A Neutered Pet is a Happier Pet
By Dr. Kim Robertson
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I recently treated a dog for bleeding from the urethra, caused by a prostate infection. It was not the first prostate infection for this dog, and I had urged the owner to have the dog neutered. But the owner had never followed up, and the dog was back in my office again, bleeding even more heavily. Treatment was getting expensive, because we'd done two urinalyses, three urine cultures on the current infection, an ultrasound on the abdomen (kidneys, bladder, prostate specifically), a prostatic aspiration, and a culture of a prostatic cyst.
Finally, the dog was scheduled to be neuteredan operation that will shrink his prostate tissue, stop the bleeding, and help make him a happy pet.
Good reasons for neutering
Neutering is important for this dog's health. But I advocate neutering your pets for a variety of reasons. Most important, it prevents unwanted pregnancy. A 1991 study found that between 10 percent and 25 percent of the offspring of U.S. dogs and cats are destroyed annually.
Besides controlling the number of unwanted pet pregnancies, neutering male pets is also beneficial because it:
* Decreases aggression between males
* Decreases a pet's tendency to roam and minimizes some sexual behavior, such as mounting human legs
* Decreases urine marking
* Eliminates the risk of "cryptorchid" pets (those in whom one or more testicle hasn't descended to the scrotum) developing tumors in abdominal testicles
Other reasons to spay female pets are that it:
* Decreases the incidence of breast cancer
* Eliminates dealing with false pregnancies
* Eliminates the chance of pyometra (an infected uterus)
* Decreases the attraction of male admirers
Neutering male dogs also decreases the chances of prostate problems later in lifea lesson my client almost learned the hard way!
I'm happy to report that at least 80 percent of my animal patients are altered.
Technically speaking
The technical term for the removal of the female reproductive organs is "ovariohysterectomy"; for male castration, it's "orchiectomy." The word "neutering" refers to the removal of the gonads (sex organs) of either the female or the male. But many people refer to the operation for females as spaying and to the operation for males as either neutering or castration.
My practice recommends spaying or neutering a pet at 6 months of age, before the pet reaches sexual maturity. This is especially important for female dogs, because the likelihood of developing mammary (breast) cancer later on increases once a dog has gone through heat. The incidence increases greatly with each additional heat cycle.
Where I live, all pets adopted from the local humane society are spayed or neutered before going to their new home. That's a common practice at shelters, which have an interest in preventing more unwanted animal births. Many veterinarians promote spay and neuter surgeries for puppies and kittens as early as 8 weeks old. Now that safe anesthetic techniques are available for these young animals, early surgeries are performed with little risk.
Pets are under general anesthesia for their castration or spay, so fasting is required for 10 to 12 hours before the surgery. Fasting decreases the risk that the pet will vomitand aspirate the vomit, which can be deadlyduring anesthesia. Dogsespecially puppieswho are very active after their surgery may also need a sedative to keep them calm.
The spaying procedure
In both dogs and cats, ovariohysterectomy is a major surgery. The ovaries and uterus are removed through an abdominal incision, which is then sutured.
For both dogs and cats, I recommend restricting exercise for 10 to 14 days after spaying to allow the pet to completely heal. Until the sutures are removed, cats should be kept indoors. Dogs should be walked on leash when they need to go out, and kept indoors otherwise.
The neutering procedure
Neutering a dog is generally a simple procedure. Once the dog is asleep, the surgeon makes a small incision at the front of the scrotum and removes the testicles. The incision is then sutured. The dog should be kept calm and quiet for several days and should not run off-leash for two weeks. Walking on-leash is also recommended.
Feline castrations are even simpler. After the pet is anesthetized, a small incision is made over each testicle, and the testicles are then removed from the scrotum. The vessels are tied off to prevent bleeding. No sutures are required, because the incision heals rapidly. I do recommend replacing litter with shredded newspaper in the litter box for four to five days after the operation so that grains of litter won't get in the opening. The cat should be kept inside for several days, until we know for sure that the scrotal incision has healed.
The procedure is slightly more complicated for cryptorchid pets. Jasper, a 6-month-old Jack Russell Terrier we recently neutered at my clinic, had only one testicle in his scrotum. After the normally descended testicle was removed, the surgeon made a second incision in the abdomen; this allowed her to locate and remove the other testicle. Pets like Jasper should be walked on-leash and kept quiet until the sutures are removed, typically in 10 to 14 days.
Most petsmale or femalerecover rapidly from their surgery. In no time at all, they're acting as if nothing happened!
Besides helping create a better relationship between you and your pet, neutering your pet definitely increases his or her chances of living a longer and healthier life. Having your pet neutered is one of the most responsible, loving things you can do for him or her.
