To Castrate Or Not To Castrate

[julie123]

Join our free community today.

Connect with other like-minded dog lovers!

Login or Register

I would be grateful of some advice please. I have a 12 wk old whippet pup (which is my first whippet). The breeder where i bought him from advised me not to castrate him, due to him gaining weight at an older age etc.. However, when speaking to a dog trainer, she advised that castrating a dog would be the best option in the long run stating i would have a less calmer whippet when taking out for walks (not wanting to find bitches). The dog trainer was really adamant castrating would be the best course of action to take.

I'm very confused with the conflicting info. i've been given, so would appreciate it if someone could shed some light on this subject.

Thank you lots

Julie :b

 

[bertha]

Sorry, I disagree strongly with the dog trainer! I have had dogs and bitches and having a dog castrated for no good reason other than to make him easier to handle is rubbish. What point is there putting him through the stress of an operation that is not needed.

Also, if you want to have him castrated it pays to leave it until he is as least 18 months old, too early and they stay immature and are not easy to cope with.

That is my personal view on this subject! :- " and the advice of the person who bred your boy.

 

[moonlake]

I would be grateful of some advice please. I have a 12 wk old whippet pup (which is my first whippet). The breeder where i bought him from advised me not to castrate him, due to him gaining weight at an older age etc.. However, when speaking to a dog trainer, she advised that castrating a dog would be the best option in the long run stating i would have a less calmer whippet when taking out for walks (not wanting to find bitches). The dog trainer was really adamant castrating would be the best course of action to take.I'm very confused with the conflicting info. i've been given, so would appreciate it if someone could shed some light on this subject.

Thank you lots

Julie  :b

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

Listen to the breeder not what sounds like an ignorant trainer. You are presumably not going to let your precious whippet roam the streets/countryside on his own and a whippet is much more interested in finding rabbits on a walk than bitches.

There are many reasons not to castrate your dog, especially as a puppy when it removes hormones necessary for his physical and mental development, stops the growth plates from closing so that he grows taller than he should and without the muscle mass to support his height. There have been studies that show an increased risk of various types of cancer in castrated males. The operation (apart from the totally unecessary health risks of actual surgery) can also adversely affect the coat so that you lose that lovely silky feel. Your breeder is right, obesity can be a problem so then you have all the guilt feelings associated with not giving your dog as much to eat as others. If you want to wade through scientific studies, pm me and I'll send you some links.

Enjoy your puppy and let him enjoy his life.

Gay

www.moonlake.co.uk

 

[Whippets Rule]

Sorry, I disagree strongly with the dog trainer! I have had dogs and bitches and having a dog castrated for no good reason other than to make him easier to handle is rubbish. What point is there putting him through the stress of an operation that is not needed.
Also, if you want to have him castrated it pays to leave it until he is as least 18 months old, too early and they stay immature and are not easy to cope with.

That is my personal view on this subject! :- " and the advice of the person who bred your boy.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

my boys were castrated at six months and nine months and are perfectly well behaved and calm...my whipX was castrsted at nine months and my beagle at five months...and they too have grown up into well behaved and calm dogs so i'd have to disagree with them staying immature.

 

[bertha]

IMO that is much too young, their hormones have not settled and mentally they are immature too. I know my vet will not spay or castrate any dog under 18 months old for the reasons I stated.

Why castrate if you only have males?

 

[alfyn]

my boys were castrated at six months and nine months and are perfectly well behaved and calm...

& my boy's,namely Flyn,Bailey & Otto aren't castrated & are perfectly calm & well behaved too!!!

Unfortunately,i had to have Murphy done,but would never had put him through this if there hadn't been a damm good reason!

I agree with everyone else on this matter,& unless there's a very good reason for a dog to be castrated,why put the poor thing through an unnecessary operation?

& if you do still go ahead & have him done,please at least wait until he is at 18 months old.

 

[Whippets Rule]

IMO that is much too young, their hormones have not settled and mentally they are immature too. I know my vet will not spay or castrate any dog under 18 months old for the reasons I stated.
Why castrate if you only have males?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

and obviously you are entitled to your opinion but my response was to the comment that they would be immature and difficult to cope with if they were castrated under 18 months, that too is simply an opinion and not fact.

i had mine castrated at the ages i did along with discussion with my vet and am quite certain that i did right by my dogs and i will always have my dogs castrated, that is simply my opinion and whether others agree or not is simply theirs.

