We strongly recommend that all puppies not intended for breeding should be desexed at about 5 & a half months of age before they reach sexual maturity.
There are many advantages to desexing our pets at this age. It greatly reduces the incidence of many diseases such as prostatic problems, perineal hernias, anal adenomas (tumours around the bottom) and completely prevents testicular cancer.
Desexing helps to reduce male sexual behaviour such as mounting objects or people and inappropriate urination.
Undesexed animals can be more prone to diabetes and other health problems as they get older.
The age at which to desex a dog is much debated. The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) recommends that vets should desex dogs before puberty unless there is a valid reason to delay the procedure. There has recently been some concern regarding desexing large breed dogs (greater than 25kg as adults) before 12 months of age. We have reviewed this information and recommend desexing smaller dogs at 5 & a half months of age but leaving large breed dog until they are 12 months old, unless any undesirable behaviour (mounting, inappropriate urination etc) occurs before then.
What happens on the day of the surgery?
Desexing a male dog is also know as castration. The surgery involves removing both testicles. It is a standard procedure, but is still a major surgery, done under full anaesthetic. Your pet will have a single surgical incision just in front of the scrotum, usually this incision is closed with intradermal (internal) stitches so there are no sutures to remove later. He will need to be kept quiet for 10 days after the surgery & may need to wear an Elizabethan collar to stop him from licking at the wound. While he is under anaesthetic we can give him a desexing tattoo, microchip him (if not already done), do a microchip tattoo, clip his claws, check his ears and empty his anal glands if necessary.
Your dog will be admitted in the morning usually between 8am & 9.30am. The surgery is usually performed late morning after pre anaesthetic health checks & blood tests have been performed & he will then be ready to go home some time after 3.30pm. The surgical nurse will phone you with an update after your pet is in recovery and to book in the discharge time. We are open until 8pm so a later pick-up is available if required.
The risks of desexing procedures
As dog desexing is a standard procedure, complications are not very common. However, complications can occur if the wound gets infected.
Anaesthesia also has its own inherent risks but we use the most up to date anaesthetic agents & monitoring equipment. All dogs are placed on intravenous fluids to help maintain their blood pressure and to speed up their recovery.
Post operative care
Post operative care will be discussed with you in detail when your dog is discharged. He will need to be kept quiet until the wound has fully healed at about 10 days post-operatively. He will have pain relief given at the time of surgery and you will be given additional medication for the immediate post op period.
Keep him quiet for 10 days, exercising him only very gently e.g. a short stroll or walk on leash; No excessive play for 10 days. Prevent physical activity like jumping or play fighting
No swimming or bathing until his 10 day post op check. This will allow his wound to heal without complications.
Two complementary post op checks will be arranged for 5 & 10 days post operatively.
