Neuter or Not that is the question????

[Jenn218]

Here is the thread that I posted back when Mojo was neutered...I am sure it is pretty comical, but it might help ease your nerves.....

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sho...=Mojo+neutered

and this is one of the reasons we got that "push" to get it done...even thought it ended up being "nothing", it could have been (eek)
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sho...=Mojo+neutered

[berk]

It seems most of you are highly in favor of neutering. But what about letting my puppy breed once or twice? Will the desire to mark never go away even if we do get him neutered later? If you have let your puppy breed, please get back to me on how He acted afterwards, as I am trying to weigh out for myself what would be best for my little boy and I.

[Dior'sMom]

Diezel got neutered yesterday. Today you would think he didn't had surgery at all. It you no dont intend on breeding i would go ahead and neuter him
For more info on spay and neuter
http://www.1-800-save-a-pet.com/publ...ter/index.html
Good luck with your decision

[yorkieK9trainer]

It's best to become educated yourself and make your choices based off of research and what your own opinions are.

Please take a second to read this and know that I'm not against spay/neuter...just "when". And sometimes that means that it may be harder on you because you'll have to learn how to correct some behaviors that you may/may not encounter- (pet ownership)

http://www.caninesports.com/SpayNeuter.html

http://www.mmilani.com/commentary-200509.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/en...&dopt=Abstract

[Ozzie'sperson]

I found this passage on the first site of particular interest:
A retrospective study of cardiac tumors in dogs showed that there was a 5 times greater risk of hemangiosarcoma, one of the three most common cancers in dogs, in spayed bitches than intact bitches and a 2.4 times greater risk of hemangiosarcoma in neutered dogs as compared to intact males.

This is what my first Yorkie died from at 11.5 years -- and he was not neutered.
We had Ozzie neutered a year ago -- at age 8 -- because the vet thought a loss of hormones might naturally repair a minor hernia. It didn't.

What I didn't see in much of these commentaries is anything about having an older dog neutered. Their stats usually talk about animals 1 year or younger.

[sassypup]

Your guy will be fine. My girl was about 4 lbs when she had the procedure along with about 4 baby teeth pulled. These little guys recooperate so fast!

[yorkieK9trainer]

Nichole-
The reason there isn't much info. out there regarding older dogs and spay/neuter is because you then have age as a factor for developing these conditions.
The studies have been geared towards younger dogs which is when spay/neuter is pushed.

[Jenn218]

Boy, this topic always has so many opinions....I think that whatever you and your vet feels is right for you and your dog is the what you should do. If you are undecided about breeding, then give it some time to think about the pros and cons of that first. If you are worried about an older dog, talk to your vet and then get a second opinion......it is better to hear what several have to say.

AND one of the most important things I learned about all the little trials we have been through with Mojo.....don't always believe everything you read online. In fact, the other day on some news program, they said that you can't go by everything you read online (no matter if it is healthy related and from a site that you would think would know)...it is something like 86% (I believe) of what you read online is false or not entirely complete and accurate!

We do all have our own opinions and that is what makes this world a wonderful place to live......but you just go by what you think and feel and what you and your vet (or numerous other vets you may talk with) feel is appropriate for you.

[yorkieK9trainer]

Jenn, those %ages you posted hold true from what you hear/read from another citizen too. (since they're the ones submitting the news and articles you're reading/hearing!)

Good post.

[Ozzie'sperson]

Yeah, it's a scary thing. And I'm not taking the online stats to heart. I just found them interesting.

Besides, the stats show that my first Yorkie should have had better odds of NOT getting hemangiosarcoma because he was intact. But that's what killed him. Already poking holes in teh numbers ...

Seriously, I do think it's better to neuter than not if you don't plan to breed. We currently have a cat that is right at the 1-year-old mark as best we can guess anyway. He will be taking a trip to the vet later this month.

[xBUTTERCUPx]

I had problems with Buttercup marking at other people's houses (he doens't mark at home) before he was neutered and I finally had the courage to do it. He doesn't mark any more and is much more lovable than he was before neutering. Also, I think Banfield overcharges on the neutering. I called and check on the price and it was 300.00 plus anesthetic. That is outrageous! Of course, it might be different in your area.

[pea496]

I had Conner neutered at 6 months. He was 5 pounds. He went in in the morning, and they told me I would be able to pick him up at 6 pm. I called at 3 p.m. to find out how he was doing, and they told me I could pick him up - that he came through great!! I brought him home and he wanted to eat. They told me to wait for a couple of hours before I feed him. He played and you would never know he had surgery that day. He did have his surgery on a Thursday and I took Friday off, plus had the weekend. I guess I was a little over-protective!!