Translated by Nick R
Many owners consider castrating or sterilizing their pets as it could prevent some problems both at home and outside where they live.
There are quite a few myths surrounding this procedure so here I’ll explain the advantages and disadvantages and everything you need to know about it.
Table of Contents
Sterilization or castration?
Many people think that they are the same thing, however, there are significant differences that can guide you to know which is the best option for your furry friend.
Castration is a much more invasive surgery and some people see it as mutilation as the testicles are removed in the case of males and the ovaries in the case of females. This is in order to completely end the sexual behavior of the pet.
On the contrary, in sterilization, the sexual organs are not removed but only the fertility of the animal is eliminated. The animal can continue to have sexual activity, that is, the body can continue to produce sexual hormones so it can continue to feel sexual or reproductive impulses. On the other hand, the female can also continue to be in heat, which is the period when females are responsive to mating. Sterilization can be compared to tubal ligation or vasectomy in humans.
Both options can generate benefits for the dog’s health by avoiding or reducing the appearance of certain diseases or bad behaviors that have to do with sexual activity. For example, a castrated dog won’t suffer from testicular cancer or ovarian cysts, while sterilization reduces the chances, but the danger is still there.
Benefits and disadvantages of sterilization
Here I’ll explain the advantages and disadvantages of sterilization in terms of the health and behavior of both male and female dogs.
Males
Advantages
- Avoids prostate infections.
- It lowers the tendency of your dog to go out looking for females, which can cause him to get lost or suffer an accident (it improves in 80% of the cases).
- Sterilization reduces the risk of testicular cancer since the amount of hormones decreases.
- It prevents your dog from mounting objects or people (improvement in 60% of the cases) since sterilization produces a reduction in testosterone hormones.
Disadvantages
- It may cause obesity because the elimination of estrogens generates a bigger appetite in the canine, so it is necessary to take care of his feeding.
- Urinary incontinence when the canine is sterilized at a very early age, there is a 13% probability of suffering incontinence when sterilized before 3 months of age.
- Surgical risks of low incidence but may present infections, abscesses, or a problem with anesthesia.
Females
Advantages
- Prevents psychological pregnancy. Some bitches may suffer from psychological pregnancy days after estrus, they may produce milk and even change their behavior.
- Eliminates heat, which will prevent male dogs from chasing the female, and of course, she won’t mark surfaces like furniture, which can be a problem in homes.
- You avoid unwanted pregnancies since bitches can have many offspring and there can be complications in childbirth.
- Prevents infections in the uterus.
- It reduces significantly the probability of breast cancer if it is done before the first heat or between the first and the second.
Disadvantages
- It can cause obesity but can be prevented with a healthy diet and physical exercise.
- It can cause hypothyroidism, which is reflected in an increase in weight but not in appetite, exercise intolerance, dermatological problems, and eye problems.
- Risks may occur during surgery if a problem occurs, such as bleeding or anesthetic problems, however, these risks are of low incidence.
Benefits and disadvantages of castration
Castration offers remarkable benefits for the canine’s health and behavior, although it has some disadvantages as well.
Males
Advantages
- Castration reduces the risk of testicular cancer. In this article “Testicular Tumors in Dogs” we talk about how testicular tumors are more frequent in older dogs, although there are some breeds that are more prone to suffer from this such as: “Toy Poodle, Yorkshire, Chihuahua, Boxer, Pomeranian, Miniature Schnauzer, Pekingese, Maltese, German Shepherd and Siberian Husky”.
- It reduces the possibility of prostate cancer, which is a disease that occurs mainly in senior dogs.
- It keeps your dog from “mounting” behavior as it completely eliminates sex hormones.
- It changes problematic behaviors such as stopping the dog from urinating to mark territory and can also reduce aggression towards other male dogs (improved in more than 50% of cases).
- It prolongs the canine’s life expectancy by 13.8%.
- It decreases the possibility of perianal tumors.
Disadvantages
- Although it prolongs life expectancy and reduces the risk of dying from certain diseases, it also increases the risk of dying from cancer and immune-mediated diseases that are an alteration of the immune system, these can be, for example, hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia in their senior age.
