When should an animal be spayed or neutered to prevent diseases and live longer?

During both lockdowns, it was observed that more and more people are getting pets – spending a lot of time at home, they realized that a good friend is valuable. And, of course, it is necessary to take care of something valuable. One of the decisions that a responsible owner must consider when deciding to get a puppy or a cat is the sterilization or castration of the pet.

Spaying or neutering a dog is a common and already routine procedure worldwide, during which, if there are no plans for the pet to breed and have offspring, the dog’s reproductive organs are removed: male dogs have their testicles removed, and female dogs have their ovaries and uterus removed.

“These procedures are a safe and reliable prevention against potential future diseases, as timely spaying in females reduces the likelihood of mammary gland tumors caused by hormonal imbalances, such as after false pregnancy, as well as the risk of fibroids, ovarian cysts, and uterine infections (pyometra). In males, castration helps prevent prostate enlargement and testicular and prostate tumors.

Females in heat or howling cats face far more problems than we might imagine. During heat, hormones rage, and the female dog or cat does not really feel well; the mammary glands swell, there may be a feeling of tension, the pet begins licking itself, the mammary glands are stimulated, milk soon appears, and we end up having to treat a nursing female dog ourselves,” says Vytautas Siaurys, founder of the veterinary clinics “Siaurio Šnauceris” and a veterinarian.

By the way, such self-breastfeeding, if measures are not taken, can continue for quite a long time, at that time the weakens, because all the body’s forces are thrown into milk production, there are no children, so the “mother” also feels great psychological discomfort.

“Mammary gland tumors are overgrown with myths and it is still not clear what really causes them. However, the theory is that after lactation, milk foci remain, which harden, the cells change and can malignate. By sterilizing the, we will avoid this problem even before the first heat. In general, removing the uterus and its appendages before the first estrus has, let’s say, its own advantages – not only will we eliminate the possibility of mammary gland tumors, but the will also remain more playful, even, I would say, more childish.

Sterilization after any heat cycle has other advantages and disadvantages – the likelihood of mammary gland tumors still remains. As long as the heat continues, there is still a risk of uterine inflammation and pseudopregnancy, but sterilization removes the uterus and ovaries, so the organ is gone, and so is the problem. Previously, the prevailing opinion was that the ovaries should be left, but then there remains a risk of cysts developing in them,” says V. Siaurys, adding that studies have observed a connection between hormones and changes in skin condition as well as certain mental disorders.

Often, a hormone-affected female dog will “adopt” a toy and defend it quite fiercely, and if there is a small child at home who accidentally takes that toy, it can already lead to serious trouble.

Not neutering a male can lead to serious health problems

An unspayed female dog is not only more susceptible to various specific diseases, but also comes into heat every few months. During this time, she starts bleeding, the house gets speckled with red spots, or the dog in heat decides to climb onto the bed – neither the sight nor the smell is pleasant, not to mention the rather uncomfortable company, as when you take a dog in heat outside, a group of admirers shows up and you can’t expect a peaceful walk.

Male puppies, by the way, are also recommended to be neutered, but in this case, it’s worth waiting until sexual maturity. Small breed puppies reach it at 7-8 months, so once their teeth have changed, they can be neutered, whereas for large breed dogs, all procedures should be done at the vet before they turn two. This way, you avoid not only discomfort but also diseases—prostate tumors are very common, and we cannot operate on the prostate, as that leads to other problems, such as urinary incontinence. Another common issue is extremely pronounced male sexual behavior. This is a huge source of discomfort and trouble, because, for example, if a male dog mounts a guest’s leg, colloquially speaking ‘humping,’ we certainly do not feel comfortable.

It happens that a male dog, left alone at home, also finds something to “ride,” is sexually active, and it occurs that due to very intense such actions, the urethra can prolapse outward, injuring the tip of the genital organ. Treating such a dog is difficult; we can restore the urethra, but you can’t take away the reflex from the puppy. Such problems are only solved by castration,” shares V. Siaurys from his experience.

The veterinarian states that when considering surgery for a pet, it’s not worth being overly impressed by the highly advertised laparoscopic procedures. According to him, an experienced specialist can remove the uterus with all its appendages through a single small incision, without the three incisions necessary for laparoscopy.