Neutering: Have You Ever Regreted
 

Maxwell has put weight on in his belly area, but it shows on his back side. He use to weigh around 7.6, but aftter being neutered he's gained a lot I think. I've even noticed he's not interested in other dogs much. He smells them and he lets them smell him, but nothing else. This is sad to me

I just had Ben neutered a few weeks ago. He gained 1/2 a pound in 2 weeks. That is a lot for a little guy like him! I think he has gained another 1/2 pound since that weigh in too. It is getting very obvious to me when I pick him up. This worries me a great deal. It is just coming on too fast. I may have to change my feeding plan. I have always free fed and always maintained lean, healthy dogs. It will be a shame to have to change him now. But I won't let him get obese. I want him to live a long, long life!

I am not regretting it just yet. Hopefully I can get a handle on this weight gain. I had to do something as I did not want Annie to wind up pregnant. She was a small puppy for her age when I got her, and I did not want to risk her health. But she seems to be growing like crazy too. I thought she might go into heat before she was large enough to spay. So, I went ahead and made sure Ben was safe. Still, I had decided against breeding any more, so spay and neuter is the way to go. Safer and healthier for the pups in the long run. We may have to switch to a light food and go for more walks but much better that than the cancers and other health risks of an intact male.

Nope, never once regretted it. Most unaltered males annoy me (the ones at the dog park, and friends dogs, etc) because they're always ready to start a fight or defend one, humping things, marking everything and it's ALL they are concerned with. I will never own an unaltered males unless medical reasons made him unable to be fixed. I never personally had a problem with Jackson gaining weight after neuter.

Some of the issues have to do with just natural aging, weight gain and less interest in other dogs, for example might happen naturally with age. I love the idea that I can open my front door and not have Joey bolting out the door. Don't forget the number one cause of death among unneutered males is injuries due to car accidents. If he's putting on a few pounds, just increase the walking time, and another thing I do is play fetch with Joey for part of his meal. You also can be sure that you and your dog are not responsible for the surplus dogs that are being put to sleep daily.

I've never regretted it. Levi doesn't hump or mark. He is still active and playful. He isn't territorial or aggressive. He doesn't try to run away. A female in heat wouldn't make him forget his manners. I've known too many un-neutered male dogs that hump and fight, behaviors I am not interested in. I'll take my sweet, funny, playful and obedient little guy.

Ive never regretted getting my yorkie neutered at all. Last week I had my favorite male cat neutered and he has already stopped wandering in other yards and now stays in our backyard. I think neutering makes them better pets

I have to agree with Nancy. Weight gain is part of the growign process and may just be coincidental to the neuter. Providing your neuter was under a year of age.

I find that my dogs gained, stopped for a few months, then gained again for the first 1.5 years. It reminds me just like a human teenage boy. You see him at 16 and he's thin and then you see him at 26 and he's filled out. Not gotten fat, just filled out.

I still free feed. I find the amount they eat is based on the amount of energy they burned for the day.

The times I have felt that there was more weight than normal, it was because I was giving more treats than normal. :D

I wish i could have Gatsby neutered because I do worry about him running out a door and getting hurt or lost I do worry about cancer (he dose not hump or mark in the house) But the vet said it was too risky to do.
Right now im researching laser surgery options because the vet said it might be less risky that way. now if we could find a anesthesia that dose not make his heart stop we might be able to set something up

wow that was a rant, but the short answer is that when i get my dog fixed i will not regret it for a second

I have never regretted neutering my male. Before I got him fixed, he was a humping machine and would not leave the females (and sometimes males!) alone. Almost immediately after his neuter this stopped and he just likes to play with the other dogs.

I honestly would never own an unaltered male dog.

Never regrated spaying or neutering any of my animals. The shelters are FULL of cats and dogs that could have been avoided if they had been taken care of.
Unless you are a breeder I feel that spay or neuter your pet is the way to go.

