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Does anyone have a shih Tzu we are considering neutering just wondering what everyone thinks yes/No?? He is 6 months old what are pros and cons ?
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Neutering
- Thread starter Nicola Reilly
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There are loads of pros and cons. For a male, my view is to wait for skeletal maturity at least. After that, look at his confidence levels. By taking away his *brave* testosterone hormone you risk making him more anxious and fearful. But another member here, who I respect and admire on other issues, takes the view that neutering very early is a good thing. So what I am saying basically is that there are arguments for both whether and when.
If you don't plan to breed (which is a hefty undertaking with big costs if you are going to do it responsibly) then neutering has the advantages of no unwanted litters and reduced cancers of boy bits. But timing is key - my personal view is at least at physical maturity.
If you don't plan to breed (which is a hefty undertaking with big costs if you are going to do it responsibly) then neutering has the advantages of no unwanted litters and reduced cancers of boy bits. But timing is key - my personal view is at least at physical maturity.
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K
Kara 1
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I neuter my bitches after their first season ..
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It's a male we have he is 6 months old
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All of my boys have been done.
None of them have had adverse effects. Ive heard talk about it affecting their coat , none of mine had any negative change.
Ive heard it makes them fat, none of mine ever got fat.
Ive heard it makes them lazy , Benny still walked 2.5 km at age 15 and Murphy is an absolute bundle of energy.
Ive heard it makes them docile , well they were less interested in females but still damn good guard dogs.
I daresay there are other horror stories knocking about but thats the same about anything. I do agree with @JoanneF that you should wait until the dog is fully grown.
None of them have had adverse effects. Ive heard talk about it affecting their coat , none of mine had any negative change.
Ive heard it makes them fat, none of mine ever got fat.
Ive heard it makes them lazy , Benny still walked 2.5 km at age 15 and Murphy is an absolute bundle of energy.
Ive heard it makes them docile , well they were less interested in females but still damn good guard dogs.
I daresay there are other horror stories knocking about but thats the same about anything. I do agree with @JoanneF that you should wait until the dog is fully grown.
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Personally I would wait until around 18 months.
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I think the guideline is 18 months minimum for a large breed and 12 months minimum for a small breed. Some people agree with desexing at a very young age. IMO dogs should be given time for their minds and bodies to mature before hormones that affect those things are taken away or reduced.
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I did a lot of research on this, and with the advice of my vet, neutered my dog at 6 months. He has calmed down a lot.
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The U-S still has a massive pet-overpopn problem, & starting in the early-70s, progressive public-shelters began desexing kittens & pups BEFORE placing them in adoptive homes.
This was pure self-defense, as S/N compliance, even *with* a repossess clause in the signed adoption contract, only averages 40% nationally. That's quite pathetic.
With 60% of adoptees intact, we'd never reduce the # of "surplus" pets we kill, every year - we've gone from 15-million dead annually, for over TEN YEARS, to 3 to 5 million per year; a huge drop, but we're stuck there.
Along the way, we discovered that early AKA pediatric desex is in fact the safest age, for several reasons:
* They bleed less.
* They are "under" for a much shorter time.
* They fast for only a few hours, & are up, eating & playing, very very quickly.
* They heal faster.
* They have the fewest complications - of all kinds.
Infection, suture failure, pain, swelling, reactions, death - small or catastrophic, ped-desex has the LEAST.
Pre-pubertal is the next-safest age group.
Pubertal is next best - it's better than waiting till they're adults.
Adult dogs & cats actually face **the highest risk** of complications - again, of all kinds: simple to disastrous, suture reactions, Rx med reactions, anaesthesia problems, swelling, bleeding, infXns, anything. For sure, adult dogs - esp'ly Fs - generally need post-op pain control, while pre-pubertal pups of both sexes almost never need post-desex meds to reduce pain, 'cuz there isn't any. *shrug*
For a M dog, the primary advantage of pubertal or pre-pubertal desex is skipping
the Super-Male onset, at 8-mos to 9-mos. // Puberty is in full swing at 6-mos, & Ms are fertile at that age - but the peak of testosterone levels in their LIVES is that 6 to 8-wk period around their 9th to 10th month, with 5 to 7X the blood levels U'd find in an intact 12 to 15-MO dog.
