Frequently Asked Questions: Desexing Male Dogs

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• What are the advantages of desexing?
• What are the disadvantages of desexing?
• Are there any alternatives to de-sexing?
• Will de-sexing affect my dog's temperament?
• Will my dog put on weight after he is de-sexed?
• At what age should I have my dog de-sexed?

What are the advantages of desexing?

There are a number of important reasons why this surgical procedure is performed:

• No unwanted puppies. Each year thousands of unwanted dogs and puppies are put to sleep at pounds and shelters throughout Australia. You can help reduce this problem by de-sexing your dog if you do not want to breed with him.
• Reduced incidence of prostate problems. Prostatic cancer, prostatic enlargement, infections of the prostate and formation of cysts within the prostate are all common occurrences in male dogs that have not been castrated. All these conditions are almost never seen in dogs that have been de-sexed.
• Elimination of testicular cancer. Castrating a male dog means completely removing the testicles. This obviously makes it impossible for your dog to develop testicular cancer later in life.
• Prevention and treatment of certain behavioural conditions. Entire male dogs (i.e. male dogs that have not been castrated) have a much higher incidence of certain behavioural conditions. These include inappropriate urination or marking, dominance aggression, fighting between dogs, territorial aggression, escaping, roaming and inappropriate sexual behaviour.
• A de-sexed dog is a lot cheaper to register with the local council.

What are the disadvantages of desexing?

There is only really one reason for not de-sexing your male dog and that is if you wish to use him for breeding. Once your dog is castrated he is rendered infertile for the remainder of his life. As a result he will never be able to sire any puppies.

Are there any alternatives to de-sexing?

In certain circumstances it may be that an owner of a male dog wishes to have some of the benefits of surgically castrating but without its permanent effects. This may be to prevent a male dog from getting a female dog pregnant or seeing if castration will improve the dog�s behaviour. Chemical castration is available in the form of an implant. These implants are injected under the skin and last either 6 or 12 months. Once they wear off the dog returns to normal fertility and acts as a normal entire male dog.

Will de-sexing affect my dog's temperament?

De-sexing male dogs early enough will reduce the chance of the dog developing aggression problems, roaming, inappropriate urination and inappropriate mating behaviour. It will not affect the dog's overall personality.

Will my dog put on weight after he is de-sexed?

It is a common comment by owner's of de-sexed male dogs that "my dog put on weight after he was castrated". After the testicles of a dog are removed his metabolic rate will decrease slightly. This is due the absence of the hormone, testosterone. This reduction in metabolic rate means that the dog does not need to consume as much food as before the surgery to provide adequate amounts of energy. To avoid weight gain after castration, the amount fed to the dog should be reduced. If you are at all concerned about your dog's weight then please consult one of the staff for advice.

At what age should I have my dog de-sexed?

At Bondi Vets we recommend that most dogs that are not going to be used for breeding should be de-sexed by 6 months of age.