Scared to Neuter him..HELP!!!
 

:( Hi Everyone:)
Buster has an appt to be snipped on Feb 9th but I am having second thoughts about it. I have heard that the anesthia(sp) can make them really sick :( I honestly dont even see the reason for this besides that my vet said that usually thats what people do if they are not breeding them. I am looking for some advice/experience's. I just dont feel comfprtable with this :confused:

Looking at the Facts of Neutering Your Dog
Adapted From: Dog Health & Nutrition For Dummies

Every year in the U.S., millions of unwanted dogs — both mixed-breed and purebred — are put to death. The reason: supply and demand. More puppies are born than there are lifetime homes available. Some unwanted litters are produced by accident (many dog owners don't realize their dogs can start having puppies by 5 or 6 months of age); some litters are just the result of well-intentioned but misinformed people. A common reason given by the people who fall into the latter category is that they want their children to see the miracle of life in person, by allowing their dog to have a litter of pups. But what they may not think about ahead of time is the fact that the birth of puppies is not always a beautiful experience, especially if a puppy or the bitch dies in the process.

How your dog benefits
The only way to be sure your dog doesn't produce puppies is to get your female dog spayed or your male dog castrated. Intact male dogs and bitches in heat have an uncanny way of finding each other, and breeding can occur in a snap.

Spaying involves the removal of both the uterus and the ovaries. Castration refers to the removal of a male dog's testicles. The term neutering is a general term to describe either spaying or castration (but you may hear the terms neutering and castrating used to mean the same thing).


In addition to preventing unwanted puppies, neutering your dog has many benefits:

Female dogs who are spayed prior to their first heat cycle (which usually occurs between 6 and 9 months of age) have a significantly reduced chance of developing mammary (breast) cancer compared to dogs who have had even one heat cycle.
Spayed females can't develop pyometra, an infection of the uterus that can be quite severe and can even result in death.
Spayed females tend to have more even temperaments and do not go through the hormone-induced mood swings that intact bitches sometimes have.
Neutered dogs often are better behaved than their intact counterparts. Not only are they less likely to roam (visiting neighborhood females is a major reason for roaming), they are also less likely to mark their territory by urinating in the house (testosterone is one of the major drives for this dominance-related activity). In addition, neutered male dogs are much less likely to be aggressive toward other male dogs. These behavior benefits are particularly true if you castrate your dog between the ages of 9 and 12 months, before he becomes sexually mature and develops bad habits.
Neutering prevents the development of prostate problems often seen in older dogs.
A neutered dog won't develop testicular cancer, a common cancer of older, intact male dogs.
Male dogs who lift their legs to urinate don't leave urine burns in the middle of the lawn, because they usually urinate on trees, fence posts, and other vertical objects around the perimeter of the yard. If you prefer that your male dog lift his leg rather than squat to urinate, wait until this habit is well established before getting him neutered.

Many people think their dogs will get fat if they are spayed or castrated, but this isn't the case. Neutered dogs frequently don't need as much food as their intact compatriots, but there is a simple solution: Don't feed them as much.


Depending on your locale and the veterinarian you select, it costs between $50 and $120 to castrate a male dog and between $75 and $140 to spay a female dog. For people on public assistance or with lower incomes and for seniors on fixed incomes, spay/neuter clinics are held in most towns and cities. These usually are sponsored by animal shelters and veterinarians as part of their ongoing effort to control the local pet population. To find out when these clinics are held in your area, contact your local animal shelter.

The gory details
Neutering a male dog involves surgically removing the testicles with a relatively simple operation. When you make an appointment to have your dog castrated, your veterinarian will ask you not to give your dog any food or water after 8:00 the night before the surgery. (Keeping your dog from eating or drinking decreases the likelihood of the dog regurgitating during surgery.) The veterinarian will anesthetize the dog and make a tiny incision in the skin just in front of the testicles. The testicles are then slid up under the skin and removed through this little slit. The skin is sutured with three to five sutures. Your dog is then allowed to wake from the anesthesia and to rest overnight — either at the veterinarian's office or at your home — after the surgery.


Spaying a female is more involved than neutering a male, because it involves opening the abdomen. As with any general anesthetic, the veterinarian will ask you not to give your dog food or water after 8:00 the night before the surgery. After your dog is anesthetized, the veterinarian will make an incision in the center of her abdomen. He will find the uterus and ovaries and cut them out, first making sure that all the blood vessels are clamped off so they don't bleed. In a young dog, the blood vessels are tiny and are easy to clamp off. After a female has been through a heat cycle, however, the vessels are larger and require special attention so they don't bleed. This is why spaying a dog after her first heat is usually more expensive. If a bitch is pregnant, the vessels are very large and are full of blood to feed the growing puppies; therefore, some veterinarians refuse to spay a pregnant bitch (sometimes requested to prevent the birth of puppies) because of the danger of postoperative bleeding. After removing the uterus and ovaries, the veterinarian sutures the abdominal incision and the dog wakes up. She then may stay overnight at the clinic to make sure she rests and doesn't stress the incision in the early stages of healing.

