Spaying or castrating your dog (also called de-sexing or neutering) is very common practice in many places, and is considered a part of responsible dog ownership by many experts, assuming that you aren’t planning on breeding your dog.

Here is a short summary of what neutering is:

Spaying (for females) and castrating (for males) are surgical procedures that make your dog unable to reproduce. Usually this means the removal of the ovaries and uterus, or testicles. There are a few other alternatives (such as vasectomies for male dogs) but these are relatively rare. These procedures are always done under general anaesthetic and require a brief recovery period afterwards, when your dog will need special care. There are some side effects to neutering, which you will find below.

Things to consider when neutering your dog:

Neutering is a big decision, and most owners will need to weigh the pros and cons before deciding. Your vet can best advise you on what’s right for your dog and your lifestyle. For example, if your dog is frequently in the company of other dogs, runs free in a dog park, goes to doggie day care, etc., it may be best to neuter in order to avoid unwanted pregnancies.

Benefits of neutering

Females: There are significant benefits to spaying female dogs, especially before their first or second heat (oestrus) cycle. Aside from eliminating the risk of surprise or unwanted pregnancies, spayed dogs have significantly lower mammary cancer rates and the complete removal of the uterus eliminates the risk of a potentially life-threatening infection called pyometra as well as uterine cancers.