One of the most common causes of death for dogs is, sadly, traffic accidents. However, entire male dogs are at a significantly higher risk than others. The reason is biological – but the risk can be dramatically reduced by neutering!
Why do we recommend neutering?
There are a number of advantages to having a dog neutered – eliminating the risk of testicular cancer, reducing the risks of prostate disease, some types of anal cancer, and unwanted behaviour such as humping and, crucially, “roaming”.
What is roaming?
When a female dog is in season, she releases pheromones that can be smelt by dogs for miles around. Male dogs are driven by instinct to seek out the bitch to mate. As a result, even well trained dogs will sometimes run away when lured by the attractive scent. This behaviour is sometimes called “roaming”, but in our modern built-up environments, this usually means crossing busy roads and potentially coming to grief.
What is the procedure?
Neutering of a male dog is a very straightforward procedure, involving the removal of both testicles under a general anaesthetic. Your dog will come in to us in the morning, have the procedure, wake up, and then almost always go home the same day. In fact, in most cases the procedure only takes 15 minutes or so! Without testicles, the dog no longer produces significant amounts of testosterone, and this instinctive behaviour is dramatically reduced.