Charlie is not neutered. I have thought about having him neutered but he is 2 now. Would it still be safe to have it done?

Yes, it would still be safe to have it done. Don't forget, dogs can produce offspring their entire adult lives, even the females; it's dangerous for a female to become pregnant after a certain age, so that's why most breeders spay or neuter their older breeding dogs.

I have not regretted having either of my boys neutered. If your dog is gaining weight it is because he's eating too much and not getting enough exercise. Bogey was neutered about 2 months after I adopted him and he was a little over a year old. He was skin and bone and boy did he gain weight. He was 5.2 lbs of nothing and he gained and gained and gained............all the way up to 14.5 lbs! :eek: The issue with him was he was extremely underweight and around a year old. The vet told me he needed to gain but the problem was I forgot to stop. He's now down to 10.4 lbs and the vet said he is perfect. But I never blamed his neuter on his weight gain. I took full responsibility and changed his food and cut the amount back. He's very friendly, loving and he runs and plays all the time.

I guess I need to call and see how much it is going to cost and get an appointment made. I wonder if it will help with the marking or since he already does that if it will change. I have to keep a belly band on him all the time except when he sleeps.

Don't forget to check out the low cost spay and neuter clinics. ASPCA | Free and Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Database. Neutering may not help marking at this age. Testosterone is the hormone responsible for marking, and the testes make the bulk of testosterone, but the adrenal gland makes some too. Since the testes are removed during a neuter testosterone in the blood will be greatly reduced, and after a month the level will be very low, but if the marking is firmly established, it probably will never be completely eliminated. You may want to get teeth checked during a neuter as well.

My dog was 3 1/2 when he was neutered. He was having surgery because he had eaten something that was blocking his stomach and the vets office called and asked if I wanted him neutered at the same time. So i told them that if the vet thought Sammy could handle it to go ahead and do it. He was fine. He didn't gain weight. I'm glad I had it done because they can get diseases if they aren't neutered.

I have never regretted having any of my pets spayed/neutered. I am a firm believer that it adds to their quality of life rather than taking anything away. I have never experienced spaying/neutering being a cause for weight gain.

I never regretted spaying my females although they did gain a bit of weight. I have an appoiontment in two weeks to get Zach neutered. He could use some meat on his bones. He's just about 5 lbs but he's big boned and looks a little skinny.

I've heard some breeders say that their male dogs often go without eating when their bitches are in heat, and keeping weight on them can be a problem because of all the nervous energy, so in this type of case, neutering would help put on weight, but it's always up to the owner to ensure that the food and treats aren't overdone.

I will have to watch Charlie after I have him neutered. He has gained a bit of weight over the last several months, I have noticed. He is alot heavier when I pick him up. I have stopped free feeding him but it is hard to do that when Natalie is 5 lbs and don't eat alot anyways.

and that has to be one of the best reasons ever, for having your dog neutered. :thumbup:

Nope. Never, ever regretted spaying or neutering. When I get the "oh wouldn't it be sweet to have puppies" urge, I remind myself of all the unloved animals that already exist out there and I'm glad I'm not adding to it. Weight gain can be managed through diet and exercise.

Ben is a little over 4 years old and I just had him neutered. The surgery went very smooth. He cried a little the first day, was slow the second, but up and around fine the 3rd day. He had his teeth cleaned too. Nice breath!

He was not a humper but when another male dog was around, he did start to mark. He had never marked before that. But when I had a female in heat, there was a good week in there that he was almost uncontrollable. What a little monster he would turn in to. He was not my lovable little Ben, but a crazed horn dog. I am glad I will never have to see him like that again. Just the thought that that might happen with Annie before she was old or large enough was all the incentive I needed to have him neutered. Annie may well wind up large enough to breed, but I am getting her spayed too as soon as she hits 3 lbs/6 months. I intend to just enjoy them for the pets I intended. After losing one female from whelping, I never want to go through that again either.