ETA i don't just have dogs but if i did i still would have my dogs castrated for a number of reasons which i am not going into on here because this is just a forum and has no real relevance to my personal life and with all due respect whether someone is unhappy with my choices or not is pretty meaningless in the grand scheme of things.

i would add though that this is much like the debate on bitches being spayed, with lots of different opinions...from personal experience i have seen too many bitches in the vets seriously ill with pyo to ever consider keeping a non breeding bitch intact and yet many people advocate not spaying bitches... it's all down to the choices we make for our own animals and provided we all obey the laws of animal welfare etc that's all that matters at the end of the day.

i hereby leave this thread having given my opinion...i'll not come back since i've seen too often the unpleasantness that ensues whenever a difference of opinion is expressed in these matters.

 

[clairerichard]

After many discussions with many different people - vet, dog trainer, breeder etc; we have just had our 11 month old castrated. i can honestly say he is in no pain and is as full of it as ever he was. There are many different reasons for and against castration and spaying and at the end of the day if the owner has the dogs best interests at heart then who can criticise them? To many people feel it is their right to bully others into agreeing with them - not the reason I joined k9 at all.

Both of my previous dogs died of testicular cancer and it was a risk I wanted to reduce with my new dog. We will be having a new male pup soon and when he is old enough we will probably have him done aswell.

 

[Foxglove]

I've always had my animals neutered - both boys and girls - and have never had any problems with the op or their recovery.....my Jack Russell Buster was charging around like a loony the day after despite my telling him to calm down!!! :wacko: He was castrated because he lived with two other bitches and because, typical JR, he was FAR too interested in the ladies he met out on walks :lol:

I'm not a breeder though and my dogs (and cats) are pets and companions first and foremost. Tina was spayed on Wednesday and is now back to her normal bouncy self (though restricted to on-lead walks for a fortnight or so).

It's only MY opinion but there ARE far too many dogs out there and not enough good homes available and I don't want to breed so I don't want the worry of Tina escaping when she's in season, any problems that may arise during pregnancy & birth and any future risks of a pyometra ( a friend of mine was totally against spaying until her 12-year old died from pyo!).

Neutering does NOT make animals fat....lack of exercise and too many titbits/too much food does that and I've always waited to get both males & females done AFTER they are 12 months old. Tina is 16 months old and had her first season when she was 10/11 months old and her next one was due in July/August.

At the end of the day Julie it's up to you as to whether you get your wee man done or not. Why not wait and see how he turns out? He may turn out to be a perfect gentleman and not bothered all that much with the girlies. I would wait and see how he is but definitely NOT get him done too early - let him mature first and then decide :huggles: It's not a big op and they are usually bouncing and back to normal the next day

 

[05whippet]

Well my opinion on this is,always has been & always will be....to neuter/spey entires,and I like Foxglove have never had any problems arising in my dogs from either op in the past thirty odd years that I have been having them neutered or speyed! Personally I just don't see the point in having an entire unless you are breeding or showing (& after mine have retired from showing they are neutered/speyed) because even though you might start out with all the goodwill in the world & certainly no intention of ever breeding, at the end of the day "accidents" can happen to the best of us no matter how careful we are & I think it is a lot easier to take the desire away just to be sure! I have also neutered in the past because I keep both sexes & in some instances have had dogs who have been nightmares when a bitch has been in season & to be honest it was much kinder to neuter them than let them get into the mental & physical state that they were getting into each time,it can also help with aggression towards other dogs (although Whippets tend not to display this behaviour anyway) & scenting in the home.

I think each case needs to be looked at individually & not just to make a sweeping statement regarding neutering or not. Though I must say that I have NEVER had a male gain weight because he is neutered,so I don't really understand your breeders remark on that subject?

You need to do what is best for both you and your dog regardless of other people's opinions & views.

 

[~Sarah~]

IMO that is much too young, their hormones have not settled and mentally they are immature too. I know my vet will not spay or castrate any dog under 18 months old for the reasons I stated.
Why castrate if you only have males?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

i would add though that this is much like the debate on bitches being spayed, with lots of different opinions...from personal experience i have seen too many bitches in the vets seriously ill with pyo to ever consider keeping a non breeding bitch intact and yet many people advocate not spaying bitches... it's all down to the choices we make for our own animals and provided we all obey the laws of animal welfare etc that's all that matters at the end of the day.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

I too witnessed many bitches with pyometra when I worked for a vet years ago. Some were very ill, but luckily recovered, others were not so fortunate.