- It increases the risk of osteosarcoma (type of bone cancer), since hormones such as estrogens and testosterone have a protective effect that helps the development of the bone structure, so by eliminating them there is a possibility that the furry one suffers from this disease.
- Surgical risks, although they are not of high incidence, there could be some infection, hemorrhages or anesthetic risks.
Female
Advantages
It prevents unwanted pregnancy.
It eliminates estrus and avoids pseudo gestation (or psychological pregnancy). The procedure should be performed after heat (estrus) because if it is performed during estrus, pseudo gestation may persist and there may even be a risk of hemorrhage during the operation.
It avoids tumors in the ovary, uterus, and breast, the latter increase the possibility of appearing with each estrus cycle.
It prolongs life expectancy by 26.3%.
It prevents pyometra, which affects “25% of entire bitches before the age of 10 years.” Pyometra is an infection of the uterus that produces pus. It usually manifests weeks after estrus because of high progesterone levels in the uterus. Some symptoms are vaginal discharge, vomiting and diarrhea, weight loss, fever, lethargy, polyuria, and polydipsia. The latter are kidney diseases that make her consume much more water and therefore increase urine production which could also cause incontinence.
Disadvantages
It can increase the possibility of death from cancer or immune-mediated diseases at an advanced age.
Pets may suffer from hemangiosarcoma. Castrated animals are more likely to suffer from this spleen malignant tumor, which is normally found in senior dogs.
Urinary incontinence, especially in females of medium and large breeds. If castration is performed before 3 months of age there is a 13% probability of developing it, which decreases after that age.
Obesity: since in some cases they will have a bigger appetite; it can be controlled with diet and exercise.
Surgical risks of low incidence such as infections, abscesses, hemorrhages, remaining ovary syndrome, ureteral lesions, or problems derived from anesthesia.
Why sterilize or castrate my dog?
There are several reasons that promote sterilization in canines, one of which is responsible dog ownership. When a dog is sterilized, the overpopulation is reduced, and thus the likelihood of having more animals abandoned in the streets or suffering all kinds of mistreatment decreases.
This will ensure that in case of pregnancy, the canine owner won’t be forced to look for a home for the puppies, which is not always the best one. Remember that a dog can have from 3 to 8 puppies, in some cases even more, and it will be difficult to find a home that ensures the dog a good quality of life.
Likewise, castration or sterilization can prevent your dog from suffering some diseases derived from its sexual organs such as cancer or tumors, which can occur especially in older dogs.
On the other hand, it also avoids unwanted behaviors such as running away from home to chase a female in heat, riding cushions, stuffed animals, or even a visitor and also avoids the instinct of territorial marking. And thus improve behavior in certain situations, for example, if you take him to a new place, so that he doesn’t get lost in the park or the street because he wants to go after another canine or if you have visitors and he behaves in a reproachful way.
Probably any veterinary professional you ask will recommend you to sterilize or castrate your pet since it has more benefits than contraindications. The latter are few and with low incidence, besides, some of them can be treated with adequate care after surgery, such as, for example, taking care of your pet’s diet and physical activity to avoid obesity.
Likewise, the examinations before surgery will indicate if your canine can be at risk during surgery due to any pathology or any contraindication of the anesthesia.
Sterilization and castration procedures
First, your trusted veterinarian can make a pre-surgical evaluation or examination, this involves a physical analysis to ensure that your pet is healthy and there will be no risks during surgery or conditions due to general anesthesia.
It is also recommended that the dog goes to surgery fasting, the recommended hours may vary from 4 hours to 12 hours of fasting, so you should always ask your veterinarian. This is to avoid vomiting and reflux.
After your dog is already anesthetized, it will shave the abdominal area to perform the operation. After the operation, the veterinarian will keep the canine under observation until he is awake and stable for his owner to pick him up.
Sterilization procedure
There are various techniques for sterilization. Here I’ll explain what they are for both males and females.