For the first couple of days after surgery (whether for castration or spaying), your dog should rest and should only go outside to the bathroom. For the next week, mild exercise such as on-leash walking is all right. About ten days after surgery, the veterinarian will check to make sure the incision is healing properly and remove the sutures (or check on self-dissolving sutures).


http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/Dum...le/id-1924.html

It is also the perfect time to have puppy teeth removed if there are still any in their mouth.

You just want to make sure the vet is using Isoflorine or (oh rat's I can't remember the newer one vets are using...I will go & look)

I had Louie neutered and he was fine.....Now it is Bella's turn....the vet has been very careful and has done blood tests and stuff to make sure she can handle the anestishiaa (sp) ?? My vet does lasor surgery which is suppose to be less invasive...Good luck and try not to worry to much, just make sure that they take evry precaution available.

I was scared when it was time for Scout to get neutered, too. He did fine!! You couldn't even tell anything had happened to him. He felt great the next day. ALSO, he was 6 months old when we got him neutered and he had just started trying to hump my female yorkie and also mark furniture. He doesn't do either of those things now. Those were the best reasons to get neutered for us!

I wish I could go back and redo it all again where Cooper is concerned. I waited too long before neutering him. He was 7 months old at the time and had begun marking. While that habit has deminished, I'm still fighting it.

With Carter, he was neutered earlier and I've never had a marking problem with him.

I had an appointment for Caesar when he was 6 months old and cancelled it and posted here with my fears. I was scared to death to have it done for the same reasons. Do make sure they use Isoflurine (sp?). and he will be fine. I rescheduled him at 10 months old when Cleo was 6 months old. Had them both done at the same time and insisted in taking them home that evening. The receptionist had a fit and had to ask the vet but when I ask her who in their right mind would leave their babies in a cage over night all alone she saw it my way. I ask who would be staying with them after 8 pm when they closed and she said no one. I said I will be and I picked them both up at 6 pm. Caesar moaned that night and just didn't seem to be able to get comfortable because he normally starts out sleeping on his stomach but the next morning you couldn't even tell he had the surgery. Cleo took a few days to get back to herself but they both did great. Prior to the surgery Casear had started raising his leg outside but still was squatting on the potty pads in the house. He never marked in the house and still squats on the pads and outside. Everyonce in awhile you will see him raise his leg outside but he raises it straight up and almost falls over so I think he has realized that squatting is just easier. He use to hump his octapus before the surgery and did so for a solid 7 days after but hasn't since then and he is now 1 yr 3 mo.

Over Christmas holiday I set for my stepsons dog Max a 10 mo old Cocker Spaniel and he raised his leg on everything in my house and let me tell you it isn't just pee. It is very bright yellow and hard as heck to get out of the carpet. So this made me very glad that I had Caesar's surgery.

If you are only concerned about the anesthesia talk to your vet explain your concerns and ask him what he plans to use. If it's not Isoflurine (sp?) then insist he uses it or find another vet and your pup will do just fine.

Hang in there and keep us posted.

Thank you so much for all this info. I am going to call my vet this afternoon to see what they use. He is so little ((only 4 months old)). I guess Im just being a "new Mommy " :)

How much does he weight?

How much does he weigh good question since he is only 4 mo old. Most breeders & vets will tell you to wait till they are 6 mo old especially since they are such small pups to begin with.

I think it is pretty safe to get them neutered but I wouldnt do it before 6 months old. My dogs was unaffected by it.

Most Yorkies tend to need help in removing their baby teeth. This usually doesn't happen until they are a little older. The last thing you want to do is subject your little one to going under to many times. I personally would wait until your little one is a little older so you can have the two things done at one time.

You should also have blood work done before hand.

We probably won't neuter our Molly, because she could make the cutest puppies.

He is 3.6 pounds as of last Thursday :) I also called my vet and they use the Isoflurin(sp) that was talked about in the prev posts. How will I know if he needs his baby teeth removed? When we were there last week for the last shots..the vet did open his mouth and look at his teeth. He just said that his gumbs looked good and that they look great, no over/underbite and that I shouldnt worry if I find one or 2 every now and then..lol

If I do decide to get this done...I think I will wait until he is at least 6 months.

That another one of my thoughts... I would love to learn more about breeding...I want to have a Yorkie family someday!!!!!
I dunno.. I have to seriously think about all of this!

