My vet recommended that my 4 1/2 mos old shih tzu get neutered?

Question

My 4 and a half month old shih tzu has recently started marking in the house ( I think)... when I told the vet this at our appt today and she felt around, she said that we should consider neutering him early. I know they usually wait until 6 mos to do this to dogs but my vet wouldn't recommend it if it were bad for the dog right? Am I worrying for nothing?

Answer 1

At the vet clinic I work at we spay/neuter as early as 3 months (the earliest you can vaccinate an animal for Rabies in the State of Texas) but I have seen some rescue groups do it earlier.

Honestly, animals will recover faster the younger they have this done.  If you wait until he gets older he may pick up more bad habits such as aggression, running away from home (to find a girlfriend), etc etc etc.  Also, the longer a male goes without being neutered, the greater his chances of developing testicular cancer, prostate cancer... really any reproductive cancer.  Neutering him will prevent that 100%.

If you're worried about him handling the surgery, I'm sure your vet could take some time to answer your questions and concerns.  At the clinic where I work we offer a Pre-anesthetic blood screen which most clients prefer to do because it lets them know if their pet's kidney and liver function is healthy enough for surgery.  I'm sure your vet has the same type of options.

Also, pain medicine would be a good idea, as pain tends to r****d the healing process after surgery.

As for the marking?  That is a learned behavior and may not be completely "cured" by neutering although it should help his urge to dissipate.  Testosterone will take 2-3 months before it is all out of his system post-surgery, and by that time he may no longer feel the need to mark his territory.  However, the longer he practices this behavior, the more we will want to do it in the future.

Don't worry, your vet knows what's best for your puppy and his age should not be a concern in the hands of a capable vet.

Edit:

Johnny's Girl... I don't know who told you that you had to wait until a dog is a year old to get them altered but I'm sure it wasn't a veterinarian.

Answer 2

My vet prefers doing early spay on females (thats what I know, just because I don't have males, but it's probably the same) because they heal faster and don't have a chance to develop the hormones.

If you trust your vet, go ahead and get him neutered.  Nothing to worry about, just makes YOU completely normal.  :)

Answer 3

Neutering is a very safe procedure and the best thing you can do for your shih-tzu right now. They can be neutered as soon as their testicles drop ( that's probably what she was checking). Take a deep breath I know surgery scary but it's done all the time with no issues.

Answer 4

My little shih tzu was neutered at around 4 or 4 1/2 months and we had no problems at all.  They did his third and last set of shots and neutered him at the same time.  All was fine, we just had to limit his jumping and going up and down stairs for a week or so.  No worries.

Answer 5

I thought dogs weren't supposed to be neutered until they were a year old.

Answer 6

You are worrying for nothing. Dogs are regularly spayed and neutered prior to 6 months of age. They recouperate much faster and it helps to avoid those s*x related issues.. marking in the house, humping, roaming etc.

Answer 7

Listen to your vet.  You will worry til the operation is over cause you are a dog's mommy and that's your job. So, make the appt. and get it done so you can relax and quit cleaning up dog pee.  Good Luck!

Answer 8

hi,

Spaying or neutering will keep your dog from getting pregnant or impregnating another dog. Females get the spay surgery, which removes the ovaries and uterus, while a neuter surgery removes a male dog's testicles.

If you're cringing after reading this last sentence, consider this: the surgery provides many health and behavior benefits, and you won't find yourself with a bunch of puppies who need homes other than yours.

here's more info:

http://dogtime.com/spay-neuter.html

hope this helps.