Caring for your pet, paying attention to its requirements and making them feel special is on every pet parent's mind. Thinking about your pet’s surgery can be daunting because you love your pooch just like your kid. That being said, did you know the temporary minor pain your dog has to endure is key to a healthy life? Yes, I am talking about de-sexing.

Pet de-sexing is unknown to many pet owners and many tend to drop the idea of this surgery. However, avoiding it is not at all a healthy step for your pet. If you have questions about de-sexing and need clarifications, this article is your foot in the door.

In Indian terminology, it is known as ‘spaying’ in female dogs and ‘castration’ in male dogs. It is a medical procedure in which routine surgery is done under anaesthesia. Expert veterinarians remove the reproductive organs of the dogs to prevent them from breeding. This surgery is important for dogs because it reduces the risk of deadly diseases like mammary cancer. It also prevents uterus infections and false pregnancies in female dogs and testicular cancer in male dogs.

The right time for dog de-sexing is still debatable. It depends upon the age and breed of the pooch. Historically, it was suggested that the right time for a dog’s de-sexing is six months. But, after taking Supertails vet consultation, our expert doctors will examine your dog and consider each and every factor before performing the procedure.

If everything goes well and the dog meets all the required health parameters then our veterinarians recommend performing the surgery when the dog crosses 9 months or after the first heat cycle in female dogs.

Everything has a flipside, and so does de-sexing your pet. Although this process is beneficial for keeping your pet healthy, there are some challenges too. So, let us understand both sides of spaying and castration.

• Reduces unwanted pregnancies.
• It stops male dogs roaming the streets searching for a female dog in heat as the females will no longer go through the reproduction cycle.
• Spaying female dogs before their first cycle is proven to decrease the risk of ovarian tumours and form of mammary illness. It also reduces the risk of infections.

• Just like spaying in females, castration in males also reduces the risk of unwanted pregnancies.
• It also reduces the aggressive impulses of males dogs, who mark their territory with urine. They roam long distances searching for female dogs in season and are sometimes injured from fighting with other dogs and road traffic accidents.
• In male dogs, de-sexing decreases the risk of testicular cancer. After this, dogs have lesser chances to suffer complications related to the prostate, including cancer, enlargement and hernias associated with testosterone.

These are some of the major benefits of de-sexing but there are some complications too that differ from dog to dog. That being said, some common problems include swelling and inflammation around the incision, pain, the pet pulling the sutures, etc. This surgery is major in female dogs in comparison to male dogs because the abdomen is opened, and the risk of haemorrhage is high.

Dogs are anaesthetised during the operation which is also risky in itself. But all these challenges can be minimalized when you have the best veterinary consultant at your disposal . This decision might be difficult for the pet parents, but it is an ethical move. It is because of the abandonment of dogs, the number of stray dogs is increasing day by day. It also hampers the quality of living; one dog can give birth to up to 10 puppies in a year, which means the number of dogs will grow exponentially if not de-sexed on time. So, ethically de-sexing is highly recommended.

 In Indian terminology, it is known as ‘spaying’ in female dogs and ‘castration’ in male dogs. It is a medical procedure in which routine surgery is done under anaesthesia. Expert veterinarians remove the reproductive organs of the dogs to prevent them from breeding. This surgery is important for dogs because it reduces the risk of deadly diseases like mammary cancer. It also prevents uterus infections and false pregnancies in female dogs and testicular cancer in male dogs.The right time for dog de-sexing is still debatable. It depends upon the age and breed of the pooch.

 Historically, it was suggested that the right time for a dog’s de-sexing is six months. But, after taking Supertails vet consultation, our expert doctors will examine your dog and consider each and every factor before performing the procedure. If everything goes well and the dog meets all the required health parameters then our veterinarians recommend performing the surgery when the dog crosses 9 months or after the first heat cycle in female dogs. Everything has a flipside, and so does de-sexing your pet. Although this process is beneficial for keeping your pet healthy, there are some challenges too. So, let us understand both sides of spaying and castration.

 Advantages of spaying Reduces unwanted pregnancies. It stops male dogs roaming the streets searching for a female dog in heat as the females will no longer go through the reproduction cycle. Spaying female dogs before their first cycle is proven to decrease the risk of ovarian tumours and form of mammary illness. It also reduces the risk of infections.

 Advantages of castration Just like spaying in females, castration in males also reduces the risk of unwanted pregnancies. It also reduces the aggressive impulses of males dogs, who mark their territory with urine. They roam long distances searching for female dogs in season and are sometimes injured from fighting with other dogs and road traffic accidents. In male dogs, de-sexing decreases the risk of testicular cancer. After this, dogs have lesser chances to suffer complications related to the prostate, including cancer, enlargement and hernias associated with testosterone.