Neutering has significant health and behavioural benefits for both male and female pets.
In males, neutering may help decrease aggression, wandering, fighting, scent marking, will reduce the incidence of prostate disease, and will eliminate testicular infection and cancer. The earlier in life neutering is carried out, the better the behavioural advantages, as the pet has not built up a lifetime of habit. But even later in life, there is still huge health benefit from neutering.
In females, neutering results in no more heats, no pregnancies, no phantom pregnancies, no womb infections, no ovarian or womb cancer. Neutering is also highly protective against mammary (breast) cancer if done early in life, ideally before the first heat.
Neutering is a day procedure here at Blessington Pet Hospital. Most pets can be collected by mid afternoon, and bounce out the door much to their owners' surprise! It is important to keep a pet quiet (no jumping on furniture etc) for approx 10 days after neutering so that the fragile healing wound is not stretched. We always send pets home with painkillers after surgery, so they are not in any discomfort. We bury the skin stitches under the skin (intradermal sutures) which means no ugly stitches, less discomfort for the pet, and best of all, usually no need for the dreaded elizabethan (head) collar!
Sometimes owners are reluctant to neuter their pet due to concern over behavioural change/weight problems/considering it to be an "unnatural" thing to do. Please call us to discuss any questions, and we will advise you honestly on any such concerns.
Every year thousands of unwanted Irish dogs are euthanased at pounds all over the country. The onus is on all of us to play our part in reducing unwanted pregnancies and litters, and the resultant overpopulation.