From my own experiences I would advocate spaying/castrating when a bitch/dog has reached maturity for anyone not intending to breed.

 

[Eceni]

From my own experiences I would advocate spaying/castrating when a bitch/dog has reached maturity for anyone not intending to breed.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

Me too - as a vet, I'd say that castrating (at the right age, and that's controversial too) reduces to nil the risk of prostatic disease/carcinoma (cancer) which is well in its favour.

plus

there are already too many dogs being bred. Everyone who leaves their dog/bitch entire risks it being part of an accident that results in yet one more litter in a rehoming centre. It's hard when we influence the future of the individual for the sake of the collective, but the number of euthanasias of un-rehomable dogs is soul destroying so for that alone, I'd advocate neutering.

it tends to be blokes who cross their legs and screw up their eyes at the thought, but a dog that has never covered a bitch really doesn't know what it's all about and they simply aren't going to be led astray by the bitch in season next door.

Dogs become overweight because we feed them too much and exercise them too little. BARF/RMB diets seem to lead to fitter dogs, but that may simply be that the kind of people who feed these diets also put a lot of effort into a) monitoring their dogs' weight and b) making sure they get enough physical and emotional stimulation.

so if it were mine, I'd have it castrated (or, actually, I'd do it myself)

good luck in your decision

ms

 

[posh totty]

if you are not planning to show or breed than why take the risk? i myself have been victim to an accidental litter and boy did i get it in the neck on here :- " , so any of my girls or boys whom wont be used in any breeding or showing are speyed or neutered, this is MY choice as i feel it is right for MY dogs , however i do wait til at least a year on both sexes :thumbsup:

good luck in YOUR choice :huggles:

 

[urchin]

I'm firmly in the NOT camp.

The hormonal system is delicately balanced and removing one has a knock-on effect on all the others (you ask any woman who's had a hysterectomy!) So, unless I had good reason to, I would not cut bits off my dogs that nature clearly intended them to have!

It isn't actually an unnatural state for a dog to have all the equipment but never get to use it; the canine hierarchy states that only the Alpha pair may breed, so even left entirely to their own devices, there are many subordinate dogs and bitches who will never get to find out what it's all about.

My household has only dogs, so an accident at home is impossible. My boys are never allowed to roam, so an accident in the park is also impossible. I therefor do not believe that I am taking any risk at all of increasing the unwanted dog population.

These are the choices I have made in what I believe are my dogs best interests. Others will make different decisions, which I would not give them a hard time about!

One thing I would caution against though is neutering too young. Bloggs was castrated when very young (not by me!) and is the most immature (though lovely) pillock I have ever met. He is also a manic humper (of blankets and cushions mostly, but he does take a shine to certain people's legs (w00t) (w00t) ). I have been told that this behaviour can be associated with early castration. I don't know how true this is, but believe me, If I were looking to castrate a dog I would definitely let him grow up a bit first!!!!!!!!!!

 

[tracy]

we have three girls who i am sure we will have spayed at some point - after every season they have i worry about a pyo and this worry will only get worse as they get older.

i just cannot bear to actually make the decision to put them through an operation that is for them at the moment not needed - who knows what will be decided :blink:

poor old Ghillie is my first boy and it seems as if he has a retained testicle - he will have this removed but i am going to leave it as long as he is not in any pain - if we can get him to 18 months before the op i will be happier.

neutering is a massive deal for any animal so think long and hard but make the decision for yourself - do what is best for you and your dog x

 

[julie123]

Well i would just like to thank everybody for their helpful advice, & taking so much time to educate me.

I have read all your responses with interest, & taken onboard all the info given, so i will make a decision when the time is right. i will certain assess the situation, & have a good think about all aspects (as i now know i've got a long time to decide, if i was to get my dog Louie castrated, it wouldn't be until he is 18 mths or more).

Thank you again for everyones time, it will certainly help me make the right decision along the way.

Oh, lastly would someone kindly explain what are barf/rmb diets?

A grateful new whippet owner

Julie

 

[jayp]

Hi, This is a Bones and Raw food or Raw Meaty Bones, lots of folk on here including me feed this way, i feel it the best way after having researched it a long time ago and have fed this way for 20 years with no problems and if nothing else their teeth are SHINING even into old age There are loads of plusses and i think lots of info in facts section on here jan

 

[julie123]

Thank you for that. there's so much to learn!

Julie