02 Jun Everything about Dog Sterilisation

Dogs mature sexually from 6 months to 1 year, depending on their breed and size. Dog sterilisation is a practice that prevents dogs from mating and becoming pregnant. This article will talk about the benefits of sterilisation for your dog, whether female, male, and for yourself as a dog owner. We know that you must have a general question in your mind about this issue. So we categorised the most common questions asked about sterilising dogs and answered them one by one. These questions might be your question as well.

What is sterilisation?

Sterilisation is a procedure in which the vet removes the part of the dog’s body responsible for reproduction. By doing this, dogs release fewer male and female hormones in their bodies. The process of this operation in the body of male and female dogs is different.

In female dogs, this surgery is ok by removing the uterus and ovaries from the body. In some cases, they only try to remove the ovaries (which is less common in the latter case). In male dogs, the vet does it by removing the testicles; In general, sterilisation is much easier for male dogs.

What does it mean to have estrus or a period?

Due to her size and breed, the female dog reaches sexual maturity at about six months. After puberty, there’re periods; when a dog is likely to be fertile; These times are called the estrus period or period of the dog, and in this case, the dog is called estrus. During this period, female dogs only allow male mates to approach them. Your dog’s urine is also full of hormones, and the dog emits an odour of her own which causes male dogs to be attracted. It’s why you will encounter many male dogs who want to communicate with your dog at certain times of the year when walking with your dog. Male dogs can smell the estrus of a female dog from a distance. The dog’s estrus period lasts ten days to two weeks, and each dog is estrus twice a year. Of course, this time also varies depending on the dog’s breed. 

Benefits of sterilisation

For female dogs

• Prevent unwanted pregnancies
• Reduce the risk of breast cancer by up to 10 times if sterilisation a dog before the age of 2.5
• Prevention of uterine infection and the associated high costs of surgery. Sterilisation is more expensive for a dog with a uterine infection.
• Elimination of the possibility of false pregnancy after dog estrus and behavioural and medical problems related to false pregnancy

For male dogs

• Prevent prostate cancer
• Reduce dog behavioural problems such as running away from home, etc.
• Aromatising the dog by lowering testosterone in his blood
• Reduce his violence, especially towards other male dogs
• Reduce the likelihood of spraying urine for marking

For the dog owners

• No one likes his guest, his sofa or his favourite pillow being spayed by his dog’s chosen as a pair replacement. By sterilising your dog, you prevent behavioural problems such as jumping on people to drain sexual energy.
• As we have said, female dogs during estrus emit a strong odour that attracts male dogs. By sterilising her, you control the hormone that causes this odour to be released from the dog.
• Remember that if your dog gets pregnant unintentionally, it’s your duty to take care of your dog during pregnancy and her puppies after delivery.
• Dogs can give birth to up to 12 babies per birth; Finding shelter for this number of dogs isn’t manageable. Many dogs are left in the wild and on the street every day. But they aren’t ready to live alone, so, unfortunately, they die very soon.
• Dogs that aren’t happy at early age should be checked regularly for breast cancer. We offer this checkup once every three months.
• Dogs that have genetic problems also pass the problem on to their puppies. By sterilising your dog, you prevent other dogs’ generations from suffering.
• Sometimes with the arrival of a new dog, the dog may start to mark. It’s a way of defining territory. It’s a type of dog urinary incontinence, and the best prevention way is to spay the dog.

Risks of dog sterilisation

In general, it’s a simple action that its benefits far outweigh its harms; But the risk varies depending on the dog’s health, age and breed. For example, the risk of surgery for a dog with obesity is higher than for a dog that is in perfect health. Talk to your veterinarian about these risks and your dog’s condition.

Does it have stitches?

• For male dogs, sterilisation usually doesn’t have stitches; But in some cases, stitches are needed.
• It is for female dogs. Sutures are usually in various ways that you don’t need to see a doctor again to remove them. See a veterinarian 3 to 10 days after the operation to have the wound examined. In rare cases where the sutures aren’t absorbent, the vet should remove them ten days after the procedure.

If your dog is infertile and needs stitches, you will need to make an Elizabeth necklace so that he can’t lick his stitches; Licking the suture and chewing it can cause wound infection.

When is the best time to sterilise a dog?