That Super-Male period is not just a PITA to get thru, it can have lifelong aftereffects - it's important to remember that dogs *learn*, & the behaviors a teenaged M dog may learn, won't be erased by later neutering.
Nowadays ppl want highly sociable, tolerant, easygoing dogs - able to play with other dogs, or at the very least, be highly tolerant & able to be civil, even at close quarters or face-on to an unknown dog.
They don't want dog-aggro dogs, reactive dogs, snarky or snappy dogs. They want peace & tolerance.
A young M who's learned to posture at other dogs, to give 'em the evull eye & kick the turf behind himself, to act cocky & overmark EVERY spot of urine he finds, to flirt or just plain harass every F he meets, whatever her repro state or age, isn't a joy to live with.
If in addition he *must* bark / lunge at all M dogs, or at least every intact M, odds are he can lose his home.
Dogs who seem to be spoiling for a fight - even when carefully managed & on leash - make a bad impression on passersby.
It's not always the owner's fault - some breeds or some individual dogs are downright dog-aggro, others are anxious & it manifests as dog-reactive. Some got a lot of grief from other dogs during that Super-Male period, & carry a chip on their shoulder.
Personally, unless I was raising a possible sire, I wouldn't keep a M intact past 6-mos unless he had some medical reason to delay desex, & I'd try to get him neutered by 8-mos at the latest, by injection if surgery wasn't safe. // I've gone thru the teen stage with far too many M dogs to see it as anything but an avoidable slog, not fun for him getting the cold shoulder or some bullying from his elders, frequently corrected or outright punished by his conspecifics, & definitely not fun for me.
Gosh, typing on my mobile is a major pain - I miss my laptop more than words can express.
Good night,
- Terry
.
The U-S still has a massive pet-overpopn problem, & starting in the early-70s, progressive public-shelters began desexing kittens & pups BEFORE placing them in adoptive homes.
This was pure self-defense, as S/N compliance, even *with* a repossess clause in the signed adoption contract, only averages 40% nationally. That's quite pathetic.
With 60% of adoptees intact, we'd never reduce the # of "surplus" pets we kill, every year - we've gone from 15-million dead annually, for over TEN YEARS, to 3 to 5 million per year; a huge drop, but we're stuck there.
Along the way, we discovered that early AKA pediatric desex is in fact the safest age, for several reasons:
* They bleed less.
* They are "under" for a much shorter time.
* They fast for only a few hours, & are up, eating & playing, very very quickly.
* They heal faster.
* They have the fewest complications - of all kinds.
Infection, suture failure, pain, swelling, reactions, death - small or catastrophic, ped-desex has the LEAST.
Pre-pubertal is the next-safest age group.
Pubertal is next best - it's better than waiting till they're adults.
Adult dogs & cats actually face **the highest risk** of complications - again, of all kinds: simple to disastrous, suture reactions, Rx med reactions, anaesthesia problems, swelling, bleeding, infXns, anything. For sure, adult dogs - esp'ly Fs - generally need post-op pain control, while pre-pubertal pups of both sexes almost never need post-desex meds to reduce pain, 'cuz there isn't any. *shrug*
For a M dog, the primary advantage of pubertal or pre-pubertal desex is skipping
the Super-Male onset, at 8-mos to 9-mos. // Puberty is in full swing at 6-mos, & Ms are fertile at that age - but the peak of testosterone levels in their LIVES is that 6 to 8-wk period around their 9th to 10th month, with 5 to 7X the blood levels U'd find in an intact 12 to 15-MO dog.
That Super-Male period is not just a PITA to get thru, it can have lifelong aftereffects - it's important to remember that dogs *learn*, & the behaviors a teenaged M dog may learn, won't be erased by later neutering.
Nowadays ppl want highly sociable, tolerant, easygoing dogs - able to play with other dogs, or at the very least, be highly tolerant & able to be civil, even at close quarters or face-on to an unknown dog.
They don't want dog-aggro dogs, reactive dogs, snarky or snappy dogs. They want peace & tolerance.
A young M who's learned to posture at other dogs, to give 'em the evull eye & kick the turf behind himself, to act cocky & overmark EVERY spot of urine he finds, to flirt or just plain harass every F he meets, whatever her repro state or age, isn't a joy to live with.
