. Post-operative renal failure (kidney failure).
- 6j. Anaesthetic death.
- 7a. Weight gain.
- 7b. Preputial scalding and infection - a potential complication of early underage desexing.
- 7c. The neutering didn't deliver the change (improvement) in male behavior that you thought it would (i.e. behavioral problems such as aggression, dominance, marking territory and roaming have persisted despite desexing).
- 8a. Myth 1 - All desexed dogs gain weight (get fat).
- 8b. Myth 2 - Desexed males lose their drive to herd and hunt and guard.
- 8c. Myth 3 - Without his testicles, a male dog won't feel like himself (i.e. he "won't be a man").
- 8d. Myth 4 - Male dogs need to have sex before being desexed.
- 8e. Myth 5 - Male dogs should be allowed to father (sire) a litter before desexing.
- 8f. Myth 6 - Vets just advise neutering for the money not for my dog's health.
- 8g. FAQ 1 - Why won't my veterinarian clean my dog's teeth at the same time as desexing him?
- 8h. FAQ 2 - Why shouldn't my vet vaccinate my dog whilst he is under anaesthetic?
- 8i. FAQ 3 - Is desexing safe? It's just a routine procedure isn't it?
- 8j. FAQ 4 - My vet offered to perform a pre-anaesthetic blood screening test - is this necessary?
- 8k. FAQ 5 - When is desexing surgery not safe to do?
- 9a. The typical cost of neutering a dog at a veterinary clinic.
- 9b. Where and how to source low cost and discount neutering.
- 9c. Free neutering.
- 10a. Canine birth control method 1 - separate the dog from the bitch and prevent him from roaming.
- 10b. Canine birth control method 2 - spay your bitch.
- 10c. Canine birth control method 3 - "the pill" and female oestrous (heat) suppression.
- 10d. Canine birth control method 4 - the "male pill" - fertility suppressing implants for male dogs.
- 10e. Canine birth control method 5 - canine vasectomy.
- 10f. Canine birth control method 6 - chemical castration - injecting sclerosing agents into testes and/or epididymus.
- 10g. Anti-testosterone agents (e.g. Tardak, MPA-50, Ovarid, Suprelorin) to reduce testosterone-related medical and behavioural problems.
WARNING - IN THE INTERESTS OF PROVIDING YOU WITH COMPLETE AND DETAILED INFORMATION, THIS SITE DOES CONTAIN MEDICAL AND SURGICAL IMAGES THAT MAY DISTURB SOME READERS.