Pros and cons of neutering your female dog

There are many reasons why dog owners consider neutering their bitches. One example of a reason is that dog owners choose to spay because they do not want to risk the bitch becoming pregnant. Whatever the reason for neutering, the procedure and the procedure itself is the same - the ovaries, or the ovaries and uterus, are removed and the bitch cannot become pregnant. If you do not intend to use your dog for breeding, you may want to consider neutering your dog.

There are both advantages and disadvantages to neutering a bitch and it is important that you consider both the pros and cons before making your decision, you should also have a dialogue with your vet about this.

Why spay a bitch?

Depending on how you look at it, neutering a bitch can feel like either a bad or a good procedure. Regardless of how you feel about it, the procedure, which involves removing the uterus, or the womb and ovaries, means that the bitch cannot become pregnant.

Benefits of castration

• No risk of unwanted pregnancy
  If your bitch is neutered, there is no risk of an unwanted pregnancy.

• The bitch does not run
  It can also be a beneficial choice if you find that your bitch feels very unwell from running. Some bitches can suffer from tough and stressful foetal pregnancies, which can leave the bitch feeling depressed and sad, among other things. In this case, neutering can make a difference in that the bitch will not be affected by this, if it has been discussed with the treating vet that this may be a recommendation to proceed with for your particular bitch.

• No risk of uterine inflammation
  A neutered bitch cannot suffer from uterine inflammation, which is not uncommon in older, unneutered bitches in particular. Uterine inflammation means that the bitch gets a bacterial growth in the uterus which, if left untreated, can become a very serious condition. It mainly affects older bitches but can also occur at a younger age.

• Reduced risk of udder tumours
  Early castration (before the second heat) has been shown to reduce the risk of udder tumours. This reduction seems to be more insignificant with castration later in life.

What are the disadvantages of neutering a bitch?

Although neutering can bring a lot of benefits to a bitch, there are of course a number of disadvantages to the procedure. Carrying out an operation can have some undesirable consequences.

• Impaired metabolism
  One disadvantage is that in many cases the bitch's metabolism is reduced after neutering. This in turn can increase the risk of obesity if you are not careful with food. Special diets may therefore be required to maintain the bitch's normal weight.

• Different coat
  Another thing that can happen after neutering is that the coat becomes different. That is to say, the coat may become worse in character, e.g. softer or a little coarser.

• Incontinence
  Some dogs may have problems with incontinence after they have been neutered.

• Major surgery
  Neutering is a major surgical procedure, in fact the biggest ever done on healthy animals. There is a risk of complications during the procedure, as well as aftercare such as wound infections.

In other words, there are several advantages and disadvantages to neutering a bitch. Not least depending on the bitch herself and your situation. For some people it can mean more disadvantages than advantages, and for others the opposite. The most important thing is that you make a decision that feels right for your bitch after you have considered both pros and cons and based on discussion with your vet.

Do you think your bitch would be better off neutered? If so, there is every possibility of having the procedure, but seek the help of a vet to decide when the procedure is appropriate.