Neuter concerns

[Zombiefallout]

Hello,

My boy will be 2 this Decemeber, and we are planning to have him neutered. I have always had my animals fixed and never worried like I am about this boy. I’m concerned about where I should have it done, and if there are any things that should be avoided. I know of many that recommend the local spay and neuter clinic because they say they do so many they really know what they are doing. My concern is that it doesn’t seem that they do any types of tests. Are there specific things I should be looking for or require of whoever I allow to touch my boy? Worried Mastiff momma

 

[Jakesmum]

When I had my boy neutered I did a lot of research beforehand and had blood work done to make sure that he was healthy enough to stand the anesthesia. I took him in for a consultation prior to booking the surgery so I could talk to the vet and be assured that he was aware of the potential complications of surgery on a barrel chested dog. The vet that I chose not only had a lot of mastiff experience but was also a mixed practice that works on livestock. As it turns out they are also the veterinarians who are affiliated with our local zoo so they have a wide range of experience. I was still worried on the day of the surgery until they called to say he was fine and recovering, but I had a sense of comfort knowing that I had done everything possible to ensure he had the best care.

 

[Boxergirl]

Definitely the pre-anesthetic blood work. Most vets don't use it anymore, but absolutely no Acepromazine - for anything or for any dog. I really don't like that stuff and there are so many better options available now. I don't allow my boys or girls to stay the night. I've never had a vet that had staff on hand 24/7 to check on the animals during the night, so I bring them home. You know - where I can lay on the floor next to them, awake and analyzing every movement. Lol. I would also be cautious about using a low cost clinic. When my daughter (vet tech) worked at the clinic in the humane society she expected to be the one monitoring the animals while they had their spay/neuter surgeries. She wasn't. All she did was set things up. The vet did all the monitoring, anesthesia, etc as well as the surgery. I definitely want someone besides the vet concentrating on my dog's vitals during surgery.

Here's an article that I have bookmarked and have since seen on many mastiff pages.

http://media.wix.com/ugd//8c5b21_69e9c8644e24c413c2de15de6b579fb2.pdf

And a brief but concise list that also has a link to the above article.
http://gryphonmastiffs.blogspot.com/2013/01/unsafe-and-safer-anesthesias-for-mastiff.html

 

[Zombiefallout]

Thank you! I will definitely be using my regular vet. I know she does the bloodwork and will make sure to only do what’s best for my boy. I’ll make sure to send her the articles as well. Someone had recommended the low cost one since they do the all the time and thought it insane that I would spent so much for his neuter. I will feel much better knowing that he is in the hands of a vet I trust.

 

[TylerDurden]

@Zombiefallout Great questions! I've been researching them, as well, as we will be getting close to the two year mark eventually. What breed is your boy? I double checked with our breeder again, and he asked us to wait at least until he's 24 months old. If possible, he recommends to have it done even later. I'd be ok with that, as we are having no behavioral issues or anything like that (not that there would be a guarantee of being fixed anyway).

 

[Steven C]

If I made it to 2 years with no neutering which I did with my DDB, I would just not neuter at all. Reason for me would be if the dog marks, at 2 the neutering will probably not change that as well as other behavior issues. What is the reason people neuter after 2 anyway? Are there health benefits?

I spayed my current CC too soon because we weren't familiar with female dogs and didn't want blood dripping around the house and the other dogs to go crazy if she went into heat.

 

[Boxergirl]

There are statistics showing that dogs not neutered will suffer from an enlarged prostate, and other prostate issues, by age five. It's a pretty high number like 4 out of 5, or something like that. If your dog has a retained testicle, it's imperative to have it removed. Neutering also removes the risk of testicular cancer. That risk is higher in older dogs, but to my knowledge there really aren't a lot of complications once the cancerous testicles are removed. One of my dogs did have testicular cancer and he did have some issues after surgery, but I believe that was due to a lingering prostatic infection and not the cancer itself. I do agree that by age two, any behavioral problems associated with being intact are highly unlikely to change.

 

[TylerDurden]

If I made it to 2 years with no neutering which I did with my DDB, I would just not neuter at all. Reason for me would be if the dog marks, at 2 the neutering will probably not change that as well as other behavior issues. What is the reason people neuter after 2 anyway? Are there health benefits?

I spayed my current CC too soon because we weren't familiar with female dogs and didn't want blood dripping around the house and the other dogs to go crazy if she went into heat.

Did you experience any marking behavior in the house with your DDD? I‘ver never had it myself, but heard about it. I don‘t mind the marking outside, but you are probably right, the neutering at two or after might not change anythig in terms of behavior.

 

[Zombiefallout]

@Zombiefallout Great questions! I've been researching them, as well, as we will be getting close to the two year mark eventually. What breed is your boy? I double checked with our breeder again, and he asked us to wait at least until he's 24 months old. If possible, he recommends to have it done even later. I'd be ok with that, as we are having no behavioral issues or anything like that (not that there would be a guarantee of being fixed anyway).

My boy is an English Mastiff. We don’t have any behavioral issues either, but we just got a female Labrador puppy. Now that more information is out there about waiting longer to spay/neuter, I don’t want to run the risk of any accidental puppies! Our Labrador Breeder wants us to wait until 12-14 months, so I firgured we’d get Augie done soon. I’m curious as to why you’d need to wait longer than 2 years?

 

[TylerDurden]

My boy is an English Mastiff. We don’t have any behavioral issues either, but we just got a female Labrador puppy. Now that more information is out there about waiting longer to spay/neuter, I don’t want to run the risk of any accidental puppies! Our Labrador Breeder wants us to wait until 12-14 months, so I firgured we’d get Augie done soon. I’m curious as to why you’d need to wait longer than 2 years?

I think 2 years is generally considered safe. Considering that you have another female puppy now, I probably wouldn‘t wait much longer.
I agree with Steven, at some point it probably no longer makes a difference, and not neutering at all can work (especially in a single dog household). I‘m personally most concerned about the challenges associated with anestesia in giant breeds. It can definitely be done safely, and the members have posted great recommendations. At this point, we are in no rush, so we might wait until he‘s 3 years old, or not do it at all. We might reconsider timing in case we decide to get another dog in the future. We own an EM, as well. He‘s 15 months old, but his growth plates aren‘t fully closed yet according to the vet, so it‘s definitely not an option right now.

 

[Pastor Dave]

My full-blooded mastiff is intact, and shall remain so.....I think the benefits outweigh the dangers.