Fixing vs. Not Fixing your dogs

[MysteryChicken]

I would just advise everyone to be sure that they're reading articles that are peer reviewed and published in scientific journals. Don't trust blogs, .coms, or any non scientific source - they have no scrutiny to be sure that they've done their research or are basing their claims off of methodologically sound studies.

I would suggest searching all things like this with "https://scholar.google.com/" INSTEAD of "google.com". Many peer reviewed papers are available without a paywall or university affiliation.

Do your research, but use the best tools available.
--a scientist

Yep, always good to look for reliable sources. Also thanks for the tip about Google.

 

[nchls school]

My dogs are not neutered, but I am retired and home with them so unwanted pregnancies have not happened. However, we now have a five pound cross female who had much larger parents, therefore she has the genetics for larger puppies no matter what she is bred with. Since a pregnancy is liable to kill her or have to be cesarean, we have decided to have her spayed for her own safety.

In short, I am not opposed or in favor of neutering; it's a personal choice.

 

[RosemaryDuck]

We should've gotten our dog's neutered. But one obstacle is the vet bill, & my dad's work schedule.

One thing for sure is intact Male dogs pee more, & we deal with constant peeing in the house. Hard to keep up. They were house broken, but then our irresponsible big brother decided it would be a good idea to leave the house for along time, while we were gone caring for the birds.
The dogs took a reverse course, & left us constantly cleaning up pee.

Also, my dad's dog is a crypt-orchid, developed abit of a perineal hernia(Not Severe), & has a type of tumor growing under his skin in certain areas.

Everything that I've learned said unfixed animals are more susceptible to cancer.


About the vet bill being an obstacle. Sister's kitten got fixed at a place that does low cost spay, & neuter. The spay was $35, plus tax, Anesthesia, IV, ect they charged us for everything else. My sister spent over $500 for a low cost spay.

Wanted to mention, a lot of areas have low cost spay & neuter clinics specifically for cats due to overpopulation. A lot of shelters/rescues also do TNR and will do spay & neuters low cost as well.

 

[HKG]

Kiki is a little over 1 year old, closer to 2. She is an intact female. We have an intact male too. Kiki is going to get spayed really soon, but has gone through a few cycles already.

I think the most part is to keep them separate. I don't do anything TOO extra. Same feed, definitely less walking though. Honestly, its what has worked. I watch her 24/7, pretty much. Obviously, if you don't want a pregnant dog, don't let her roam outside freely. This can attract other males and all kinds of other stuff.

Oh yeah, that's an issue for sure. BUT, they actually do clean themselves some.

Ya the one who is in heat has the other following behind her cleaning up. Eww

 

[MysteryChicken]

Wanted to mention, a lot of areas have low cost spay & neuter clinics specifically for cats due to overpopulation. A lot of shelters/rescues also do TNR and will do spay & neuters low cost as well.

Well, the place we went to was Tawas Animal Hospital. They're supposed to be low cost spay, & neuter for cats, & dogs.

Our shelter doesn't do spays, or neutering. They have us adopt the animal, & make us do it. Spent an arm, & a leg for my cat. They promised to give back $50 if the cat got fixed, but they never gave me the $50 back, & "lost" the paperwork copy.

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

Winnipeg is really pro spay and neuter and by law our animals have to be spayed by 6 months old. Otherwise you have to get a breeder's license, if i understand it right.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

We should've gotten our dog's neutered. But one obstacle is the vet bill, & my dad's work schedule.

One thing for sure is intact Male dogs pee more, & we deal with constant peeing in the house. Hard to keep up. They were house broken, but then our irresponsible big brother decided it would be a good idea to leave the house for along time, while we were gone caring for the birds.
The dogs took a reverse course, & left us constantly cleaning up pee.

Also, my dad's dog is a crypt-orchid, developed abit of a perineal hernia(Not Severe), & has a type of tumor growing under his skin in certain areas.

Everything that I've learned said unfixed animals are more susceptible to cancer.


About the vet bill being an obstacle. Sister's kitten got fixed at a place that does low cost spay, & neuter. The spay was $35, plus tax, Anesthesia, IV, ect they charged us for everything else. My sister spent over $500 for a low cost spay.

Wow that sucks. As someone who works in rescue these places make me so mad! If you have to get another animal fixed look for lost cost certificates you can get from the local pound or humane society. They will have a list of vets in your area that take them and those vets are required to fix your animal for the rate they said because they have a deal with the Humane Society.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Another thing about our shelter/pound, is it's supposed to be no kill. One year they got over run by cats, & kittens, instead of doing a free adoption event, they put the cats, & kittens down.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Wow that sucks. As someone who works in rescue these places make me so mad! If you have to get another animal fixed look for lost cost certificates you can get from the local pound or humane society. They will have a list of vets in your area that take them and those vets are required to fix your animal for the rate they said because they have a deal with the Humane Society.

I'll have to look into it.

 

[sdm111]

As it relates to pyometra I brought my dog for what I thought would be a routine cold or something she was always a happy dog she was perfect but she started going to the bathroom more and not much coming out then she started whining she never ever whined. I brought her to the vet and they brought her to the back and in 15 min I had the choice of an immediate 4000.00 surgery or certain death. They said she had closed pyometra and it was only a matter of time (anytime) the uterus could bust and let all the infected juice to infect her organs and it would be certain death. She got the surgery I couldn't handle losing my dog.
That's my first introduction to the disease i didn't know existed. They say they get it cause after each heat cycle when they don't get pregnant it creates layer of something in the uterus and year after year of this the layers get infected between them.
I researched it and it was true that it's a life or death situation
She was 8 when she got it. She only gave
birth once during her second heat