Will spaying or neutering my dog prevent future illnesses?

Let's talk about cancer. Testicular cancer in a male dog can't happen if he doesn't have testicles. Ovarian cancer in a female dog can't happen if you don't have ovaries. So those kinds of things are true. So the most common thing, and the most realistic thing that we do see is pyometra. Pyometra is the medical term for an infection of the uterus itself. And oftentimes it is a very large, distended pus-filled uterus that can become life threatening, especially if it's a closed pyometra. Closed means the cervix is closed, so the infection doesn't drain out. It just stays in the dog and they become very ill very quickly. That is serious. And it's not all that uncommon. After a female dog comes into heat, the cervix tends to relax or open, and it's much easier for bacteria to get in there and kind of wreak havoc. Spaying or neutering, can it fix that? Yes, because when we spay them, I'm sorry, it is an ovariohysterectomy, meaning we take the ovaries and the uterus. Everything from the cervix beyond is no longer there. So those dogs are now incapable of really developing a uterine pyometra beyond that point. Long answer to a good question, but hopefully that clears up a few things for you guys.

It can. Things like cancers, pyometras (infected uteruses) and prostate issues in males can be affected by the age at which you spay or neuter your dog. Ultimately, some of those can be fatal.

It can. In our male dogs, testicular cancer tends to be one of the bigger things, as well as issues associated with the prostate, because that can be hormonally influenced. Those tend to be the bigger issues. In our females, we can see some cancers at a higher risk. Particularly the ovaries, the uterus, or breast cancer. We also see uterine infections, which can be life-threatening in our females, especially older females. So those would be the bigger things that we would run into with them being intact. If we take out the uterus, there can't be an infection, but if you take away the hormones as well, you can reduce the risk for things like breast cancer or prostate issues.

Yes, spaying or neutering can help prevent or reduce the risk of illnesses like infections in the uterus, cancer of the mammary glands, and diseases related to the testicles and prostate.

Yes, as we mentioned, it can definitely prevent a lot of scary illnesses that are really all preventable by spaying or neutering your dog.

Yes, spaying or neutering can prevent future illnesses. Dogs that are not spayed or neutered are at a higher risk for developing different reproductive system cancers and infections in the uterus. So, there are definite health benefits to getting your dog spayed or neutered.