neutering...or not

fifib

hi all,
is there any pother options for female dogs than putting them under the knife. we've heard from people who had their dogs on an injection or pill every 6 months just like the human pill. weve asked a vet about this but they did not know if it. does it still exist?
were having second thoughts on getting our dog neutered. would be nice in a few years to think she might be a mammy just once

Shanao

You can get an injection for them, but every one you give means their hormones go out of whack for a while which can lead to an increase in pyometra- a really horrible infection of the womb. Honestly, I would reccomend every dog owner to get their dog neutered unless the dog is a show dog of outstanding type. There are too many dogs in the pounds and rescues, and PTS, in this country as it is, and that isn't going to change in a few years so please think on it carefully before deciding whether you really want to bring more pups into the world.

Zapperzy

Yes you can get the injection I think it's called alazine, but as Shanao said it increases the risk of pyometra, which is a common enough infection of the uterus which can be potentially life threatening and will result in her being neutered anyways just with much higher risk and cost.

Im sure loads are going to say it anyways but why do you want to breed from her in the first place? Is it just the thoughts of her experiencing motherhood? Breeding comes with much risk, expense and often heartache. To be honest the best thing to do is get her neutered and down the line if you feel you want another pup then buy or rescue one.

Inexile

fifib wrote: »

were having second thoughts on getting our dog neutered. would be nice in a few years to think she might be a mammy just once

Strongly recommend that you get your dog neutered. The dog doesnt need to be a mammy and do you really want to put your beloved pet through a pregnancy and all the risks that it entails and then possibly be left with half a dozen pups. Even if you manage to find homes for them you will be responsible for for their entire lives and if their new owners want to give them up you will have to step in and take care of them.

You should really read up on the care of pregnant dogs - its hard work - after I read one it put be off ever going down the route.

There is a reason the dogs trust say "its nicer to neuter";)

zoby

You can have a keyhole spay - recovery time is much faster.

Zapperzy

zoby wrote: »

You can have a keyhole spay - recovery time is much faster.

Keyhole spay is relatively uncommon in cats here nevermind bitches. Iv so far not heard of any vets here in ireland doing it. Have you any experience yourself of it? Would be interested to know if you have had it done and which vets are now offering it?

zoby

Zapperzy wrote: »

Keyhole spay is relatively uncommon in cats here nevermind bitches. Iv so far not heard of any vets here in ireland doing it. Have you any experience yourself of it? Would be interested to know if you have had it done and which vets are now offering it?

http://www.tobyvet.com/

golden8

I have a lab bitch that I was thinking of breeding from (shes a working lab) however I decided against it for a few reasons mainly on health reasons did not want my bitch to get pyometra or other things. Also there are too many dogs in the pound/rescues and I dont want to fuel that.

I also personally know of a person who bred some dogs about a year ago and they have only sold one pup they now have kept the three remaining dogs they are no longer pups and will probably stay with the mother now. I did mention to them that the current climate is not good and would not do it but they did not listen.

billyhead

What would be the general concensus on getting a male dog neutered? Can someone explain the pros and cons becasue you hear a lot of conflicitng advice as to its merits and disadvantages

andreac

Getting a male neutered reduces testicular cancer.

It also reduces the risk of the male wandering looking for a bitch in heat. It can stop aggressive behaviour relating to other intact males.

If there is a bitch in heat in your area a male will do anything to get to her and can go off his food, whine non stop, cry, howl etc.

It will cut down on marking which most males do and even more so if they are intact.

Unless you plan to show or breed your dog, then all dogs should be neutered.

There is absolutely no need to keep a male or female dog intact, neutering should be standard for all dogs unless you plan on showing them with a view to breeding then if they make the grade and are fully health tested.

mosi

OP, please get your dog spayed. While it may be fun to think about a bunch of cute puppies at some point, the reality is that...
1. You may not be able to find homes for them all - and there is no guaranteeing a small litter. My parent's dog, who we got from a friend, was one of eleven pups! What would you do in this situation?
2. There are so many dogs in need of homes in pounds and rescues across the country. Even if you did find homes for any pups you may have, bear in mind that through your deliberate breeding, these may be homes that are now unable to take a rescue if they had been considering it. Also, what if the pup's new owners decided that they were going to breed? And the owners of the pups after that? It just goes on and on
3. By not spaying your bitch, you are exposing her to a potentially premature death through pyometra and various cancers. Furthermore, pregnancy and whelping can be risky.
4. Dogs will not "miss out" by not having pups. It is an old wives tale that a bitch should have one litter. I don't know how it arose, but it sometimes sounds as though some people foist their biological clock onto their dogs.
5. Spaying, although a significant operation, is nevertheless a routine surgery, and the risks are far less than those associated with pregancy.

I'm getting my latest addition spayed next month. She was in heat when I got her in mid February so will be ready for her spay soon. I can't believe the number of people (some of whom I thought knew better) that have asked will I let her have a litter, they'd be so cute, get homes no problem etc. I just tell them some of the points that I have just made here.

tesslab

http://www.dogsindistress.org/neutering.php

Above taken from Dogs in Distress site. Very helpful.

Devi

I have both my bitches spayed and never have any problems with them. Like what was said before if you’re not showing or breeding then why have the hassle of a bitch in heat, un-planned pregnancies, and strange dogs at the door etc.

Brother in law had a unplanned pregnancy with his lab bitch last year. He was happy at the start but she couldn’t have the pups naturally and had to be c-sectioned, cost him a fortune in vet bills and he nearly lost his dog. Not worth it.