Females
Hysterectomy
Only the uterus is removed, but the ovaries are left, so they can continue to have estrus and produce sexual hormones. In other words, by not removing all the sexual organs, the canine can continue to have sexual behaviors and impulses, but without the possibility of getting pregnant.
Fallopian tube ligation
This procedure prevents only the eggs from joining the sperm for fertilization. Canines will continue to have their estrus intact.
Hormonal treatment
Every six months they are given progesterone, either pills or injections. However, this method is not recommended because it has side effects such as the risk of diabetes mellitus and mammary tumors.
Males
Vasectomy
In this operation, the tubes that carry the sperm are cut, but they continue to be produced together with the sexual hormones. However, this method doesn’t prevent some problems such as tumors, cancer, or prostate problems.
Chemical vasectomy
It is based on the use of irritating substances that produce an inflammation that, when healed, blocks the transit of spermatozoa. This technique is not highly recommended due to its limitations and adverse effects.
Castration procedure
There are fewer methods for castrating female and male dogs.
Females
Ovarian hysterectomy
In this operation, the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus are removed, so the dog can no longer get pregnant, and neither will she have sexual behaviors, since all the reproductive organs were removed and there will be no production of sexual hormones.
Males
Orchiectomy
The canine’s testicles are removed. It is performed with pre-scrotal or perineal access, which means that an incision is made in these areas to remove the testicles. In this way, the source that produces spermatozoa and hormones is removed.
Chemical orchiectomy
This procedure involves intratesticular injections that prevent the creation of sperm and the production of sex hormones. Like chemical vasectomy, it has limitations and is not recommended.
Average costs of sterilization and castration.
Depending on the country, the city, and the veterinary clinic where it will be performed the costs will vary.
On the other hand, you should also take into account that some foundations or even the government itself perform sterilization campaigns for free if you do not have the money.
Postoperative care
Usually, dogs can go home the same day after a period of observation in the clinic. The veterinarian will give you certain recommendations you must take into account, such as keeping an eye on the wound for inflammation or redness, which could be a symptom of infection.
Of course, your pet will have to keep a quiet attitude during these days because if she jumps or moves around too much, the stitches may open.
My dog is quite playful and when we get home she greets us by jumping and running, this was a problem when she was operated on because we had to make sure she did not move so abruptly, so we would have to bend down before opening the door so that she could greet us calmly.
On the other hand, it is normal to put a cone or Elizabethan collar on her head to prevent her from licking the wound.
You should also clean the wound as often as the vet recommends. When my dog had her surgery, the professional who took care of her recommended a disinfectant spray to make it much easier. However, before applying something, it must be approved by the health personnel in charge.
You also need to give her medications, such as painkillers, as recommended by the veterinarian.
And since there is a risk of obesity, you should take special care in their feeding and ask the veterinarian what kind of diet your canine should maintain.
Recommendation: keep your pet’s resting place as close to the floor as possible so she doesn’t have to jump or make sudden movements, also keep her bed clean to avoid any infection.
When to sterilize or castrate my dog?
It is recommended to do it when your dog is 6 to 12 months old, once it reaches sexual maturity. That is to say when its reproductive organs are properly formed. Some people do it at a very early age, such as before 3 months, which can affect the development of the dog.
Of course, this will also depend on the breed, since small and medium-sized dogs such as the Chihuahua, Cocker spaniel, or Beagle, will reach sexual maturity faster than a large-sized dogs such as the St. Bernard, Great Dane, or Newfoundland.
Therefore, it is always advisable to ask a professional veterinarian to sterilize or castrate your canine at the right time taking into account what stage of life they are in.
Where to sterilize or castrate my dog?
Animal protection foundations and the government itself carry out free sterilization campaigns with clinical posts where you can take your furry friend.
For example, in Bogota, Colombia, the Institute for the Protection and Welfare of Animals carries out these free sterilization campaigns for families of strata 1, 2 and 3.
Otherwise, you can go to your trusted veterinarian so they can perform this procedure, of course, the price will vary depending on several aspects as explained above.
