Dog Castration
What is Castration?
Castration (or neutering) is the term applied to the procedure of removing the male sex glands – the testes.
The operation is performed under general anaesthesia. The testes are removed through a single small incision just in front of the scrotum, which is then sutured closed with a few small stitches.
Recovery is typically rapid, and the dog returns home the same day. There may be some swelling in the scrotum for a few days after the surgery.
Under normal circumstances most dogs can be castrated any time after the age of four months.
Why should I castrate my dog?
Castration leads to several desirable changes in the male dog. Roaming in search of females, pack formation with other dogs, urine 'marking' of numerous objects, some types of aggressive behaviour and undesirable sexual behaviour are all traits that are either removed or very much improved. The dog retains his normal territorial guarding behaviour, but overall he becomes a better family pet with fewer problems.
Castration also prevents 'old dog' disorders such as cancers of the testes or prostate, and some hernias.
A neutered dog will not be able to sire any puppies – this helps keep down the population of unwanted dogs. There are too many of these already in New Zealand.
Auckland Council charges less for registration when a dog has been castrated.
What to do Before Surgery
Your dog should not be offered any food after 8:00pm the night before. Any food after this time will increase the danger of vomiting during anaesthesia. Water bowls should be removed the morning of surgery.
Bring your dog into the clinic between 7:30am and 9:00am on the surgery day. If this doesn't suit, with prior arrangement your pet may be presented the night before.
After-Care
We will give you a call when your boy is awake, and he can be collected between 2.30pm and 6.30pm that afternoon. He will be a bit drowsy after his anaesthetic and may not want to eat much that night. Offer him about half his normal dinner in case his stomach is a bit queasy. Like humans, individual animals react differently to anaesthetics.
While the anaesthetic medications include pain relief, this wears off after a few hours. We prefer to give an additional injection of anti-inflammatory pain relief after surgery. This lasts 24 hours and will get most dogs through the discomfort of the surgery.
We will phone you the next day to see how your pet is doing. If you are at all concerned, a post-surgical check-up is complimentary. For those few animals who experience pain after the anti-inflammatory has worn off we are happy to provide tablets to make them comfortable. (There is a fee for additional medications.)
We will need to see your dog ten to 14 days after surgery to remove his stitches (at no further charge).