Neutering - Page 1

What experience has everyone had neutering a 6 + year old S/L male, currently has some joint issues also.

What specifically are you looking for? I've had dogs neutered early and late in life, never had any issues with it.

I had my Belgian Tervuren neutered at 6 yrs, no issues with it - just keep an eye on the incision area and keep it clean.

Yes ,Neutering a dog later in life medically speaking , should not be an issue . Behaviorally …. that is a whole different matter. Some unwanted behaviors in may be affected , yet in another dog those same type behaviors may not be affected.

Neutering .. There is a time and place for neutering. That aside … in the USA there has been for decades a big push , a very very big push towards neutering, I put this forth . OK … neutering can decrease cancers , tetsticular and mammary cancers in dogs . Most people understand that and that is not debated or contested. But , and this IMOp is a BIG BUT : there are a dozen reasons that neutering above and beyond those reasons, is not beneficial , especially in a young dog !! Why has this neutering bit come about [ aside from problematic behavioral issues]. I do not have the exact answer .However my impression is that this is just a big con job , like all the political correctness and government controls placed upon people . In addition , I think this also originates from breeders feeling that when they sell dogs /pups they have to protect their own interests. This stems from the alck of education about animals and may from the viewpoint that any ol' person can breed by simply putting two animals together to make a few bucks.

My male was neutered at 3 due to prostate problems. The only thing that changed was he stopped scent-marking the vet's front counter...

Why are you neutering? By this point, the dog's behaviour /character is pretty much set, and neutering will not change it. My male wasn't an aggressive dog, but if another male challenged him, he was still game to take them on after neutering. And he still went after the females when they were in season!

Unless you have an intact female at home you want to protect, or if your dog is an escape artists that likes to roam loose and sire unwanted litters, I see no point to neutering him.

Cent - neutering/spaying has been pushed for years because too many irresponsible owners (not just breeders) have let their dogs procreate, resulting in more pets than homes. I have walked into the large freezer at the SPCA in Vancouver, where the bodies of animals are kept before going into the incinerator. I volunteered at the hospital there, and seen many homeless animals, just waiting for someone to give them a caring home.

In some Canadian First Nations, there is an experiment being conducted with a birth control pill (for males and females) because of rampant reproduction due to animals not being fixed.

https://acc-d.org/available-products/suprelorin

Thanks to an Emergency Drug Release, a Canadian veterinarian has been able to use and study Suprelorin in female dogs in select First Nations communities. 

I will be neutering my present 6 yr old male dog, as he has epilepsy and we have a young female that we don't want to have any 'accidents' with.   I do not think my male's behaviour will change much, not that we would know as the epilepsy drugs have 'toned him down' anyways.

Has anyone had experience with healing, joint issues after neutering worsening; am not so worried about behavioral issues as he is pretty mild tempered; but I do run two intact males together and also he has become a little "well shell we say RANDY"...Just contemplating at this point but also am a little henky about putting him under anastesia (sp) sorry. But again just pondering the thought at this point. Thanks to all, Nan

No females in the household at this point, with two boys don't plan on any at this time. Learned in from past experience that boys do bette without the presence of females in the pack.

Thanks again, Nan

Nan - I do not recall any issues with my Belgian regarding healing or joints, after the neutering. Mind you, he had excellent hips before.

I wanted to add situations where Centurian talked about change in behavior. I never noticed any issues with joints. One dog did have an anal fistula that seemed to start having more problems, but no idea if the surgery was a contributing factor.

I have experience in older dogs (7-9 years) who were neutered for medical reasons. Three dogs immediately come to mind. I’m guessing the changes in behavior were first observed within four-six months of surgery.

All were seasoned police dogs and had been specifically tested for their self confidence and lack of any avoidance behaviors.

One dog developed concerns over storm grates. These are the things on the side of the street where water runs off. They are also hiding places for property or evidence of crimes (sometimes suspects), so they’re occasionally used in training to hide articles for the dogs to locate. He would still indicate to the article, but often from several feet back. He had previously located many articles in training and during actual calls for service without showing any concerns. In the past I had placed articles in that same grate for his handler. He was conditioned to move through this.

One dog started losing commitment during the cat fight, sometimes within seconds of being rolled on his back. In the past he always performed at high levels and never showed any issues. He improved somewhat, but to stop reinforcing this behavior he was eventually removed from the scenarios after he failed to stay committed on a reliable basis.

One dog suddenly became concerned over road kill. While doing search exercises, he would sometimes appear startled and leap away from the carcass. This was especially noticeable if he came in upwind and happened upon the road kill before first smelling it. He was conditioned to move through this, but would still show some level of concern at the odor.