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Spaying and Neutering

by Dr. Dawn Bookmyer, DVM

As I finished up my examination of a 6-month-old Beagle puppy named Sonny, I mentioned to the client that it was about time to schedule her new dog’s neuter.

The client looked uncomfortable and finally admitted that she had concerns about having the surgery done. “I love his personality, and I don’t want anything to change it,” she said.

I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised by this comment, but I’ve never gotten used to the myths surrounding spaying and neutering animals. Let’s examine some of the most common inaccuracies:

Sterilizing a pet does not change the animal’s basic personality. In fact, spaying or neutering an animal often makes for a better pet. Many objectionable behaviors, such as urine marking, roaming and fighting, may be greatly reduced after sterilization.
Spaying or neutering only removes a pet’s reproductive ability. Sterilization does not alter the “gender” of the animal any more than a hysterectomy or vasectomy changes the gender of humans.
The ability to reproduce has no bearing on a pet’s happiness. While it’s natural to want to assign human emotions to our pets, we need to remember that the primary basis for a happy pet is a loving home – something that millions of animals will never have, due to the tragedy of pet overpopulation.
Spaying and neutering does not lead to obesity. While metabolic changes may cause pets to add a little weight, the primary cause of obesity in animals is the same as humans – too much food and not enough exercise.
The risks of the surgery are minimal – especially compared to the medical problems of unsterilized pets. Unneutered animals are at greater risk for infections and cancers of the uterus, prostate, mammaries and testicles. And although most vets like to do the surgery when a pet is between 6 and 9 months old, animals of any age will generally see health benefits.

After talking to Sonny’s owner awhile longer, I realized that she was unfamiliar with the particulars of the procedure that I was encouraging her to have her dog undergo. I explained to her that the dog would receive a complete physical examination and preanesthetic blood testing to be sure the dog’s internal organs are functioning properly. A sedative is administered before the general anesthetic. The surgery itself involves surgically removing the testes. In most cases, the pet will spend one night in the hospital.

In females, a spay is more involved, requiring the removal of the ovaries and uterus. In order to monitor recovery, the pet usually spends at least one night in the hospital. The vet will administer a post-operative painkiller and may send some additional pain medication home with the pet.

Most pets recover quickly from the procedure and are pretty energetic by the next day. Stitches are often the dissolvable variety, so there is no need to return for suture removal. The pet owner should check the incision daily to monitor for swelling, redness or discharge. Following a neuter, pets should be kept fairly quiet for 24 hours; for spays, pets need to be kept quiet for a week following the surgery.

Sonny’s owner was relieved by the information I gave her and agreed that neutering her dog was in his best interest. In fact, veterinarians agree that it is the best choice for most pet owners. Unless you are a professional breeder, spaying and neutering your animals is the kindest and most responsible action you can take, not only for your own pet, but for cats and dogs everywhere.