Dog castration advice please

bailey59 · 8 April 2010 at 3:58PM

Hello,

I have a 6 and a half male staffy who is entire (still has his bits & bobs) and last weekend I got a female staffy aged 15 weeks.

I am now worried about her 1st season which could be in around 3 months time and what will happen as I have never had 2 dogs before and I have never had a female one.

What should I expect having an entire male and a female on heat in the same house?

Should I get my dog done or not? Will it change him in anyway, he is quite timid and I read that having him done could make him worse. Pros and cons very much appreciated.

He has sired before but I doubt we will breed these 2 together, he may be too old for the job when she is ready anyway as its a couple of years away yet and we will more than likely get her done when she is older but then again we may keep his blood line going on. Any advice on this matter is appreciated.

Also does anyone know if I can get vouchers for the castration as my vets dont offer payment plans and I cant afford the full £100.

Thanks

Sagz_2 · 8 April 2010 at 4:11PM

bailey59 wrote: »

Hello,
I am now worried about her 1st season which could be in around 3 months time and what will happen as I have never had 2 dogs before and I have never had a female one. You could consider getting your little female spayed before her first season? Not only does it reduce the risk of mammary tumours later but it's the only way to ensure you are not adding to the already over-flowing rescue centres.

What should I expect having an entire male and a female on heat in the same house? TROUBLE! :rotfl: Your lad already knows what to do and your in-season 'lady' will be only too willing to let him have his wicked way. Trying to keep them seperate will be a nightmare, chewed doors, holes dug under fences, frustrated dogs and bad tempers all around..... not only the dogs:D Oh and don't forget that other entire males in the neighbourhood will be able knocking at the door too.

Should I get my dog done or not? Will it change him in anyway, he is quite timid and I read that having him done could make him worse. Pros and cons very much appreciated. I'd always opt for neutering, I hate to think of the entire male dogs who are kept frustrated and not allowed to follow what their hormones are telling them to do. If you are worried then discuss things with your Vet, maybe even try 'chemical castration' first to help put your mind at rest before deciding on the op.

He has sired before but I doubt we will breed these 2 together, he may be too old for the job when she is ready anyway as its a couple of years away yet and we will more than likely get her done when she is older but then again we may keep his blood line going on. Any advice on this matter is appreciated. There are far to many lovely dogs in rescue or being put down to add to the situation IMHO. 9,310 unclaimed strays killed in 2009 - shameful for a nation of so called dog lovers.

Also does anyone know if I can get vouchers for the castration as my vets dont offer payment plans and I cant afford the full £100. Where abouts in the country are you?

Thanks

Oh and we DEMAND pics of cute pup, please xx

foreign_correspondent · 8 April 2010 at 4:17PM

if you cant afford the £100 for neutering, you are unlikely to be able to afford the proper health checks prior to breeding, never mind any unexpected costs that may arise from complications, so it is important you keep these two seperated all them time during her season. This will be very hard if your male is unneutered, and it can lead to the dog being very frustrated and even bad tempered. (In the case of the unneutered dog that mauled a little girl recently, the fact that there was an in season b1tch in the house was thought to be a contributing factor)

It really would be better to have one or both dogs neutered asap - I would get the lad done initially, but please do consider getting the girl done ASAP, it is proven to reduce the risk of mammary cancers significantly, it also removes the risk of Pyometra, a potentially fatal and fast developing womb infection, which is surprinsingly common. It is also far cleaner than to have a dog bleeding onto your carpets and furniture, means you can ealk the dog whenever you want (rather than having several weeks every six months where she will attract a lot of unwanted attention and must be watched at all times) and prevents phantom pregnacies which can be quite troublesome for some dogs. My mum's dog had a phantom, and we thought she was ill - she went completely off her food, became underweight, mopey, lethargic, miserable and strangely behaved for weeks...

Most of the many unwanted dogs pts each year are staffs, and the rescues are overflowing with them, so the ethics of breeding is a major consideration too.

ETA - Bailey59, you posted here for advice about your dogs behaviour before, (dog aggressive) and most people advised you that neutering would most likely be the best thing to do. I think now you have an unneutered b1tch in the same house it is even more important.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2061375

Lobell · 8 April 2010 at 6:20PM

I would also have our male neutered as soon as possible and then your !!!!! spayed at the first opportunity.

Also, you should still separate them both when your !!!!! is in season - your male may still be fertile for a number of months after being neutere. Also neutered dogs can still mate and tie with a !!!!! and serious injury can occur (I've known this to happen - the !!!!! got spooked and tried to run just as they tied and both dogs ended up with severe injuries...not to mention a large vets bill...something to bear in mind if you're struggling to find the money for a routine castration!)

viktory · 8 April 2010 at 6:29PM

bailey59 wrote: »

Also does anyone know if I can get vouchers for the castration as my vets dont offer payment plans and I cant afford the full £100.

If you can't afford the fee for castration, you certainly can't afford puppies and all the related expense!

Jojo_the_Tightfisted · 8 April 2010 at 6:33PM

What can you expect? Puppies of course! And if you can't afford the neutering, what on earth were you thinking of when you got the second dog?

Hmmm...bloodline preservation - doesn't that usually mean breeding more unwanted staffs for idiots to abuse to try and look tough?

Wasn't the latest child to be savaged by a dog in a house where there was a female on heat and at least one unneutered male?

