Surely on more than one occasion you have coincided with a friend or companion "dog" and you have taken the classic conversation on whether or not to neuter a dog. There are dozens of urban legends and nonsense rumours about the effects of castration on dogs. Most of those rumors and legends, if not all ... they are completely unfounded and they are erroneous or false.

We all want our pet and it hurts us to know that it must go through an operation to castrate or sterilize it. Therefore we will explain step by step what are the benefits and disadvantages of castrating our pet, what changes will suffer in its character and metabolism and how it will affect us too. Let's review in depth everything that involves castrating our furry companion, do not miss it!

What is castration and what is sterilization in a dog?

Castration consists of the removal of the testicles and the scrotal sac in male dogs and the removal of ovaries and uterus in bitches. The sterilization consists of something very similar to a vasectomy in humans, nothing is removed but permanent means are put in place to prevent the dog or bitch from reproducing, through the ligation of the ducts.

Undoubtedly we recommend castration directly given its multiple benefits compared to simple sterilization, although surgical intervention is more complex in castration (but does not entail danger, it is a very common operation and without major risks).

When should a dog be castrated?

There are many opinions that resolve this question, obviously each of them is more "personal" than "professional". The only certain thing, since it is scientifically proven, is that the best age to castrate both a male and a female is between six and eight months of life.

At this age the testicles in males, have not yet developed hormones that lead the dog towards a certain sexual and territorial tendency, which we know as testosterone. It is very important to castrate our dog before it starts to create testosterone and the best age for it, is between six and eight months.

About the females circulate a thousand rumors..... "That if you have to wait for the first heat to pass ", "that if you have to wait for it to be mounted", "that if it is better when you have a litter ...” Do not listen to any of these rumors or opinions of inexperienced. As with males, the best age to neuter a female is six to eight months.

Why is it recommended to castrate my dog?

Ask yourself the following questions: * Are you a breeder? * Would you mind having eight more puppies at home? I think you now know the answer. If you do not dedicate yourself professionally to the breeding of dogs ... What do you want your dog to reproduce for? There are millions of dogs in the world, thousands of them are slaughtered every day in kennels because they do not have a home ... do you want your dog to reproduce? What will you do with the puppies? Let's stop with nonsense and think with a cold mind, you do not need more dogs in the world.

The only reason that exists not to castrate a dog is that we want it to reproduce and this reason is only valid for people who are professionally engaged in it on a small scale. You only have to go through a kennel or animal shelter to see the hundreds of dogs that need a home. Do not contribute to your dog breeding and there are more dogs without homes, it is not fair for them or for you.

Yes, and flatly yes. You must castrate your dog. Moreover, we hope that someday a decent law for the protection of animals will be enacted (the current one is a crap) where compulsory castration is included.

If I decide to castrate my dog, will it hurt?

No, the castrations are always done under anesthesia, the dog feels absolutely nothing. If it is true that when they wake up they may have some discomfort, something completely normal and habitual in any type of operation (both in dogs and in humans). Veterinarians administer mild sedatives, anti-inflammatories and antibiotics so that recovery is quick and painless.

It is such a simple operation that normally the same day or the next, the dog goes for a walk and makes normal life, being careful not to damage the operated area because it still conserves the points, obviously. Some dogs need to wear Elizabethan collar for a few days so they do not lick the stitches, while others do not need anything.

At present when castrating a male there are two options, end with external saturation (visible points) or internal saturation (internal disposable points). Without doubt we recommend the second option, which consists of making the points internally, as well as the dog will not have to wear Elizabethan collar, usually.

What benefits does castrating a dog have?

Many more than you imagine, although in males and females are somewhat different, so we leave you a brief summary so you can see that all are benefits:

Benefits of castrating a male dog:

1. The dog is less territorial and dominant, a great benefit for him and for you.
2. His behavior will be less aggressive, especially when he is with other dogs since he will not fight to be dominant.
3. The dog will have less desire to escape (especially when the females are in heat, which is when they usually escape).
4. Very significant reduction in the possibility of suffering tumors and infections in testicles, penis and prostate.
5. Our dog will have better health, since its defenses will not be weakened as a result of stress with the females in heat.
6. We will have a quieter and less nervous dog.

Benefits of castrating a female bitch:

1. They will not experience those hormonal changes that make them so nervous, sad and weepy.
2. We prevent the possible formation of cancer of ovaries, uterus and breast, reducing the chances of suffering this type of cancer drastically.
3. It will not look for the riding of the males. castrate dog
4. You will not have psychological pregnancies or complications derived.
5. Will not stain as a result of menstruation.
6. We avoid the abandonment of unwanted litters (puppies).
7. We prevent you from urinating by marking your territory.
8. We avoid the stress they suffer in jealousy and mating season.

Benefits of castrating on males and females:

1. Neutered dogs are usually much more loving and friendly.
2. Neutered dogs are not as dominant as uncastrated dogs and of course, they are much less aggressive.
3. Neutered dogs can have sexual intercourse without problems, with the benefit that they will not descend into a pregnancy.
4. Neutered dogs do not suffer from having been castrated, it is more, and they usually have a happier and quieter life.

Is my dog ​​going to get fat if I castrate it?

No, castrating our dog is not directly related to its weight. Although it is true that castrated dogs are less territorial and, therefore, less nervous. That is to say, they are calmer dogs so we must watch that they do not consume an excess of food and try to do all the exercise that they should (as we do with uncastrated dogs). Castrate dog

A very common mistake, that is to say that the dog gets fat when we castrate it. Assuming that we castrate our dog when appropriate, that is, between six and eight months, we must bear in mind that when one year is up, we must change the feed for another one with less energy value.

Dogs with a year or more no longer need such a complex feed, since they are no longer puppies. Your level of growth and energy is normalized and with this, we must also normalize the ration of calories that we provide. A good feed for adult dogs, a fair daily amount and exercise is normal for a dog to be healthy and not get fat.

Because castrations are usually performed around the year of life (although it is recommended before), the echo is associated with the fact that the dog fattens a bit with the fact that it has been sterilized, but they are not directly related .

How long will my dog ​​be recovering from castration?

Normally the males are completely fine after one or two weeks, just like the females. As long as everything goes well, administer the appropriate medications and no uncommon complications such as infections or similar arise. 

How much does it cost to neuter a dog in Spain?

The price is very different, since it depends on the weight of your dog and the area where you live. In the north of Spain, for example, castrating a male of one 25 kilos does not exceed 200 €, castrating a female costs a little more. In Mexico it is much cheaper and in the USA it can go for around 100 USD.

The price can change a lot since the amount of anesthesia that is needed varies depending on the type of dog and its weight. In the same way it happens with the medicines that we must give after the operation and the price of the veterinarian (price charged to us for carrying out the operation).

There are places where it is free, consult the nearest animal protector or your town hall (sometimes they carry out campaigns to castrate at very low prices).

If Castro my dog ​​will be calmer?

Possibly yes, although you do not think that after castrating it will be a sea of ​​calm. It usually takes between six months and a year to notice the effects of castration if the dog is more than six months old. It is because the body must eliminate the testosterone that the testicles have already created, the same happens with females, which create a whole chain of hormones.

If your dog is very old, just do not cast it. Dogs with more than 5 years do not respond in the same way as young dogs, they do not stop being territorial or aggressive, since they have an excess of testosterone. In general, adult dogs are only castrated to prevent them from reproducing and to avoid tumors.

Does castrating a dog have negative effects?

No, it has absolutely no negative effect.

Selena is a blogger and a guest contributor for well-known brand that includes Inthemarket, WPiTech and, HomeandGarden. In her leisure time she loves to play hockey.