The idea of spaying and neutering your dog is surrounded by rumors and many misconceptions. We’ll cover some general reasons why spaying and neutering your dog is important to the long-term health of your farm dog. You may find spaying and neutering laws in a rural setting are more relaxed than in a city or suburban environment.
Many areas are making it mandatory that your pet is spayed or neutered, and are getting stricter on breeding laws. There is a huge stray, and abandoned pet problem in the U.S. By spaying and neutering your pets, you can do your part ensuring there are no accidental litters or unplanned pregnancies on your farm.
Importance Of Spaying Female Dogs
Female dogs are susceptible to ovarian cancers and uterine diseases that can be prevented by spaying them early in life. It is a long time misconception that a female puppy should be allowed to have one heat before spaying her. This serves no real purpose and Veterinarians suggest that early spaying leads to a healthier female dog in the long run. Spaying does not make your dog prone to obesity. Lack of exercise and an unhealthy diet result in fat lazy dogs
When a female dog goes into heat, they give off a scent that alerts male dogs she is ready for breeding. This scent can be smelled by male canines from up to 3 miles away.
Female dogs don’t normally roam to breed, but male dogs that smell your female’s scent will wander onto your property to get a chance to breed with her. In a rural community, you could have several male dogs prospecting your female that’s in heat.
Male dogs are known for aggressively going after the female’s scent. Often times breaking through screen doors to escape for a chase or running for miles to locate the source. Since female dogs come into season for 2-3 weeks at a time suitors would become a fast problem. Females may also howl and call out to potential mates drawing them to her location. This can put your other farm animals at risk as well.
Spaying a female dog is a simple procedure done by a licensed Veterinarian. It removes the ovaries and uterus of the female dog and prevents them from being able to reproduce.
It stops the heat cycle from occurring, thus ending roaming males visiting your farm looking for your intact female. Females do not have to have a litter prior to being spayed. It’s healthier to never breed her, or let her go into her first heat. It lessens the likelihood of acquiring cancers related to the sexual organs.
Spaying in some communities is more expensive than in others. In city areas, you’ll find more advanced technology at work in your Vet’s office. Laser surgery is available as an option when spaying your female. It’s usually the same day surgery. Your dog will be brought into surgery in the morning and if all goes well should return home for recovery in the evening.
Consult with your Veterinarian to determine the best time to spay your female dog and get her on the road to a long healthy life.
Importance Of Neutering Male Dogs
Male dogs can be fixed, neutered, or neutered to prevent them from reproducing and aide in long term health. When a male dog catches a whiff of a female in the heat, it loses all its senses until the sexual urge is fulfilled. This can make your dog show inappropriate behaviors as he tries to fill the need.
This can be escaping his pen, humping strangers or inanimate objects, digging under your fence, roaming for days, or not returning to the homestead at all. Unaltered male dogs are frequently more aggressive and domineering. Neutering a male dog will not make it lazy or effect it’s ability to do farm work.
Neutering your male dog allows him to keep his focus on protecting your family and livestock rather than chasing tail. If you want your male dog alert, mindful, and tending to your livestock, neutering him is the best way to remove this natural distraction. Healthwise, your male dog is less likely to get testicular cancer if it is neutered as a puppy.
Unless you are a licensed and experienced breeder there is no reason to not neuter your male dog, or hold out for potentially breeding him. If you purchased or adopted your farm dog to assist you as a working dog then that is what your dog should be used for.
Being responsible for your pet’s health and not becoming part of the stray problem is an important part of owning dogs or other farm animals. When reproduction isn’t the mainstay of your farm spaying and neutering can be the healthiest thing you can do for your male or female dog.
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