Just look at kicking out time on a Friday night - young human males, fertile human females, all you get is aggression, fights and bloodshed all round. What gives you the idea that cute doggies are any different?

It's not worth it - if nowt else, Staffie prices in the local newsagents have crashed from £700 to under £150 with papers in my area. Nobody wants them.

They are lovely dogs, but they hate being left, they're vulnerable to theft for dogfighting, they get themselves into trouble from being so robust and you could just end up with stitches for bites, a dead female from the pup's heads getting wedged in the pelvis, visits from the Police for being another dodgy breeder, dodgy characters 'offering' to have the pups (to get torn apart at some point in their life) and other dog owners treating you as if you have the devil himself at the end of the halti.

Honestly, just get them both done, it is so not worth it to even think about breeding either of them anymore.

Person_one · 8 April 2010 at 6:41PM

I can only echo the previous posters and suggest getting both neutered. Its not just the possibility of them getting it on with each other you have to worry about, but with every non neutered dog out there! All my family's dogs have always been spayed or castrated and no personality changes so far. I also think they have a much nicer life once that side of things is off the cards!

As for breeding your staffie, is he pedigree? Is he show quality and in perfect health with test certificates to prove it? Otherwise all you'll be doing is perpetuating the overpopulation problem. Go to any rescue and you'll see that there are more than enough staffies in this country and not enough caring owners to look after them.

ali-t · 8 April 2010 at 6:56PM

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

It really would be better to have one or both dogs neutered asap - I would get the lad done initially, but please do consider getting the girl done ASAP, it is proven to reduce the risk of mammary cancers significantly, it also removes the risk of Pyometra, a potentially fatal and fast developing womb infection, which is surprinsingly common.
the best thing to do. I think now you have an unneutered b1tch in the same house it is even more important.

Although spaying will reduce the risk of mammary tumours it does increase the risk of many types of cancer, including bone cancer, urinary tract tumours and other types. It also raises the liklihood of thyroid problems, can cause spay incontenence, weight problems and can increase the liklihood of reactions to vaccinations, can cause changes in coat and temprament and growth problems if done too early.

My staffy !!!!! is spayed as I was led to believe it was the right things to do due to her having a bad phantom pregnancy but she has had numerous health problems, some of which can be linked to the altered hormone levels in her body.

Rather than promoting the spaying is best message, I believe that many dog owners can be responsible and will take precautions to ensure their animals are not exposed to the risk of pregnancy.

To the OP, if you are considering at any time breeding your dogs together my advice is not to. Staffy's and staffy crosses fill rescue centres across the UK and unless you are showing your dog with great success and your breeding plan is for the betterment of the breed I don't think you will be doing the breed any favours by adding to the numbers.

This is coming from a fellow staffy owner (who doesn't and will not breed!)

Sagz_2 · 8 April 2010 at 7:05PM

ali-t wrote: »

Although spaying will reduce the risk of mammary tumours it does increase the risk of many types of cancer, including bone cancer, urinary tract tumours and other types. It also raises the liklihood of thyroid problems, can cause spay incontenence, weight problems and can increase the liklihood of reactions to vaccinations, can cause changes in coat and temprament and growth problems if done too early.

Hi ali-t, could you please let me know where this info comes from? ty

tankgirl1 · 8 April 2010 at 7:11PM

ali-t wrote: »

Although spaying will reduce the risk of mammary tumours it does increase the risk of many types of cancer, including bone cancer, urinary tract tumours and other types. It also raises the liklihood of thyroid problems, can cause spay incontenence, weight problems and can increase the liklihood of reactions to vaccinations, can cause changes in coat and temprament and growth problems if done too early.

Erm - no it doesn't! Granted there is a potential problem with weight gain, but if the owners are aware of this, then they can pre-emp it from happening. Urinary incontinence, in more cases than not, is due to the fact that neutered b!tches live longer than un neutered, and it is just an unfortunate condition that occurs with age. Yes some !!!!!es may develop it after neutering, but the incidence in young neutered females is very low.
The other conditions you have mentioned are usually associated with obesity - which as in humans, is becoming increasingly prevelant and more of a problem in pets!

My staffy !!!!! is spayed as I was led to believe it was the right things to do due to her having a bad phantom pregnancy but she has had numerous health problems, some of which can be linked to the altered hormone levels in her body.

Such as?

Rather than promoting the spaying is best message, I believe that many dog owners can be responsible and will take precautions to ensure their animals are not exposed to the risk of pregnancy.

If you are that opposed to spaying, there are other alternatives available, although they still leave your pet at increased risk of pyometra and mammary tumours. Speak to your vet about the regular injections available. However, it is probably cheaper in the long run just to get her spayed!

To the OP, if you are considering at any time breeding your dogs together my advice is not to. Staffy's and staffy crosses fill rescue centres across the UK and unless you are showing your dog with great success and your breeding plan is for the betterment of the breed I don't think you will be doing the breed any favours by adding to the numbers.

:T:T:T

This is coming from a fellow staffy owner (who doesn't and will not breed!)

Sorry - clicked thanks in error, but well done you for not breeding - there are more staffies in rescue than they know what to do with! And they are such lovely dogs too!

Frugalista · 8 April 2010 at 7:15PM

Norbertsmum wrote: »

Hi ali-t, could you please let me know where this info comes from? ty

http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf

Dog castration advice please

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