To snip or not to snip?

[NjMalta]

hey all, long time!

I am in a dilemma... my Maltese is now 3 years old and and I cannot decide if it's worth it to make him go through this.
I am hearing conflicting advice and would like to know what you guys think.
He is going in for a teeth cleaning and has to be put under so the Vet said I should have this done while he is under to prevent a second trip.

* Is there a real benefit to having this done. Does it really prevent cancer and/or prolong life? (my last Maltese (RIP) was not snipped and he lived to 14 I believe)

* Will it change his behavior? He is a very playfull dog and not one ounce of aggression. I don't want him being a lazy dog.

* Is there any chance of harm during the surgery?

I don't want to lose him due to cancer that could have been prevented but at the same time I don't want to put him through this if there is no real world benefits.
I don't plan on breeding him and he doesn't hump anyone so that is not an issue.

I do know that if this must be done I am not going to be the person he sees when he wakes up!

Thanks for your help.

PS update from this thread:
http://www.paw-talk.net/forums/f9/ne...tml#post181345

IG has been living with the same friend now (although she passed away due to cancer!) Husband and kid love him!
DJ (Maltese) is now 3 years old and has had a Pomeranian girlfriend(fixed) since and they are great friends.

-NJM

[NjMalta]

Wow. Edit button timer is fast here!

Recent pic of my boy relaxing.

[Ambieruns10]

Cute dog!

You should definitely neuter him. Here are an article about neutering that list the benefits.

Why You Should Spay or Neuter Your Pet | The Humane Society of the United States

[NjMalta]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ambieruns10 Cute dog! You should definitely neuter him. Here are an article about neutering that list the benefits. Why You Should Spay or Neuter Your Pet | The Humane Society of the United States

Thanks for the reply and site, although I think that site is biased towards it due to over population and such

Quote: Spaying and neutering helps dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives. Spaying and neutering can eliminate or reduce the incidence of a number of health problems that can be very difficult or expensive to treat.

Sounds logical but I need more information, facts and studies.

Quote: Neutering eliminates testicular cancer and decreases the incidence of prostate disease.

I'll buy that but what are the chances of them getting it in the first place? Case study?

[Ambieruns10]

Im curious as to why you wouldn't neuter him? Are you planning on breeding?

[NjMalta]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ambieruns10 Im curious as to why you wouldn't neuter him? Are you planning on breeding?

it crossed my mind since someone asked me to a while ago but I am not really planning on it.

My main concern is something going wrong during the surgery and the things I listed in my original post concerning behavior etc.
It just doesn't seem natural to do it and remember, I'm a male!

[Kendalle]

my dog is neutered and he hasnt become a lazy dog at all, hes sill happy and hyper he didnt get fat either. When he got it done he never seamed to notice.. i dont think it was that stressful for him.

and anyway as for something going wrong in sergery... thats not very likely.. the most common thing is a reaction to the anestetic but you are having him go under for his teeth cleaning anyway

it isnt natual but it does prevent unwanted pets, and health problems, and can prevent other dogs from being agreessive towards him also.. unless you are planning to breed him i would get him neutered

[Leo]

From the AVMA What you should know about spaying and neutering
Neutering FAQ: Canine Neuter FAQ - VeterinaryPartner.com

Quote: Testicles - Testicular tumors are rare in cats and common in dogs, especially those with retained testes. Most of these cancers are preventable with castration (neutering) and curable with surgery if done early in the disease processfrom:What you should know about cancer in animals

If you are still having doubts about neutering him, you could always talk with your veterinarian and ask him what are the cancer risks for your dog, he knows your dogs medical history and should be able to give you an informed response....

I agree though that most of the complications from the surgery are anesthesia related. I have had all 3 of my guys neutered and none of them have had anything negative happen to their personality and all of them came out of surgery healthy with no complications.

Good luck with your decision.

[NjMalta]

3 years old is still ok to do this?

Thanks for the links.

[Kendalle]

yea it is common to neuter even at 3 years or older.. humane societies do it all the time

[HappyDancer]

we got my boy fixed when he was young...6 months...and there was no real change in his behavior...hes very active and is a ball aholic lol...we did it so there would be no want to run off after a girl as well as because my pops dog got cancer...he is 12 now and still playfull as a pup...it is a personal thing and you are doing the right thing looking for information...my little one Lady got fixed when she was 2 and the vet was horrid, the incession is all jagged and it got infected, so we took her to a different vet and she got all taken care of and she is now 8...even after that experience I would still fix any of my animals, I would just do a better job on researching the vet...

[kathydip]

A friend of mines parents dog (sorry about the long intro) almost had to be castrated at 10 because he was never fixed. I believe the vet said that things got backed up in there and infections set in. He almost lost "everything" because he was not fixed when he was younger. And at the age of 10 I feel it's a bit old to go under anesthesia for something that should have been done when he was much younger.
My primary concern about sugery is the anesthesia but since he already will be under that is not really a negative.
I feel that you should get it done. You also never know when a temptress may come along and lure your poor innocent baby away to naughty things!

[Mel]

In Europe, they don't preach s&n like they do in the US.

My little girl is not fixed. There are health risks for NOT being fixed, but then again, there are also cancers that occur only in altered dogs. There are good and bad to each. Do your research, and decide which is best for you.

I feel like if your dog is going to have the chance of creating unwanted puppies, then you s&n. If not, then its really up to you. I know that when my little girl is in heat, she's not allowed anywhere near outside without me standing less than a foot away, death grip on her leash, big stick in the other hand.

[Scarlette]

I was going to totally avoid this thread but I couldn't help it....

First of all, let me preface this by saying that spaying and neutering is a good thing, it can prevent cancers, unwanted puppies, everything that the other people mentioned.....

I am one of the few people to have lost an animal during/after a spay procedure. My 11 month old pup, Riley (in my sig) went into cardiac arrest and died 10 minutes after her procedure was done. An autopsy showed she had a major heart defect that wasn't noticeable (like her being tired all the time, short of breath, ect) so there was no way to have known this ahead of time without an echocardiogram or chest x-ray to show her enlarged heart. It's been almost 2 years and I'm still traumatized. The 2 female Bull Terriers I have gotten since then still aren't spayed and no arguement in the world is going to make me rush them to the vet to have them spayed. Everytime I go to make the appointment I get sick to my stomach and put the phone back.

The whole point of my story is to maybe ask your vet about a chest x-ray that could potentially show an enlarged heart. An echo is usually best but they're very expensive and not every vet's office has the equipment to do so. When Mirra broke her leg I told them my story and they said a chest x-ray would be ok. Mirra survived her surgery but I'm still scared and feel like I'm tempting fate by taking her in to be spayed.

NjMalta, I'm not telling you to NOT do it. We know that spaying/neutering is the "right" thing to do....I'm just saying that fears of something going wrong during surgery are real and might be less if you ask about a chest x-ray.

[Kendalle]

do you think she would have lived long with out being spayed?

sorry if im prying...