There are many benefits to desexing your dog, these include prevention of health and behaviour related problems as well as prevention of the birth of unwanted puppies.

Some of the benefits are outlined below.

 

To reduce the risk of mammary cancer

• Mammary cancer is the most common form of cancer in female dogs.
• 40% of these tumours are malignant.
• Earlier desexing reduces the risk of your dog developing mammary masses.
• Speying prior to the first season (6 months of age), 0.05% risk of developing mammary tumour later in life, after the 1st season: 8%, after the 2nd season: 26%
• The protective effect is lost after 4 seasons.(i.e – once your dog is 2 years old)

To reduce the number of unwanted litters

• The number of puppies born each year is greater than the number of available homes.
• Many end up in animal shelters or are put to sleep.

To prevent seasons

• Female dogs will come into season every 6- 9 months.
• Desexing avoids this unwanted bleeding and prevents any changes in behaviour.
• Some undesexed bitches will experience false pregnancies where they display nesting behaviour and can start lactating or even experience labour pains even though she is not pregnant.

To prevent Pyometra

• Pyometra is a life threatening infection of the uterus which occurs in older bitches who have continued to cycle.
• It usually presents a few weeks after a season.
• Bitches may have a vaginal discharge or they may have no discharge and just appear unwell.
• Pyometra requires an emergency ovariohysterectomy and is expensive.

To eliminate Ovarian or Uterine Cancer

Males

Positive behaviour changes

•  A male dog that is castrated early is less likely to be aggressive.

•  They are also less likely to stray in search of females.

•  A wandering dog in search of female companionship is far more likely to be involved in a car accident than a desexed male dog.

•  Reduced tendency to cock their leg on every available object and leave their scent behind

•  A castrated dog is less likely to display unsociable sexual behaviour such as mating with a teddy bear, or a visitors' leg.

To eliminate the possibility of testicular cancer

• Testicular cancer is a rare but unpleasant tumour
• It usually occurs in only one teste, and can be surgically removed but has a high risk of spreading to the abdominal organs
• In dogs with only one descended teste, the “retained” teste is at greater risk of developing cancer because it is maintained in the abdomen at a higher temperature than it would normally experience outside the body.

To reduce the risk of prostate problems

• Prostate disease is common in older uncastrated male dogs.
• It causes constipation, back pain and blood in the urine.
• Castration eliminates benign prostatic hyperplasia (increase in size of the gland) and reduces the risk of prostatic cancer.