To neuter or not to neuter?

[Heidi & Milton]

Hello All!

I have been holding out on neutering Milton because I find it to be extremely unnatural; however, since Milt just turned seven-months-old, we were give the daycare ultimatum, so it is neuter him now, or he cannot return.  Milton absolutely loves daycare (three days per week), but I feel like as his mom I am hurting him by allowing this surgery to happen.  Neutering Milton honestly reminds me of a human lobotomy, and I can't bear the thought.  Quite honestly, since I made the neuter appointment this morning, I have been very teary-eyed about the whole event.  If we lived out in the country, I would never think to do this, but as a city dog, it is very easy to be banned from many things, simply because you have not been snipped.  Have any of you ever dealt with similar feelings of guilt and regret?

[Marianne *OZZY & ZOEY]

I agree with Linda and most on this one.  Animals are not human but what could be worse than adult male human or dog wanting to have sex and is told NO.  I think you would have a very unhappy doggy and yes they are very annoying when playing with other dogs that do not want to be humped.  Besides we do not need all these new puppies being born.  Leave it to the breeders and maybe we would have less rescues.

[Lynda Kamrath]

Absolutely neuter.  Nothing unnatural about it.  Males sometimes take it rather personally, but it is definitely the responsible thing to do.  I know from personal experience that it is also the good neighborly thing to do.  My dogs have all been neutered but there was a female in the neighborhood who went into heat and my dogs cut up their pads trying to get to her.  They did not know they were useless.  Natural urges are very strong.  Your dog won't know the difference.  (We DO live in the country, but it doesn't make a difference.)  I'm impressed with your daycare that they will not allow an intact dog to mix with the other dogs.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Heidi, will be sending good thoughts your way- for you and Milt-- on Monday.

[Becka]

I think that pretty much everything that can be said about neutering has been mentioned already, but I just wanted to add--and this is not directed at Heidi, but just as a reminder for general awareness--that I have met two puppies in the last two days that were clearly the result of unplanned litters. One had been thrown in a garbage can (!) and one abandoned elsewhere at the age of 4 or 5 weeks. Luckily they both ended up with caring foster families.

I'll be thinking good thoughts for your procedure on Monday, Milt!

[Marnie, Stanlee's Mom]

Stanlee and I are thinking of you Milt! ♥

 

 

 

 

And for the record, both of my neutered dogs still hump.

 

[Heidi & Milton]

Thank you for all the good thoughts, everyone!  If you read my blog, www.goldilocksandherdoodle.com, you probably read that the operation, unfortunately, did not occur on Monday because Milton was diagnosed with cryptorchid where one of his testicles has not fully dropped.  The vet at the SPCA could not even feel it, so it is stuck somewhere in his abdomen or the canal leading from his abdomen to his scrotum.  This is a serious condition because it requires not only the normal neutering but another incision in his stomach to search for the wayward testicle.  The vet we saw did not want to attempt it but wanted to wait another month or two to see if it would drop.  Almost all testicles drop by 8-weeks, so it is highly unlikely that anything will change.

Jeff took Milt to another SPCA branch, that will perform this type of surgery, but he was rejected this morning because he was put to sleep yesterday (we were unaware!), and he needs to wait at least another week before trying again. 

The entire process has been extremely frustrating and emotional because Milt sat at the SPCA all day on Monday, starting at 7:30A.M., and we were informed by voicemail at noon, that they would not operate.  The SPCA has only one phoneline, so you call and are forced to wait on hold for about 15 minutes which seems a little outrageous, especially for the vet clinic line.  He came home reeking of urine, and we found a giant tick burrowed into his head last night that we needed to remove with tweezers and cleanse with Peroxide.  The non-informing us about the anesthesia was the icing on the cake!

Have any of you experienced this condition before with your pups?  Our routine vet is quoting us at $500 - $600 which is so pricey, but the SPCA experience was just awful.  We could go back and save a few hundred, but I really am just put off with how they handled the entire situation.  Thoughts on what to do?

We did contact our breeder, and she is paying the additional price for the surgery, since it is hereditary.

Thank you in advance for any advice any of you can offer!

[Donna K & Quincy]

Heidi, I would want my doodle in the hands of someone I knew and trusted and not just one in an assembly line. The price you are quoted doesn't seem excessive given that this is not just a routine neuter situation. The undecended testicle has to be found, leaving it is not an option. Good luck, poor Milt, I hope everything goes smoothly from here on.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I typed a long reply, that somehow got lost.

I agree with Donna. The price is very reasonable for abdominal surgery, and I would want my own vet who knows me and my dogand has a personal interest in the outcome for something like this. Just the tick and the urine would be enough to put me off, let alone the rest of it.

Good luck whatever you decide, hope all goes well.

[F, Calla & Luca]

icompletely agree. But the original vet Pparently did not find this condition, which also concerned me. Sometimes, especially for something like this, price cannot be the determinant.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I thought of that, too. :-(

I'd still rather have a private vet do it, though.

 

[Jen and Annie]

The SPCA put him under BEFORE they realized he had an undescended testicle?  I'm a layman and I can see that he only has one dangler!  I would suggest taking him to a veterinarian.  Even if not your current vet..

[Julie and Charlie]

Going forward, I would go in and have your own vet examine him ahead of time, hopefully to prevent the communication problems from occurring again. It will probably cost you money for the exam, but it will probably mean one less heartache and/or surprise later. Also, most vets require pre-surgical blood work, etc.

As for the past, I would think it's standard practice for a veterinarian to at least examine a dog before administering anesthesia! I would register a complaint with the SPCA.