Desexing Your Dog
Should I sterilize(desex) my dog and if so then when is the best time to do so ?
This is no longer a quick and easy question to answer as there is a large amount of research and data continually being added to the literature. Our best advice is to make an appointment to see one of our vets who can guide you through the many points of consideration in making the best choice for you and your pet.
Our practice will never recommend or perform elective desexing in dogs or cats under the age of 6 months(referred to as “early desexing”). This is because it is elective surgery and we can easily minimize risk to patients undergoing this surgery by not performing it when they are neonates or puppies.
Some of the general points worthy of consideration and discussion can include:
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The breed of your dog,
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The environment your dog lives in (enclosed yard v bush block/farm),
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The importance of off-leash activity to your dog,
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Importance of prevention of unwanted pregnancy,
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Your dogs current behaviour,
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The potential of other dogs behaviour towards your dog,
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The advantages and disadvantages of androgenic (the natural steroid) hormones,
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The variation in costs of the procedure based on age and weight/size of you dog,
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Any increase or decrease in the incidence of certain medical and surgical problems such as cancer, prostatic enlargement, urinary incontinence and orthopaedic disease,
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Any co-morbidities your dog may have.
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We will also use this visit as an opportunity to provide you any breed specific information that may be relevant to your dog. As mentioned, new data is continually being added to the literature and so we will try to provide you the most up to date advice.