Tucker did fine. It did stop him from marking, which was driving me up a wall. He was running around like a nut the next day, as though nothing had happened. Believe me, it is for the best. It's scary, but you'll get lots of support from the people on here, and everyone will help you get through it.

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. :thumbup:

Good luck and feel free to PM me if I can help you further or refer you to a homeopathic vet to talk to. :)

Don't be scared! There are many health benefits involved in fixing your dog. Just know that you are doing the right thing for your pup. I, myself, am having Chewy fixed this Friday. He was supposed to be snipped in November but I had to cancel his appt. He is 11 months but I say better late than never!

i was worried before bunjee's neutering too and was really nervous the day of. but he did great! you'd never know he just went under and operation with the way he acted. i had him neutered at the ripe old age of 4 months and 5 days. he weighed 5 lbs at the time.

not only will there be health benefits from the neutering, there's plenty of behavioral benefits that'll help him stay safe and happy. overall i think there's more pro's than con's with neutering. but ultimately you should do whatever you are comfortable with after consulting with your vet.

Hello Mommy2B and All,

About neutering males and spaying females, I cannot honestly say I am very educated on those subjects. However, I know by word of my vet, that it reduces alot of health risks later on in life. I also understand the over population of dogs, and how neutering and spaying will reduce this or atleast help the situation. However, I personally see nothing wrong with leaving your dog as is, without alteration, if the dog does not have another to mate with. I also see nothing wrong with a pet owner deciding to breed. Everyone has the choice to do with their dogs in the best way they see fit. To me, as long as a dog is healthy, then they are happy (I edited this because I wrote if they are healthy, then they are healthy... :) ). So Mommy2B, just think about it thoroughly before you make your choice. That is all. Thanks

For the most any surgery is a risk, but if you trust your vet and have confidence in them it should be fine. I had mine first male done after I found out he only had one testicle ( didn't know then to check......duh )and he came through with flying colors. But honestly I would wait till he is 6 months old.

The newer gas is sevoflurane its suppose to be even safer than isoflurane. I know this cause we went to vet last sat and got some blood work. I am goin have Hayley spayed by laser also its suppose to be a lot less bleeding and pain than triditional way. Vet told me also that they heal a lot faster. I am sure they do this for neutering also. Hope this helps ya

You have had a lot of excellent advise, and neutering is definitely the way to go.

Mine will be neutered in another month or two. I suppose I'll worry, but there are no ifs, ands, or buts --- he is going to be neutered. It's just a rule at my house. (I am spayed!!!!!!)

***** I have had almost every animal I have ever owned spayed or neutered and have never had a bad experience.

Carol Jean

Update on Buster...
 

Hi Everyone:)
Happy Valentines day!!! I want to say THANK YOU for all of the wonderful advice you have posted.
I have decided not to nuter him ..just yet. I spoke with my vet and he was very understanding and helpful.
Somewhere down the road when I learn more about breeding, I would like to have a few pups from him. My parents are looking into getting a female and we would love nothing more then to have little Busters ((or Buster-ets..lol)) running around our house! And when that time come...beleive me there will be 100 more posts from me to make sure I know everything I need to know so that we do it the right/healthy way :)

Thanks again!!
Love
Tiffany and Buster

i have a 8 month old male, weighs 2.8 lbs. Got him neutered last week. He was potty trained pretty well, now that's all gone out the window!!!! If it were possible.... I would put the nuts back on. LOL We are not feeding him any differently and he is up to 3.5 lbs. I am sooo angry!!!! Is this normal? Will he loose the extra? Any suggestions?

Is he marking or actually peeing in odd places?
Does he seem to be able to hold it?

Altering can cause a set back in potty training, but it should be okay.
If you think he is having trouble holding it or going where he would never go (couch or whatever), then checking for a UTI would be a good idea.

I was very nervous as well. I put it off instead of having it done right at 6months old. But then Paker started marking so I booked it. He was 9 months I believe. I called to find out what anesthetic they used, and my vet was very reassuring, talked me thru everything...I still bawled like a baby when I dropped him off tho lol. That first night I felt so bad, he cried all night (and me too lol) but the next morning he was up and running around like normal!
I wish I hadn't have held off tho, he was already in the "habit" of marking so it didn't help with that.

We use potty pads..... he just pees and poops when and where he wants. When I see his "accident," he runs and hides without me saying a word.He knows better and yet its like he's mad at me and showing me "I'll do what i want." I'm about ready to pay someone to potty train him, but my luck....... after they got paid, he'd start again.

It's the best thing for him. He'll be fine...I had my two fixed at 6mo....boy and girl. When I took them home we had a nice quiet night, they rested and I hand fed them chicken.