Offended at Neutering
Question, I've noticed that many people, especially males, seem to get defensive/offended at the thought of neutering. I am just curious to the thoughts behind this since I am for spay/neuter (at least in non-breeding animals), and am curious why people get more offended at the neuter than the spay.
just something that's been on my mind. any thoughts?
just something that's been on my mind. any thoughts?
Comments
-because if you get a dog neutered, he will no longer have his manhood.
-because the natural look is better
-because it's not worth the expense, or too expensive.
-he will be a wussy dog after getting neutered.
-It makes him appear more threatening.
-it's easier to prevent pregnancy with an intact male than it is with a female.
^to add to Beth's list.
thanks
I also know 1 person who refuses to because she had 2 dogs die from freak accidents and complications.
I understand their sentiment, however, accidents do happen. Better safe than sorry. ~
Most people don't like to think about their own sterilization, so they project that onto their pets.
It's one more of the many mistakes people make when relating to their pets.
On a forum I used to go to, there was a Jewish member who didn't believe in neutering animals because it's against Jewish tradition to alter an animal's body in any unless it's absolutely necessary. He had one dog that was neutered when he got it, but says he wouldn't have neutered him if he wasn't already, and he had a cat who had litter after litter of kittens who he refused to spay. He got a lot of flack for it.
Dogs have much better lives when owners are able to make hard decisions about them.
Kids these days...geez.
-reduce the desire to mark areas inside the house
-keeps male dogs from trying to run away in an attempt to go after a female in heat.
-Accidents can happen, even to the most vigilant, so the easiest think to prevent pregnancy is to eliminate the risk.
-Some intact males have a higher territorial sense and may be more likely to get into arguments with other dogs.
We went to the vet and discussed it but we choose to leave Oliver intact....He's already way to mellow.
Spaying and neutering refer to the surgical sterilization of an animal. In other words, spaying and neutering ensures that your pet cannot reproduce.
Most vets will perform this surgery on a pet that is at least 5 or 6 months old. It is best to have this surgery done before your pet reaches sexual maturity. Females should be spayed before their first heat. Note that some vets will also perform pediatric spay/neuter. Please consult with your vet.
We all have a responsibility to prevent unwanted animals from being euthanized everyday, simply because there are no homes for them. Even if your pet has a litter and you find homes for all of them, each of those pets takes a potential home away from other homeless pets waiting in a shelter. But aside from this responsibility, there are also significant health benefits for your pet.
Benefits of Spaying
* Prevents pregnancy and the complications arising from pregnancy and delivery
* Eliminates the heat cycle - you won't have to listen to the sounds of your female in heat, trying to get out and find a mate
* Prevents unwelcome males from trying to seek out your female pet in heat
* Reduces the urge to roam. This makes it less likely that you will lose your pet, which in turn makes your pet less likely to contract a disease, get in a fight, get injured, or become a victim to cruelty, poison, or traffic.
* Eliminates sexual discomfort, distress, or distraction ... making your pet happier and more content.
* Reduces or eliminates the possibility of disease in the reproductive system.
Benefits of Neutering
* Reduces the distracting and destructive behavior associated with the male's efforts to get out and find a mate
* Reduces the urge to roam. This makes it less likely that you will lose your pet, which in turn makes your pet less likely to contract a disease, get in a fight, get injured, or become a victim to cruelty, poison, or traffic.
* Eliminates sexual discomfort, distress, or distraction ... making your pet happier and more content.
* Eliminates testicular tumors and reduces prostate gland problems.
* In cats, neutering stops or reduces marking behavior (territorial spraying of urine).
* Reduces the urge to fight.
http://www.pawsperouspets.com/tips/spayneuter.shtml
BTW, a vasectomy would only rid you of the dog's ability to reproduce (shooting blanks). The glands and organs for testosterone production would still be there. So you could possibly still be dealing with all the behavioral markers that can be tied to testosterone (peeing everywhere, chasing females in heat, desire to reproduce, etc.).
Jesse
I never have to worry about testicular cancer (which is more prevalent now than 10 years ago), I never have to worry about unwanted pups (your male dog can also be held accountable, even if you don't own the female), I never have to worry about empty heats and how hard they are on a dogs' system, I never have to worry about the laws of dog parks not allowing intact dogs, nor do I have to worry about my male dogs' frenzy over females in heat within any certain mileage from us....
Something to think about, for everyone, is state and local legislation. More and more areas are adopting mandatory spay and neuter laws. In the future, maybe no one with a companion pet will be exempt. I'd rather choose to speuter my dog younger (6 months) now than be forced to speuter as an older adult.
I would talk to your vet, and between you and your dog's health care professional come up with a plan that will benefit your dog.
http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf
http://www.dogster.com/forums/Dog_Health/thread/575562