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Should you castrate your dog?

When it comes to girl dogs, the advantages of neutering are very clear. However, with the boy dogs, they are less obvious and my advice is always to make the decision on an individual basis.

There are health benefits to castration; they can’t get testicular cancer and prostate problems are less likely. However, they are not so common in mature dogs that we blanket advise neutering in young ones. (In comparison to the girls where 25% are likely to develop breast cancer and a similar amount will suffer with uterus infections.)

There are some behavioural benefits to castration but if you are hoping for an easy way to turn your bouncy boy into the perfect man, you will be disappointed!

Castration will not ‘calm down’ a lively dog. Time and training are the only ways to achieve that! It is also not a quick fix for humping, aggression or urine marking!

If your dog has behavioural issues, they should always be assessed by an Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors – APBC behaviourist before we decide go for the chop! Otherwise we can make things worse, not better.

Chemical castration is also an option and can be a good way to see if neutering will have a positive behavioural effect. Usually an implant, similar to a microchip, is inserted into the back of the neck. It releases a synthetic hormone which reduces testosterone levels for 6-9 months and during that time your dog will behave as they would if they were castrated.

If you are wondering what the best thing for your boy is, call your vets for a chat, they will be more than happy to help you!

To read more about neutering in dogs and the things to consider in the decision making process, check out ‘To Neuter Or Not? The Doggy Dilemma.’, 

You can follow me on Twitter; @cat_the_vet,  FaceBook;  Cat_The_Vet and Instagram, Cat The Vet

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