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The Importance Of Spaying Or Neutering Your Dog

As a dog owner, you have a responsibility to spay or neuter them as soon as they are old enough to undergo the procedure. Millions of dogs are destroyed every year due to bad breeding practices and management. You can make a difference in this number by taking the iniative to keep your pet from breeding. Even if you don't have any other dogs, it is still important to spay or neuter them to prevent accidental breeding from neighboring or stray dogs.

Guidelines for Spaying or Neutering

Male dogs can be neutered once they reach the age of six months. In some cases, however, your veterinarian may recommend waiting until they are more mature. If your dog has health issues, the procedure may need to wait until they are healthy enough to undergo the procedure. If your male dog is overly aggressive at an early age, your veterinarian may recommend neutering before they reach six months, but this should only be done in extreme cases.

Female dogs can usually be spayed after the age of eight months to one year. It is important to spay them before they reach their first season, or what is commonly called 'heat.' This can cut down on reproductive health issues and reduce the risks of accidental breeding. You would be surprised at the lengths a male do will go to breed a female dog who is in season.

Why it is Important

Besides the obvious issue of breeding, there are several other reasons to spay or neuter your dog. Female dogs are at a greater risk of developing certain cancers or reproductive diseases if they are not spayed regularly. Other behavioral and medical problems, such as false pregnancies, can also occur if a female dog is not spayed early on. While a false pregnancy poses no actual risk to a dog, it can be mentally traumatizing.

Aggression and unwanted behaviors are common in male dogs that have not been neutered. Your male dog may try to dominate you, and may succeed in becoming the 'alpha dog' if you do not take care of this problem early on. Other problems include marking walls and territory, a behavior that is absolutely unacceptable to home owners. There is also the risk that your male dog may run away if a neighboring female dog is in season, and liability issues if your dog impregnates another dog.

After You Spay or Neuter Your Dog

Once you have spayed or neutered your dog, it is important to keep them on a regular exercise routine. The lack of hormones can lead to increased weight gain, and you may need to modify their diet if exercise does not help. Weight gain is the most common risk, but can be easily corrected if you are vigilant.

Immediately after surgery, it is important to limit your dog's activity. Female dogs are usually at risk for separation of the abdominal cavity if they are too active after surgery. Since spaying is invasive, do your best to make sure that your dog doesn't overdo. They don't have the same pain threshold as humans and may not realize the danger they are in.

Neutering is much less invasive, and shouldn't cause this problem, but there can be complications after surgery. Monitor your male dog for signs of abnormal swelling or redness. In rare occasions, a veterinarian may miss a blood vessel and internal bleeding can result.

The benefits of spaying or neutering your dog far outweigh any consequences. If you are concerned about the procedure, discuss it with your veterinarian so that they can walk you through what will happen.