Pros and Cons of Neutering or Spaying Your Dog

At this point, you’re probably thinking about neutering or spaying your dog, but you’re not so sure if this is a good idea. Not to worry, you’re not alone in this. Many dog owners find themselves contemplating on this decision for a while, and rightfully researching the Internet for all kinds of answers to common sense questions:

What are the pros and cons of neutering or spaying a dog?
Maybe I should leave my dog as nature has intended him/her to be?
What do dog experts and veterinarians think about this process?
Do all other dog owners spay or neuter their dogs?
What does science have to say about neutering or spaying your dog?

Rest assured, these are all valid concerns of a responsible pet owner, and we will address them as we go through this concise guide to neutering or spaying your dog.

What is spaying and neutering of dogs?

Neutering is the de-sex procedure of male dogs where their testicles (or gonads) are removed. The actual removal of male dog’s testicles is called Castration. Spaying is a similar procedure of sterilization for female dogs. In this case, females’ ovaries and uterus will be removed, and this is called Ovariohysterectomy.

The main two purposes of this is to eliminate or at least decrease the chance of your dog developing certain types of diseases, and to control population growth of dogs. Neutering and spaying are also performed for many other animals, but dogs are the most common recipients of this unpleasantly sounding procedure.

But not to worry: neutering and spaying of dogs are done under general anesthesia, so your pooch won’t feel a thing when a surgical incision is performed.

Dog owners will usually have their puppies spayed or neutered around the age of 6 months or earlier.