Neutering a dog

Removing or interrupting gonads

There is a common misunderstanding about castration and sterilization: castration is for males (males) and sterilization is for females (females).

What is the real story?

What happens during castration?
The definition of castration is the surgical removal of the gonads (sex glands); the testicles in male dogs or the ovaries in female dogs.
By removing the ovaries or testicles, there is less production of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. There is always a small production by secondary tissue or other biochemical processes.
The sex hormones are important for the development of your male or female dog. It is therefore reasonable to think that castration during puberty has greater consequences for the animal than when castrated at an adult age.

Estrogen is intended to close the growth plates. This means that with early castration (<1 year) the growth plates do not close and the bones with growth plates continue to grow. This growth can lead to problems in the form of hip dysplasia (HD) and cruciate ligament lesions. In addition, there is a reduced fat and glucose metabolism, a loss of bone density and poorer blood circulation. There is also less serotonin production (serotonin is a neurotransmitter that stimulates intestinal movements and ensures that adrenaline production is reduced. It makes you happy and less stressed) and less resistance and self-healing capacity.

Progesterone is only produced in the adrenal glands, which in some situations, such as chronic stress, can lead to an even greater shortage of progesterone. This leads to a relative increase in estrogens, which in turn leads to a reduced production of thyroxine, the thyroid hormone. Furthermore, there will be shortages of magnesium, zinc and vitamin B. This in turn leads to resistance and intestinal problems.

Reduced testosterone levels as a result of castration lead to reduced bone and muscle mass, poor concentration and fatigue. With reduced testosterone levels, more fat is deposited around the abdomen and in the abdominal cavity. With reduced testosterone levels, there is poorer regulation of blood sugar levels, which can lead to insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes.

What happens during sterilization:
During sterilization, the fallopian tubes or sperm ducts are interrupted.

The effect of sterilization is very different from castration. With sterilization, the sex hormones remain undamaged. The sex hormones continue to be produced and the effect of these hormones on the body and behavior of the animal also remains present.
That is why sterilization is actually never used in animals.

Why neutering your beloved four-legged friend

We are happy to explain what these are. But first we would like to ask you a few questions:

- Why did you choose a male or a female?
- What is the reason for neutering/castration ?
- Is the reason for neutering/castration a big problem that can't be solved in an other way?

Of course, there are many options that can be used before making the decision for neutering/castration.
It has not only affects the character of your beloved friend, but certainly also on the body.

We would like to explain to you the positive but certainly also possible long-term negative consequences depending on the age at which neutering/castration takes place.
Below we explain again the disadvantages per age category. This is a brief summary of disadvantages that have been found by research by several veterinarians at different ages

There are good reasons to have a dog castrated. There are also good reasons not to have a dog castrated
In general, more disadvantages of castration can be expected as the dog is younger at the time of the procedure.

Various “conditions” that are mentioned as a reason for castration and different conditions caused by castration can be remedied with regular therapy, homeopathy and/or behavioral therapy or normal training/upbringing.

Castration for medical reasons is probably always the best solution.

Neutering is a regular solution for a number of female complaints. Female dogs are mainly submitted for neutering for the following reasons:

Making infertile / heat
Making infertile / heat is experienced as too difficult; Castration makes the bitch infertile and no longer goes into heat.

Preventing mammary gland tumors
It has been scientifically proven that castrating a bitch before she is 2.5 years old significantly reduces the risk of developing benign and malignant mammary gland tumors later in life. Castration at a later age reduces the risk of benign mammary gland tumors, but no longer reduces the risk of malignant mammary gland tumors.*
(In unneutered bitches, the chance of mammary gland tumors is 25%. These tumors can be benign or malignant. In bitches that have been castrated before the first heat, this chance is 0.5%. With castration after the first heat, the chance is 8%. Other research shows that the risk does not differ much when castrated before or after the first heat, as long as it is before the second heat. Spaniels, Poodles, Dachshunds and German Shepherds are most likely to develop mammary gland tumors. Being overweight is an additional risk of developing these tumors.)

Preventing uterine infections
Uterine inflammation usually occurs immediately after the heat cycle or when using the injection pill or the “cat pill”. Castration, in which the uterus and ovaries are removed, naturally ensures that uterine infections cannot occur. Even if the uterus is not removed, the risk of uterine infection after castration is very small, because there is no longer any influence from female hormones.

The presence of a very serious uterine infection;
Castration is the only option to keep the dog alive. The surgical risk is high in this situation.

Behavioral problems during the heat period
Some dogs are very grumpy and difficult to approach around the heat period. This behavior can often be dampened with a homeopathic remedy, but it is not always successful. After castration this behavior disappeared.

Other problems surrounding the heat cycle
Irregular heat cycles, too long a heat cycle, or a lot of blood loss during the heat cycle can usually be resolved homeopathically.

Aggression also outside the heat period
Be careful with castration, because there is a risk that the dog will become more aggressive after castration, especially if she had a number of brothers. Some bitches become happier after castration. Alternatively, behavioral guidance and/or homeopathy can be used.