Dogs are usually spayed between 6 and 9 months old. Most veterinarians believe that it’s better to wait until a dog is about six months old and neutered. You can talk to your veterinarian about the exact timing of dog spaying; Because many issues affect a dog’s sexual maturity. For example, larger breeds dogs reach adulthood at about one year, and puppies or medium-sized dogs around six months.

Male dogs that are neutered before puberty usually grow less because testosterone affects bone growth. The earliest time you can spay your dog is after eight weeks, But this time isn’t recommended at all because it can cause other problems in your dog. Remember, the older a dog is, the greater the risk of surgery. If you decide to spay your adult dog, the exact time will be based on the dog’s productive cycle; So, talk to your veterinarian about this and seek guidance.

 How much does it cost to sterilise my dog?

As you know, the costs of each centre are different from the other. Usually, your dog’s size affects the operation’s cost. Larger dogs have more lengthy procedures, so you have to pay more.

What should I do before dog sterilisation?

When you decide to spay, the vet will ask you to take your dog to a blood test before the operation. By testing the dog’s blood, vets make sure he’s healthy and ready for surgery. This test helps to see if the anaesthetic hurts your dog. Follow the clinic procedure before the operation. Anaesthesia causes nausea in dogs. That’s why your veterinarian usually asks you not to feed him for 8 hours before the operation. There’s nothing wrong with drinking water until the morning of the process. The vet will remove the hair on the surgery area.

Post-sterilization care for dogs

• The dog may not have an appetite for a day or two after the operation due to nausea that the anaesthetic is giving him; Don’t force-feed him in any way.
• Keep the dog separate from the rest of the animals you have and prepare a peaceful environment for him.
• Please don’t allow him to be naughty or jump up and down for two weeks after the operation.
• Check the stitches every day. Contact your veterinarian if you notice redness, swelling or a foul smell from the stitches.
• Don’t bathe the dog for ten days after the operation.
• Contact your veterinarian if your dog is lethargic, has diarrhoea or vomiting, or is behaving abnormally.

Does my dog ​​hurt during the operation?

The fact is that this action is as painful as any other surgery, But your dog will be anaesthetised entirely and won’t feel any pain during the operation. After surgery, the veterinarian injects painkillers into your dog. Antibiotics are also prescribed for postoperative care to prevent wound infection. 

How long does postoperative recovery take?

Recovery after dog sterilisation usually doesn’t take more than a few hours. Some dogs are sleepy for a day. But most reports say the dogs were so cheerful that their owners challenged them to calm down and rest.

What happens to my dog ​​after spaying?

• People worry that their dog’s personality will change entirely after spaying. Some of the dog’s bad behaviours, such as spraying urine or riding on people’s feet, are less common after spaying, but the dog’s personality doesn’t change; So don’t worry.
• The fact is that the amount of food for a neutered dog should be less than other dogs. Because the dog’s metabolism decreases with sterilisation, his caloric intake after surgery should be about 20% less. So by changing your dog’s diet and daily activities and exercise, you won’t face the problem of obesity. Keep in mind that obesity can cause diabetes and shorten your dog’s life; Thus, if you notice that your dog is gaining weight, talk to your veterinarian and ask for advice.  

How do I know if my dog ​​is overweight?

Lay your dog on the floor and touch his ribs; If you don’t feel his rib bones, your dog may be overweight.

If I sterilise my dog, won’t he try to run away from home?

Dogs can hear the smell of female estrus dogs from a great distance. It’s precisely the reason why they’re looking for female dogs. When they smell it, they become the most creative dog globally and find a way to escape from home. If the dog becomes infertile before puberty, he will most likely not feel the odour, or even if he does, he won’t react to it.

Isn’t it better for my female dog to give birth once and then sterilise it?

There’s no scientific basis for the theory that it’s good for a dog to give birth and then sterilise it. Sterilising a dog before puberty reduces the risk of many problems that may occur in adulthood.

Sterilisation is a practice that is increasingly recommended by veterinarians today; For this reason, more people decide to sterilise their dog every day so that they can create easier conditions for his life. But you shouldn’t forget the point that sterilisation is not something that eliminates the dog’s misbehaviour overnight. Some behaviours result from the wrong dog’s training. To correct these behaviours, you need to become better acquainted with the training methods and adequately do your dog. Mishka Grooming, with a team of experienced and efficient groomers, accompany you in all the cleaning, grooming, hygiene, training and health of your dog so that you can do your daily work safely and enjoy being with him.