Is your dog showing aggressive behaviors such as urinating around the house trying to mark territory? Is your dog continually getting out of the house to look for mates or fighting with other dogs in the neighborhood? Neutering or Spaying might be the solution. Lets discuss more about Pros and Cons of Neutering your Dog.
Deciding to neuter your dog or not is one of the most important health decisions you'll ever make. Neutering will greatly improve the behavior of your dog and reduce the urge to roam while looking for a mate.
Why you should neuter your dog
Neutering is one of the most important decisions you can ever take about the health of your dog. If you are thinking about your dog forgoing it, then these reasons may help you reconsider your decision:
It prevents unplanned puppies
If you have both a male and a female dog in your home, then neutering the male dog will help to prevent unplanned puppies. This is because, after castration, the dog will be unable to reproduce with his female companion. Neutering helps you to control your budget for taking care of your dogs’ needs.
Reduces Health Risks
Neutering your dog eliminates the possibility of testicular cancer and greatly reduces the chances of getting prostate diseases which are usually common and serious conditions in senior dogs.
Lessens the Desire to Roam
When your dog is not neutered, he will have the desire to roam to find a mate. This urge puts your dog at risk of getting involved in traumatic accidents such as being hit by a car or contracting sexually transmitted diseases from stray dogs.
Neutered dogs rarely feel the need to roam and usually don’t get into fights with other dogs to show dominance.
Contains certain Behaviours
Unneutered dogs mark their territories by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house. These dogs also become aggressive towards fellow dogs because they sense insecurity for mating rights.
Reduce Pet Overpopulation
Each year millions of dogs are euthanized or become strays. This is due to the high number of unplanned births that could be prevented by spaying or neutering your dogs.
What are the common disadvantages of neutering your dog?
While there are many benefits of castrating your dog such as reducing the desire to roam or preventing unplanned puppies, there may be some disadvantages too.
Disruption of the normal hormonal process
Removing hormone generating organs such as testes from the body at an early age may negatively impact your dog’s growth. It is advisable to neuter your dogs once they get into puberty which is usually after their first year.
May cause Urinary Incontinence
Even though it doesn’t usually happen, there is a small risk of your dog developing urinary incontinence if its bladder was not fully developed at the time of neutering. So as the dog ages, the bladder becomes weak, causing leakage.
Affects the Maturation Process
Dogs that are neutered don’t mature in the same manner as unneutered dogs. This is because their hormonal process has been interfered with. For example, neutered dogs are likely to develop hip dysplasia and cruciate rupture because their bones didn’t get enough hormones to effectively mature.
Conclusion
Neutering your dog has many benefits such as preventing unplanned puppies and reducing the urge to roam. It may also have some disadvantages such as the disruption of normal hormonal processes if done at an early age. If you are considering neutering your dog, you should consult the vet for elaborate advice.
Author: Vincent Otieno