Reduce the risk of diabetes
Sugar is absorbed from the blood through insulin (secreted by the pancreas). With a relative shortage of insulin, the sugar level in the blood can become too high and we speak of diabetes. Diabetes is seen more often in non-neutered bitches than in neutered bitches. This is because the female hormone estrogen inhibits insulin production. In my practice I have had the experience that feeding chunks also seems to increase the risk of diabetes than feeding fresh meat. The cause could be that the sugars/carbohydrates in the chunks cause an unnaturally high insulin release, which overloads the pancreas and therefore makes it more vulnerable. To reduce the risk of diabetes, diet must also be taken into account. Castration reduces the risk of diabetes in the bitch.

Running away, restlessness, excitement, excessive sexual behavior
Castration often helps.

Pretense
Castration helps, as do regular and homeopathic remedies. If false pregnancy occurs occasionally, the question is whether something should be done about it. This usually goes away on its own. Sometimes the dog is very depressed and this can be remedied with homeopathy or hormone tablets. If the bitch develops false pregnancy every time about 2 months after her heat period and this gets worse each time, then this may be a good reason to resort to castration.

Chemical castration of the bitch
In the bitch, heat can be prevented by giving her the injection pill, or the “cat pill”. The disadvantages of both are a significant increase in the risk of diabetes, uterine inflammation and mammary gland tumors. The effect on heat is not always 100%. Baldness and/or hair discoloration may occur at the injection site of the injection. After using the injection, there is often no or no normal heat cycle; there is also a greater chance of a uterine infection afterwards.

Neutering is a regular solution for a number of male complaints.
Male dogs are mainly submitted for neutering for the following reasons:

Aggression
Aggression has many causes. Only aggression influenced by testosterone can decrease after neutering, especially if professional behavioral guidance takes place at the same time. Other forms, such as fear-aggression, can even worsen after castration.

Hypersexuality
Riding on objects or people and animals can decrease after neutering, but is often learned behavior. Homeopathy and behavioral guidance will work better here.

Cryptorchidism
In the past, it was advised to neutering a cryptorchid male (1 or 2 testicles are still in the abdomen), because the inner pelvis could become tumorous. In practice, the chance of this happening is not that great and cryptorchidism is no longer considered a reason for neutering. In a young cryptorchid male, descent of the testicle(s) is still possible through the application of homeopathy, although this cannot be guaranteed.

Walk away
Running away when a bitch in heat is nearby will in most cases decrease after neutering. Running away due to the nature of the animal or due to poor upbringing can be better tackled with behavioral guidance, although this may also decrease somewhat after neutering.

Make infertile
Making it infertile when there is also a non-neutered bitch in the house; Naturally, the male can no longer produce offspring from 6 to 8 weeks after castration. Despite neutering, some males continue to whine and behave pushy when the bitch is in heat. This behavior can easily be treated with homeopathy.

Peeing in the house
Neutering can help with urination in the house, especially if there are several unneutered male dogs in the house. This problem can often be solved with homeopathy and/or behavioral guidance.

Enlarged prostate
Neutering almost always causes the prostate to shrink. However, this effect can also be achieved with homeopathy, or (temporarily) with hormone injections or an implant (see part 3 under “chemical neutering of the male dog”).

Chronic foreskin inflammation
Neutering solves this problem somewhat, but the effect of neutering is often disappointing. There are regular products to clean the foreskin. These have a temporary effect. Allergy to these substances occurs regularly.

Busy behavior
Neutering sometimes helps, as does behavioral guidance, homeopathy or Bach flower remedies.

Testicular tumors and peri-anal gland tumors
If these tumors have not yet spread, neutering is indicated!

Chemical neutering of the male

Chemical neutering is particularly useful for benign prostate enlargement and to test whether behavior changes after removing the testosterone influence before deciding on surgical neutering. Chemical neutering can be done with an injection or an implant. It should only be used in sexually mature dogs. An injection works for a number of weeks, an implant for a number of months to two years. The advantage over surgical neutering is that the reaction is reversible. A disadvantage of the injection is that acromegaly or diabetes can develop. The disadvantage of the implant is that some males may be busier in the beginning and may show more male behavior. There may also be temporary swelling at the implant site. The effect on behavior has not been investigated, with the exception of the effect on libido. Furthermore, there are no side effects listed on the package leaflet.

When you decide to neuter your dog you can contact your vet or one of the two organizations that neuter dogs and cats in Aruba daily.

These volunteers sacrifice their precious "free" time to help your dogs and cats. They do this, in many cases, at reduced rates.
Because a number of vets come from the USA, at their own expense, to help, they also ask for a stay to reduce the costs. This leaves more money to help the animals.

Do not abuse these rates and, if possible, donate (in money, a good bed, or help) to these organizations that do a lot of good work in Aruba.
Ask them for the rates.

Animal Welfare Alliance Aruba

Stimami Sterilisami