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BREEDING POTENTIAL OF CATS & DOGS, STERILISATION & THE ADVANTAGES THEREOF • WHAT IS NEUTERING? • HOW CAN WE TELL IF A FEMALE DOG IS IN SEASON? • WHEN SHOULD A FEMALE DOG BE SPAYED? • HOW CAN WE TELL WHEN A FEMALE CAT IS IN SEASON? • WHEN SHOULD THE FEMALE CAT BE SPAYED? • WHAT DOES NEUTERING SURGERY INVOLVE? • PREPARATION FOR SURGERY • RECOVERY • ADVANTAGES OF SPAYING FEMALE DOGS • BENEFITS TO OWNER • ADVANTAGES OF NEUTERING MALE DOGS • ADVANTAGES OF SPAYING FEMALE CATS • ADVANTAGES OF CASTRATING MALE CATS • ADVANTAGES OF NEUTERING BOTH CATS & DOGS • POSSIBLE DISADVANTAGES OF NEUTERING • ARE THERE ANY ALTERNATIVES TO SURGICAL NEUTERING?
Breeding Potential of Cats & Dogs, Sterilisation & Advantages Thereof
Dogs and cats even more
so have the potential to be prolific breeders. Over a period of six years,
one dog and her puppies may be the source of 67,000 more dogs. Over seven
years, one cat and her offspring may produce 420,000 more cats.
Source: Capital Humane Society of America:
http://chs.inebraska.com/spay.html.
“Neutering” refers to
surgical alteration of EITHER sex, so they cannot reproduce, this is also
known as CASTRATION in the MALE animal and SPAYING in the FEMALE. Please
note, the term is “spaying” and not spading or spaded! A vet will “spay “a
dog and a female dog who has had the operation has “been spayed”!
How Can We Tell If A Female Dog Is In Season?
The female dog may be expected to come into heat for the first time at anything from 5 months to 18 months or exceptionally 2 years. Generally speaking, the smaller the breed, the earlier the first heat. On average, 5 – 6 months and over is probably a rough guide as to when first heat can be expected, but each dog is different. Most dogs will come into heat or season twice yearly, ie. at 6 month intervals. Trini “Pothounds” often seem to have a first season at quite a young age.
The first sign that a female dog is coming into season may well be male dogs at the gate!
During her season, the dog may behave in an unusually friendly manner and/or she may appear edgy and out of sorts.
The female dog’s vulva
(private parts under her tail) will appear a little swollen and she will
at first produce a clear discharge and then a few days later a pale pink
to dark red, bloody discharge. This may be difficult to see if the dog
constantly licks herself clean. Some dogs do not bleed a lot anyway, and
first seasons can be very insubstantial. Normally, the red discharge lasts
for 5 – 10 days. Once the red discharge has ended the female dog is ready
to mate and at her most fertile. She will not normally mate while still
bleeding. The dog will remain fertile for many days and the only reliable
way to prevent pregnancy is to keep the dog totally away from all male
dogs for 3 - 4 weeks after the first sign of blood. Once the male dogs
have left the gate, you should be safe!
When Should A Female Dog Be Spayed?
The short answer to this is as soon as possible if there is any risk of her breeding and producing puppies for whom there are no homes. In an ideal world, 3 months after the first season has traditionally been believed to be the best time.
Juvenile or early neutering of male and female cats and dogs has also been carried out successfully by Animal Rescue Shelters in the United States for many years. This involves surgery from around 10 weeks of age onwards and represents a change in thinking which came about because the animal shelters were having great difficulty recalling animals for neutering surgery. This is a problem which the Animal Welfare Network has also experienced in Trinidad.
Recent research supports juvenile neutering. Modern anaesthetic agents are far safer for young animals than they were years ago. Moreover, it now appears that the occasional, rare, problems which may possibly arise following neutering surgery are just as likely to arise if the animal is neutered at 8 weeks or 8 months. Juvenile neutering has been carried out here in Trinidad at 3 veterinary clinics, and all the animals are so far doing very well.
Ideally, the female dog
should not be spayed either just before, during or just after a season, as
she will bleed more during surgery at this time. Dogs may be spayed during
pregnancy if there are no homes for the puppies. Surgery at this time is a
little more risky than if the dog is not pregnant, but may be preferable
to allowing unwanted pups into the world.
How Can We Tell When A Female Cat Is In Season?
