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Originally Posted by Mommy2b |
IMO,
it is not appropriate to neuter an animal routinely because "it is the thing to do" and you are right to be concerned and to ask the questions you are asking.
While it is the "protocol" in this country to criticize those who do not neuter their pets, I feel that
responsible pet owners should always do what is in the best interest of their dog and not just what "popular protocol" demands. He is your dog and you have every right to make the decision that is right for him and you should not be made to feel guilty for doing so. It is up to
every responsible pet owner to weigh the pros and cons in their situation and see if the benefits of this surgery outweigh the risks.
The most frequent "guilt trip" imposed by the general population on people to encourage them to neuter is the over population of dogs and the dogs in the shelters, etc. IMO there are not many yorkies who add to this problem. They are usually small house dogs who are well supervised and not allowed to be outside alone and not allowed to roam the neighborhood looking for females in heat.
I think most responsible yorkie owners can prevent unwanted pregnancies w/o too much effort.
The other fallacy of this argument is that animals are killed everyday for human consumption and most people don't feel bad about that. I mean we eat cattle and chickens and pigs (some say pigs are more human like than dogs) and no one except the vegetarians and vegans really give it much thought, right?
There are also
alternatives to a full neuter...you can ask the vet to do a vasectomy which is so much less invasive and leaves the dog with the hormones that he needs to live a heart healthy life.
There are other threads on here about this that you can research and I would suggest that you contact a homeopathic vet in your area or one who is in another area who does phone consultations, and they can help answer any of the medical questions for you. There is evidence that
there are some cancers that are MORE prevalent in neutered dogs than in intact dogs and the fact is that
testicular cancer is actually quite rare in dogs and when they do get it, the "cure: at that time is to neuter. But why neuter because he "might" get testicular cancer? It doesn't make sense given the rareness of the disease and the easy cure in most of the cases?
Again, I applaud you for your concern and for doing your research before deciding what is best for your dog.
If you do decide to neuter, I agree with livingdustmops and I think 5 months is way too young and I am surprised that your vet recommended this. Most vets understand the risk of putting these small breed dogs under too often and they will wait until the adult teeth are in before neutering so that they can pull any remaining baby teeth at the same time. I would say 7 to 8 months is better.
Good luck and feel free to PM me if I can help you further or refer you to a homeopathic vet to talk to.
