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Why Neuter My Best Friend?
June 12, 2001 Posted: 8:13 PM EDT (0113 GMT)
By Jack Grover
Absolute Collies
(I just couldn't think about putting my best friend through something that, well, was unthinkable to any guy. Something all guys consider the center of their manhood. I couldn't threaten that... could I?
My wife, Jennie, and I couldn't agree on whether or not to get Cedar neutered. I mean, come on, what are the benifits? And, curiosity being what it is, what's the procedure like?
So with the help of my wife, and many friends, I set out to get some answers. And after numerous conversations with veterinarians and breeders, and quite a few articles written by professionals, here are what I found to be the same in EACH of those fact-finding forays.
The Surgical Procedure:
The surgical procedure to neuter is really very simple and about as painfree as filling a tooth (With a very small cavity). The dog is put under general anesthesia, shaved then wiped with a solution to prevent infection. A small incision about 3 to 5 centimeters long is made just in front of the scrotum, exposing the testicles. The blood vessels to each testicle are tied off with dissolvable suture thread, and the testicles are removed.
The incision is then closed with several layers of dissolvable sutures to ensure proper healing and to prevent hemorrhaging. The entire procedure takes only a few minutes, and the patient in most cases goes home that same afternoon.
There Are Many Excellent Reasons To Neuter Your Dog:
First, intact male dogs are easily distracted by female dogs in heat. Each year thousands of dogs jump their fences, or manage another escape, to follow the scent of a neighborhood female in season. These males are so distracted, that many of them are killed by a motor vehicle.
Aggressive behavior is much less likely in neutered males that have the procedure done early.
Finally, a neutered male has little, if any, chance of developing prostrate problems later in life.
So unless you have specific plans to breed your dog (that's a whole 'nother bucket of worms), he should be neutered. Having the procedure done really WILL help extend his life. If you knew of a simple procedure to extend the life of your child, wouldn't you get it done? So, really, there is no good argument against having it done.
And so, armed with the knowledge that I was going to extend the life of my best buddy in the world, I had them perform the procedure on Cedar. And no, he didn't give me funny looks afterward. He trusts us completely. And I think he even runs a little faster now...
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