The female cat may be
expected to come into season for the first time at anything from 4- 5
months on. At six months, many cats will be coming into season or already
pregnant. In the female cat, the season is most noticeable by the
accompanying behaviour changes. Physical changes are not pronounced. The
cat may become very playful and loving and she may cry and roll about,
scratching at the carpets, arching her back and calling as if in pain.
This behaviour will continue for many days. During this time, the cat may
become pregnant if mated. If the cat is confined and not allowed to meet
a male and mate, the season will gradually die down again. In most cats,
however, another season will soon occur, often just a couple of weeks or
so after the previous one.
When Should The Female Cat Be Spayed?
It is stressful for
female cats to undergo repeated frequent, unmated seasons and if kittens
are not wanted it is far kinder to spay her as soon as she is old enough,
normally at 5 months. As with dogs, early neutering at 2 – 3 months of age
has been carried out in many animal shelters in the United States for
years, with no apparent ill effects on the cats. There is no evidence
that a cat benefits from having a first season before she is spayed.
What Does Neutering Surgery Involve?
In the MALE dog and cat, a small incision is made in the skin. The spermatic cord and surrounding blood vessels and supportive tissues are cut and tied off and the testicles are removed via the skin incision. In the case of male dogs, one or two stitches are put in and removed 10 days later. The male cat normally would not require any stitches. The operation is quick and simple and inexpensive and the animal recovers very rapidly.
In the FEMALE cat and dog, incisions are made in the skin and underlying abdominal wall and the womb and usually the ovaries are removed. (I have known vets occasionally leave the ovaries in) The abdominal wall and overlying skin is then sewn up. The skin stitches are removed at 10 days.
In the female, it is more
major surgery, however animals can still normally go home the same day.
The owner will be advised
by their vet not to feed the animal on the day of the operation. Some
animals may vomit when they are given the anaesthetic drugs and if they
have food in the stomach, they may inhale it and choke. Water used to be
withheld for quite some time before neutering surgery. It is now accepted
that this is NOT necessary. Indeed, animals may be allowed water right up
to the time they arrive at the vets. If the animal has become
dehydrated before surgery it will not take the anaesthetic so well and
will take longer to come round afterwards.
Following surgery the
animal will be rather dozy until the effects of the anaesthetic have worn
off. It will only need a light meal on arrival home. It should be
encouraged to take liquids, as these will help to “flush” traces of
anaesthetic from its system. It must be kept quiet for a day or two and
females especially not allowed to dash about too madly or to jump over
fences etc. Bathing is not generally advised until the stitches are out.
The surgical wound must be checked twice a day for undue swelling or
irritation. Most animals will lick at their stitches a little, to keep the
area clean. This is fine, but if they lick too much they will make it
sore, so watch them! If in any doubt, check with the vet! Negasunt powder
or antiseptic ointment is useful in the tropical heat.
Advantages Of Spaying Female Dogs
Many misconceptions abound regarding spaying the female dog. The operation is carried out safely and humanely under general anaesthetic in veterinary clinics all over the world every day.
The benefits to the animal are as follows:
- Once the womb has been removed, the dog is no longer at risk of developing pyometra, a serious and potentially fatal infection of the womb;
- If spayed early in life, either shortly before or a couple of months after the first season, the dog will be far less likely to develop mammary tumours ( breast cancer) in middle to old age. These are potentially fatal.
- The dog is no longer at risk of dying from complications during pregnancy or whilst giving birth;
- Other medical problems which will be prevented include: cystic ovaries, ovarian cancers; irregular heats, and the upsetting and disturbed behaviour that accompanies a false pregnancy.
- All the above conditions may cause severe distress and suffering to the dog;
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The spayed female dog is content to remain at home with little
inclination to roam, risking injury, loss or disease.
- Veterinary attention to deal with the problems above will be costly, but spaying is a single payment that lasts for life;
- The inconvenience of twice yearly heats is avoided with its accompaniement of hordes of noisy suitors at the gate and an unhappy, restless female;
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With her home – loving tendencies, the spayed female is often an
excellent watch dog.
Advantages Of Neutering Male Dogs
The neutering operation for the male dog is an even simpler and quicker procedure than for the female. Complications are virtually unheard of. A couple of stitches will require removal at 10 days or so, unless dissolving stitches are used.
