What Exactly Does Spaying and
Neutering Mean?
With a female Yorkie, spaying refers to when the dog’s uterus and the ovaries are surgically removed.
For the male Yorkie, neutering means that the testicles are surgically removed.
Why is This Done (Beyond the
Obvious Reason) ?
It is a common mistaken belief that this is only done to stop dogs from mating.
While this is one of the end results, there are also other important ways in
which this will help your Yorkshire Terrier live a healthier and longer life.
When a female Yorkie is spayed, the
benefits to the dog include:
1. Eliminating her chances of developing ovarian and greatly reducing her
chances for developing mammary cancer. This will also decrease her odds of
developing ovarian infections.
2. Stopping the chance of an older female from having a litter of puppies. Past the age of 8, the strain of pregnancy is extreme and very unhealthy for the female dog.
When a male Yorkie is neutered, the
benefits to the dog include:
1. Eliminating the possibility of testicular tumors
2. Greatly reducing the possibility of infections
3. Reducing the risk of prostate disease – This is a very common and serious
health issue for the male Yorkshire Terrier. Roughly 60% of male dogs, who are
older than 5 years old and not neutered, show symptoms of an enlarged prostate.
Sorting out the Facts
Will
neutering a dog will make him depressed, lose strength and decrease his
activity level? No. Studies have shown that male dogs do not act out any mating
behavior unless they are moved by their own hormones in reaction to a
female dog who is in heat. When neutered, it does not
trouble a dog that he cannot mate. When a male dog is neutered, his body can
then use its energy for other things besides mating, including endurance and
strength. A male dog will be just as good of a "watch dog" and behave
normally in all regards of activity and strength to exercise.
Will a female dog will become overweight and/or lazy? No. When given the
appropriate amount of food and exercised properly, a
female will not become overweight or lazy. This does not affect the activity
level of a dog.
There are some people who are strong advocated of not spaying or neutering
pets. We wish to present both sides of the coin. Now, those who state that
either procedure brings about negative elements will state that.
It increases the risk of developing certain health issues such as urinary tract
infection, vaginitis and other concerns. With this being said, there are no
official medical publications that show any evidence of this. While any health issue can develop in any dog (spayed, neutered or not), there is
no proof that any issue has ever been caused by having a dog fixed when it is
done by a reputable, experienced veterinarian.
The
only issue that may be a concern is weight gain and this only applies to males
and the numbers involved here are negligible…Also, if a 1/2 to 1 pound gain
would occur, this is not for the reasons that one may think. Male dogs who are intact sometimes run around more due to the urge to
follow female scents…Therefore, if a male Yorkshire Terrier no longer has a
desire to chase after a scent he may run around a bit less. A decrease in
activity has nothing to do with metabolism changes.
What Age is this Done?
The younger a dog is when this is done, the better it is for their health.
Studies do show that a female’s best chance of good health is to be spayed
before her first heat. There is no benefit for a female dog to go through even
1 heat cycle. This is a bit tricky however...Studies do show that it is best to
wait until the age of 6 months, however a puppy can enter her first heat as
young as 4 months. Therefore, in these cases, you can your veterinarian can
decide together at what age it should be done.
The odds of developing mammary cancer increase even if the dog goes through 1
heat and increases as each heat cycle is allowed to happen. To offer her the
best chance, a female Yorkie should be spayed at the age of 4 to 5 months old.
However, even if an owner waits, having this done at any age will help to
increase the life span of the dogs.
How is the Procedure Done?
Spaying female dogs is done by giving the dog general anesthesia. A small
incision is made in the dog's abdomen. The uterus is then removed from that
small incision. The ovarian ligaments and blood vessels are securely tied. The
abdominal tissues are stitched back together in layers internally. Outside
(external) stitches are not always needed.
Neutering a male dog is performed by making an incision in front of the dog's
scrotum. The testicles are then removed through this small incision. The blood
vessels are tied off and cut. The incision will have either have stitches that
dissolve or ones which will need to be removed 10 days after the surgery.
What is the Recovery Time?
For both female and male dogs, water should not be given for 1 hour after the
procedure.
For the male Yorkie, there is usually swelling for about 3 days. There may be
some light bruising. Discomfort is usually low and most dogs do not need pain
medication. The majority of male dogs are ready to play, exercise and run
around as normal every just days later; however to make sure that the incision
heals correctly, it is recommended to limit these activities for 2 weeks.
