When it comes to the welfare of our pets, most owners are as much concerned that their dogs have the right lifestyle as they are that their animals are well nurtured.
Part of this lifestyle must revolve around the decision to spay or neuter their dog. Unless you wish to breed the animal, there is no reason to keep your dog intact and many reasons to have him neutered.
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Function
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Neutering a male dog, also called castration, involves the surgical removal of both testicles. By performing this procedure, the veterinarian is preventing the dog from mating and producing offspring.
Features
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Dogs being neutered are usually initially sedated, then anesthetized prior to the surgery. The animal will be secured on his back, and a veterinary technician or nurse will clip the area from the scrotal sac to the tip of the prepuce (the covering over the penis). At this point, she will then sterilize the surgical area preparatory to the incision.
The veterinarian will make a small, midline cut between the bottom of the prepuce and the scrotal sac. One of the testicles is then gently pushed into the incision and the veterinarian will carefully cut through the common tissue that encases both testicles. Major blood vessels are then identified, cut and tied off with two absorbable sutures. The vas deferens--the tube that takes sperm to the penis--is also ligated and sutured. The scrotal ligament, which holds the testes up in the scrotum, is gently pulled away from the testicle. The opposite testicle is then excised in much the same way. The incision will then either be closed with absorbable sutures or glued together with sterile skin glue, depending on the size of the cut. During the entire procedure, the dog's breathing, blood pressure and internal temperature will be continuously monitored.
Benefits
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Keeping the male dog from producing offspring is the major benefit of neutering; however, there are other lesser-known reasons this is a good option for pet owners. Neutering lessens the chance of dog developing prostate and testicular cancers as he ages. It also prevents the dog from spraying urine to mark his territory -- a common trait for most male animals. A male dog that is not looking to mate is also less likely to roam and become aggressive.
Time Frame
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Any male dog that weighs more than 2 lbs. is eligible for neutering -- many veterinarians will not castrate a puppy under that weight due to anesthesia protocols.
Most vets will recommend castration from six to nine months of age, although a male dog of any age is eligible. The procedure usually takes around an hour to complete, from the initial sedation until the closure of the incision, and the animal will usually be awake within five to 10 minutes after that. Often, vets will require that the dog be hospitalized overnight so that he can be monitored for any surgical complications; the dog is usually ready to go home the next day.
Considerations
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The animal will need to be monitored for any sign of infection at the surgical site. They should be prevented from licking or scratching the wound as it heals and the site should be kept clean, or it can become inflamed and painful. A much less common complication involves a hemorrhage from the subcutaneous tissue into the space left in the scrotal sac, resulting in a large hematoma in the scrotum. This is a veterinary emergency that may need to be removed surgically.
Over time, the scrotal sac that is left behind after removal of the testicles will shrink and become less noticeable. For approximately one month after neutering, the male dog will continue to have testosterone in his body, so you will need to carefully monitor his behavior until the hormone passes out of his system through his urine.
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