If in addition he *must* bark / lunge at all M dogs, or at least every intact M, odds are he can lose his home.
Dogs who seem to be spoiling for a fight - even when carefully managed & on leash - make a bad impression on passersby.
It's not always the owner's fault - some breeds or some individual dogs are downright dog-aggro, others are anxious & it manifests as dog-reactive. Some got a lot of grief from other dogs during that Super-Male period, & carry a chip on their shoulder.
Personally, unless I was raising a possible sire, I wouldn't keep a M intact past 6-mos unless he had some medical reason to delay desex, & I'd try to get him neutered by 8-mos at the latest, by injection if surgery wasn't safe. // I've gone thru the teen stage with far too many M dogs to see it as anything but an avoidable slog, not fun for him getting the cold shoulder or some bullying from his elders, frequently corrected or outright punished by his conspecifics, & definitely not fun for me.
Gosh, typing on my mobile is a major pain - I miss my laptop more than words can express.
Good night,
- Terry
.
K
Kara 1
Guest
All my males lurchers and jrts have been neutered by 8 mths ....its a personal choice and alot depends on the dog and trusting what your vets think is right. ..
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Well we had buddy neutered on Tuesday he has been brilliant no problems whatsoever. Thank you for the advice
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Good to here...
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After saying buddy been fine he now has a small amount of blood in his poo is this something we should worry about?
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Sometimes blood in their poo can mean nothing but i would strongly recommend taking him to the vets just to check on everything... Contact your vets out of hours number and get an emergency appointment... Hope This Helps - Violet
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It might be unconnected. Blood in poo is often a sign of colitis which basically is an irritation of the colon. It can be brought on by stress so maybe the op caused him a little more anxiety than you thought; or by food - was he given a recovery food at the vet?
I would give your vet a quick call just to be on the safe side though.
I would give your vet a quick call just to be on the safe side though.
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Yes they gave him food before he left he also got a tooth removed but that was Tuesday and he has been fine he also had a check up yesterday and they said he was doing great
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Sudden changes in food can cause brief irritation in the gut - some organic yogurt with live probiotics powder stirred in, just a Tblsp or so, with one capsule of probiotics powder opened onto the yogurt & stirred into it (don’t sneeze!... ) will help soothe his bowel.
Being on his usual diet again should quickly clear it up. If U see blood in the stool more than 2 or 3 stools in a 2-day period, OR if it’s any amount over a small streak or blob, it’s off to the vet, immediately.
IOW, if there’s more blood than B4, or if it happens for more than a day or at most 2, he goes to the vet.
It’s always possible he swallowed something sharp when U weren’t looking, such as splinters from a stick, an acorn he chewed with its thin tough shell, a piece of a plastic object... & that’s cutting or irritating him internally.
If it’s a tiny amount & it resolves within 24 to 48 hours, I wouldn’t worry, so long as he’s otherwise happy, active, eating & stooling as usual. // If he GUARDS his belly (stiff abdomen which tenses when touched, & he growls or snaps when it’s touched), that’s an immediate & urgent vet-trip, no matter what time or which day.
- terry
.
Sudden changes in food can cause brief irritation in the gut - some organic yogurt with live probiotics powder stirred in, just a Tblsp or so, with one capsule of probiotics powder opened onto the yogurt & stirred into it (don’t sneeze!... ) will help soothe his bowel.
Being on his usual diet again should quickly clear it up. If U see blood in the stool more than 2 or 3 stools in a 2-day period, OR if it’s any amount over a small streak or blob, it’s off to the vet, immediately.
IOW, if there’s more blood than B4, or if it happens for more than a day or at most 2, he goes to the vet.
It’s always possible he swallowed something sharp when U weren’t looking, such as splinters from a stick, an acorn he chewed with its thin tough shell, a piece of a plastic object... & that’s cutting or irritating him internally.
If it’s a tiny amount & it resolves within 24 to 48 hours, I wouldn’t worry, so long as he’s otherwise happy, active, eating & stooling as usual. // If he GUARDS his belly (stiff abdomen which tenses when touched, & he growls or snaps when it’s touched), that’s an immediate & urgent vet-trip, no matter what time or which day.
- terry
.
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