The Benefits of Sterilising: Part 1
A lot of people ask us whether they should sterilise their
dogs. For female dogs, the answer is a clear yes. For males, the answer is not
always so straight forward. This week I will discuss the benefits of
sterilising females, and next week will discuss sterilising males.
The first benefit of desexing is the obvious one. No
unwanted pregnancies. As anyone who works with a rescue organisation such as
SAFE or SWAR will tell you, there is already more puppies out there than good
homes. If more people sterilised their bitches early, this problem would be
reduced.
The second reason is to reduce the risk of mammary tumours
(breast cancer). If you sterilise a bitch before her first season, she has
almost no risk of ever developing mammary tumours. After the first season her
risk is 1:200, which is still pretty low. By the time she has had three
seasons, the risk is 22%. This risk is then life-long, regardless of whether
you then sterilise her or not.
The third reason is the risk of a uterine infection called a
pyometra. Dogs have evolved to have puppies almost every time they come into
season. If they have several seasons without becoming pregnant the lining of
the uterus can get thicker, which can lead to an infection. This is potentially
life threatening and requires urgent treatment.
Some people ask if they should let the bitch have one litter
for their temperament. Studies have shown no benefit in doing this, and I have
seen a case where a good tempered bitch bit a child when she was trying to
protect her puppies. There are no health benefits to letting them have a
litter.
The risks associated with sterilising are increased risk of
obesity, and a small risk of urinary incontinence. Obesity can occur because
the bitches metabolic rate drops after sterilising, but this is easily managed
by reducing the amount fed or by using specially designed foods to prevent
weight gain. The urinary incontinence is normally mild and responds well to
medication, so although inconvenient it is generally easy to manage.
Recent studies have shown that sterilised bitches have a
significantly longer life expectancy than entire bitches, so it is definitely
recommended.
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