[kaiimac]

Hey guys,

My dog is 5 years old and is intact. I have been pondering getting him neutered to stop him from marking in the house, licking urine, and other undesirable behaviors. The vet also recommends getting him neutered for "Health reasons." However, in my research, I haven't really found any good reasons to get your dog neutered except for the following:

1) Overpopulation
2) Testicular Cancer

My dog is a 5 lb inside chihuahua and there is absolutely no chance he will breed unless he were to run away. And if he does develop testicular cancer, they simply remove the testicles, and it is almost never fatal. In addition, it seems that neutering can actually cause more health problems than it solves, including increasing the risk of prostate cancer and hypothyroidism. If dogs are born intact, I don't understand why neutering them would have health benefits.

My question is, would it be worth getting my dog neutered? He is 5 years old, and I feel like his problem behaviors have already become established personality traits. Also, I just feel like people say, "You must neuter! It's good for them!" Does anyone have any facts?

Source:
http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongT...uterInDogs.pdf

[UnderDog]

I agree, so many people are pro-neuter without reasons. Though what you have to think about is that not only can your dogs physical health be affected, but also mental health. Your dog will be able to smell an in-season bitch from up to 2 miles away, it's unfair on the dog unless you plan on breeding him as he will be subjected to a life of trying to escape and sexual frustration. There is also the issue of the prostate gland, over the years your dogs prostate gland will enlarge, only by a tiny amount each year but over time it could become uncomfortable and become an issue with your dog defecating. Also your dog will more then likely not be able to fully enjoy walks - all of his attention will be drawn to finding a female to mate, unnecessarily. On the flip side your dog may be more prone to things such as UTI's, hypothyroidism, slower metabolism etc.

However, the issues you state will not be solved simply by neutering - they are behavioural issues you need to change.

Dogs are born intact so they can reproduce, but supposedly your dog wont reproduce..just something else to think about.

[sandyh]

i have neutered all my dogs. One for their health reasons and two for my sanity reasons. I took care of an old dog who could barely walk. he was an outside dog on his last legs, i didnt think he would make it through the winter so i allowed my son to bring him home and i trained him to be an inside dog.like i was saying this dog could hardly stand up his hips were shot, alot of the time i would have to pick his back end up just so he could stand. then my sons dog who wasnt fixed yet was brought into the house . this old dog who couldnt walk had no problem standing on his own so that he could chase the other dog all over the place, if he wasnt humping her her was humping anything he could get around, the cats, my legs and if he was too tired to stand up he would just lay on the floor humping the air while laying down, at first i thought it was funny cuz the other dog was almost dead and he was doing this, then i started to get worried because he never slept, his antics would go on all night and day, which meant i never got to sleep as i kept trying to calm him down so that he wouldnt have a heart attack. that was the longest 3 weeks of my life!!! Not having him fixed could have caused him his life what was left of it had i not been there. So ya i fix all my dogs.

not to mention- why do we need to breed our dogs when society is euthanizing thousands of dogs every day because they cant find them homes fast enough. I think every dog and cat should be fixed, but that is my opinion.

[Lara's mom]

Somehow, I've almost always ended up with females except for my fosters. As a result, I've dealt with a considerable number of vets...some amazing and, some who truly deserve to have their licence to practice yanked. The general consensus I've gotten from those vets who I would consider respectable and not those who I wouldn't "trust to treat a worm" is that if you don't intend to breed your dog - unless your dog is a spectacular example of his/her breed, spaying/neutering is the best thing to do.

My biggest concern which sandyh addressed very well is the possibility of unwanted puppies. A spayed/neutered dog is not going to contribute to the pet overpopulation problem. There will be no "ooops" litters. While unwanted dogs are being euthanized by the thousands every day in North America because there are not enough homes for them, I believe it is completely irresponsible to not spay/neuter.

[Lunareclipse]

When my puppy gets old enough, he is getting his wick snipped. All of my females are fixed, but others in the neighborhood might not be. I really wouldn't want my dog to run off and impregnate the husky the down the street.

[lil mutt]

If you dont have any plans of breeding your pet then i think the best way to do it is to neuter him.

[pinsnpugs]

I agree with the neutering.
He will still be able to smell a female in heat which also causes them to want to find the girl. They can escape, dig, etc to get to where that smell is and in turn end up lots, hit by a car, stolen in the process.

Testicular cancer is curable IF caught early. Problem being, it does not display any specific early warning signs. By the time most cancers show symptoms that get your attention, it is an advanced stage and possibly spread.

Peri-orbital hernias are also prone in unaltered males. Less agression when the girls in town are in season, marking may not cease, but re-training is easier when altered.

Best decision for your dog is neutering.