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The neutered male dog is far less likely to develop potentially fatal and painful prostatic problems in later life;
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The occurrence of uncomfortable, benign anal tumours is dramatically reduced;
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Any roaming tendencies are dramatically reduced, especially if the dog is neutered fairly promptly once it has reached maturity at about one year;
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Neutering may well reduce excessive aggressive tendencies to people and other animals and reduce dog fighting, especially if done early and coupled with good training.
Advantages Of Spaying Female Cats
All the advantages which apply to the female dog apply to the female cat.
The owner benefits from an animal who is happy to stay near home and who
is no longer frequently in heat and producing kittens twice or even three
times yearly.
Advantages Of Castrating Male Cats
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The main benefit to the male cat of neutering is to make him much happier to remain safely close to home and discourage him from fighting other male cats. The roaming, fighting cat is constantly at risk of accidents and contracting any of a number of fatal feline diseases or sustaining serious bite wounds;
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Provided the male is neutered reasonably promptly once he is mature, he is unlikely to develop the unpleasant and smelly habit of spray marking his territory with urine.
Advantages Of Neutering Both Cats & Dogs
- The sterilized animal is no longer able to contribute to the huge pet overload which exists in Trinidad and Tobago, a surplus of animals which causes so many to end their lives as abandoned or unwanted strays, often badly injured or diseased;
- Sterilized animals live longer than entire animals;
- Sterilised animals are much less likely to have frequent encounters with strange animals, encounters which may result in the transmission of potentially fatal diseases, such as feline leukaemia in the cat and transmissible venereal tumours in the dog.
- Sterilized animals generally develop pleasant temperaments and become more obedient.
- Contrary to popular opinion, they do not necessarily become overweight. However, in general, they will need a little less food to maintain their body weight and remain slim and fit. (cheaper to feed!)
- It is a myth that the female animal needs to have “just one litter” to make her happy and contented in later life.
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The sterilized animal will not lose all its male or female hormones.
Male dogs will not become “wimpy” overnight! Although neutering removes
the source of many male and female hormones, other cells in the body
will continue to produce some of these hormones, so the animal keeps its
basic male or femaleness and personality.
Possible Disadvantages Of Neutering
The advantages of neutering far outweigh the disadvantages. However, there are one or two points to be mentioned.
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Neutering involves a general anaesthetic. The administration of general anaesthesia to animals is a very safe process, nevertheless there remains a very tiny risk as with any surgery to people and animals under general anaesthesia. Whilst it is extremely rare for an animal to die as a result of neutering surgery/anaesthesia, it has happened. In such cases there may be an underlying medical problem which was not detected. As with people, the risks of anaesthesia and surgery rise gradually, with advancing age. Sometimes problems may take the form of blood clotting disorders and in T.and T. that might be more of a potential risk. Dogs which have been exposed to tick fever may appear well but bleed more than anticipated during surgery. It is also advisable to screen for Heartworm disease before subjecting a dog to a general anaesthetic. Discuss with your veterinarian!
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Incontinence is a very rare complication of spaying the female dog. The condition typically takes the form of the animal dribbling during sleep. Incontinence can generally be treated successfully with tablets.
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Just occasionally, neutering may precipitate changes in dogs’ coats. For example, the fur may become more fluffy. This is most likely if the animal is neutered very young and is not generally a problem. However, it is something to discuss with your vet if you have an animal of whose coat you are very proud, for example a show dog. Contrastingly, castrating the older male dog may occasionally help to improve the condition of the coat!
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There is some evidence to suggest that the male cat that is neutered and then goes on to live a very lazy lifestyle and eat a largely dry, supermarket diet is slightly more prone to bladder and “waterworks” problems than the unneutered tom cat. All cats need access to plenty of fresh water and, ideally, a moist ingredient to their diet, for example, tinned cat food, household scraps or fish or chicken, without the tiny bones. A dry diet is best fed exclusively only if prescribed by a vet for a particular age related problem or medical condition.
Are There Any Alternatives To Surgical Neutering?
Apart from age old abstinence and high fences, not really!
Hormonal medication is sometimes prescribed to unneutered male and female dogs to suppress their own hormonal activity and seasons in the female. This is at best a short term solution. In the female, these drugs may have unpleasant and possibly dangerous side effects; their use, particularly frequently in the same animal, have been associated with potentially fatal womb infections.
In the male dog, “chemical castration” may sometimes be tried to remedy behavioural problems and to give an (often unreliable) indication as to how effective surgical castration might be.
There is no good
indication for long term chemical neutering in either cat or dog.
