Typically, the procedure is done when the dog is around 6 months old, but the surgery can be done later in dog’s life as well.
However, older dogs that get neutered don’t always reap all the benefits of this procedure. This is why dogs in animal shelters are being desexed as early as 8 weeks old.
The Benefits Of Neutering / Desexing For Male Dogs
It doesn’t matter if your four-legged friend is a he or a she, desexing has benefits for both canine genders. As all male dog owners know, pretty much every un-neutered male rascal will try and escape the yard in search of a lady friend, which puts them at high risk of being hit by a car or get into a fight with other dogs. This can be prevented by desexing.
Other medical conditions that can be prevented with this procedure:
- testicular cancer
- perianal adenomas
- tendency to urinate on things in order to mark their territory
The Benefits Of Neutering / Desexing For Female Dogs
Contrary to popular belief, female rascals also enjoy a number of health benefits associated with being spayed:
- they won’t suffer from pyometra (a potentially fatal infection of the uterus)
- lower risk of developing breast cancer
- she won’t have periods anymore, which means she won’t bleed on your carpet and furniture anymore, and won’t attract male dogs from your neighborhood
- if you don’t want litter, unexpected pregnancies won’t be a problem
There are many benefits and minimal risks associated with neutering, and since this is a simple medical procedure, any dog that isn’t to be used for breeding should be neutered.