For the female Yorkie, it is important that she be allowed to completely rest
for 10 days. If she shows any signs of vomiting, tremors, pale gum or bleeding,
this indicates a complications and the dog should be brought to the
veterinarian immediately. This is, however, rare. A female dog may try to lick her
stitches and this can cause infection; therefore steps may be taken to prevent
her from doing so. In about 2 weeks, she will have a checkup to make sure all
is well and stitches will be removed at that time.
Spaying/ Neutering Senior Dogs
Some owners to not see the point of spaying or neutering an older, senior dog.
However, doing so greatly helps to extend the life of the dog. There are
several reasons why:
•A female may have heat cycles for her entire life. With most dogs, this does
not stop as it does with humans. Having puppies in the senior years can be very
dangerous for both female dog and impending puppies.
•Spaying significantly reduces the possibility of developing mammary cancer and
eliminates the chances of ovarian cancer as well as uterine infections.
Infections are very common in older dogs and can often be life-threatening.
Therefore, having this done, even to a senior dog, can be very helpful in
allowing them to live as long as possible.
•When a female dog is spayed, this reduces hormone changes in her body. These
changes can affect other health conditions a dog may have including diabetes
and epilepsy. .
•For the male Yorkshire Terrier, neutering a senior dog eliminates the
possibility of developing testicular tumors, infections and reduces the risk of
canine prostate disease. These are all canine health issues in which the
chances of developing them increase as time go by.
The ten reasons for spaying and neutering are:
- Your female pet will live a longer,
healthier life.
Spaying helps prevent uterine infections and breast cancer, which is fatal in about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats. Spaying your pet before her first heat offers the best protection from these diseases. - Neutering provides major health benefits
for your male.
Besides preventing unwanted litters, neutering your male companion prevents testicular cancer. - Your spayed female won't go into heat.
While cycles can vary, female felines usually go into heat four to five days every three weeks during breeding season. In an effort to advertise for mates, they'll yowl and urinate more frequently-sometimes all over the house! - Your male dog won't want to roam away from
home.
An intact male will do just about anything to find a mate! That includes digging his way under the fence and making like Houdini to escape from the house. And once he's free to roam, he risks injury in traffic and fights with other males. - Your neutered male will be much better
behaved.
Neutered cats and dogs focus their attention on their human families. On the other hand, unneutered dogs and cats may mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house. Many aggression problems can be avoided by early neutering. - Spaying or neutering will NOT make your pet
fat.
Don’t use that old excuse! Lack of exercise and overfeeding will cause your pet to pack on the extra pounds-not neutering. Your pet will remain fit and trim as long as you continue to provide exercise and monitor food intake. - It is highly cost-effective.
The cost of your pet's spay/neuter surgery is a lot less than the cost of having and caring for a litter. It also beats the cost of treatment when your unneutered tom escapes and gets into fights with the neighborhood stray! - Spaying and neutering your pet is good for
the community.
Stray animals pose a real problem in many parts of the country. They can prey on wildlife, can cause car accidents, damage the local fauna and frighten children. Spaying and neutering packs a powerful punch in reducing the number of animals on the streets. - Your pet doesn't need to have a litter for
your children to learn about the miracle of birth.
Letting your pet produce offspring you have no intention of keeping is not a good lesson for the children-especially when so many unwanted animals end up in shelters. There are tons of books and videos available to teach your children about birth in a more responsible way. - Spaying and neutering helps fight pet
overpopulation.
Every year, millions of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized or suffer as strays. These high numbers are the result of unplanned litters that could have been prevented by spaying or neutering.
In Summary the Advantages for you and your pet
- Neutered/spayed pets are less aggressive, less likely to fight, and less likely to bite, as documented in studies.
- Neutered/spayed pets (especially males) are less territorial and less likely to roam. Research indicates that 80% of dogs hit by cars are unaltered males.
- Neutered pets are less likely to mark furniture and rugs with urine.
- Spayed females will not have heat cycles that soil rugs and furniture and usually shed less fur.
- Neutered pets can't develop testicular tumors, the second most common malignancy in males, and have a lower incidence of prostate cancer, which is better for your pet and means lower medical bills.
- Spayed females typically stay healthier and live longer. They have a lower incidence of mammary tumors and no uterine or ovarian cancers, which is better for your pet and means lower medical bills.
- Sterilization does not change the pet's personality or cause weight gain.
- Removing the urge to mate focuses more of a pet's attention on the caregiver, aiding in training. Sterilized pets behave better.