Desexing

[kelpiekaye]

Ive been reading the other thread on age to desex and wondered how common it was to desex puppies before they go to their new homes. The reason I ask is my parents paid $800 for a male Bichon Frise about 15 years ago,[probably longer than that]. He came with papers etc. We were at the park one day with the pup and I rolled him over and noticed he had been desexed. When I said to Dad that he was I could of bowled him over with a feather, he had no idea. The breeder had not told him that he would be desexed. When Dad contacted the Breeder about it, who was also a member of Dads church, He got no joy. She didnt want to talk about it.

Is this normal practice?

The dog, Alfie was never a normal dog, it was almost as if he was brain damaged all his life, but he lived to a ripe old age. Could having anesthetic have had a effect on his brain?

This is something Ive wondered about for years...

[SBT101]

I know that it gets done in America but didn't know it could get done here. Woul never desex a dog until 6 months at least.

[~Anne~]

Rescues, in Australia, routinely desex puppies and kittens from the age of 6 weeks - 12 weeks. Vets are mostly fine with this.

[tdierikx]

Isn't the norm for rescue pups to be done around 8 to 10 weeks and over 1kg? Some will go on desexing contracts - but I'm not a fan of those...

Being a foster carer of pups of all sizes, our norm is the above - providing the pup is physically ready for the op - need to be healthy and robust, and in the case of our males, descended.

Personally, I have seen no major mental issues with dogs that were desexed young, and the op was performed by someone with experience in desexing young pups.

If the pup had a reaction to the pre-med drugs or anaesthetic, then there could be some issues down the track I suppose...

T.

[poodlefan]

Ive been reading the other thread on age to desex and wondered how common it was to desex puppies before they go to their new homes. The reason I ask is my parents paid $800 for a male Bichon Frise about 15 years ago,[probably longer than that]. He came with papers etc. We were at the park one day with the pup and I rolled him over and noticed he had been desexed.

Was he desexed or did he have two undescended testicles?

[Aussienot]

As tdierkx said, if the vet is experienced in early age desexing, and if the patient is over 1 kilo in weight, there is no greater risk of a negative reaction than with an older dog. How young did they get the puppy? Are you sure it was under 8 weeks when the op was performed? Early age desexing is relatively recent practice. I am surprised that someone was performing it 15 years ago.

[MolassesLass]

I desex all pet home pups at around 7 weeks and I know a few other BC breeders who do.

It's not suitable for all breeds nor all purposes though (i.e. performance dogs).

[Cosmolo]

What happened to the stitches- don't know if they would have been disolvable 15 years ago? Undescended testicles may have been the case.

[blacklabrador]

What happened to the stitches- don't know if they would have been disolvable 15 years ago? Undescended testicles may have been the case.

Disolvable suture are not new. They've been around for a long time, although in better materials than they used to be. Cat gut has been used for a long time.

[megan_]

It might be standard for some breeders to desex the puppies, but it isn't standard not to tell the owner!

[oakway]

The puppy may have had 2 testicles when sold.

They may have been on short cords and did not decend and went back into the body,

As to being not normal he could have been born that way.

Edited May 27, 2010 by oakway

[Sandra777]

The puppy may have had 2 testicles when sold.

They may have been on short cords and did not decend and went back into the body,

As to being not normal he could have been born that way.

Or he may never have had two testicles at all

I know someone who was importing a puppy from the UK. The breeder didn't know the pup only had one descended testicle until the vet pointed it out to him (this was prior to the days of needing a certificate for such things). The breeder then offered her the other dog in the litter..................and she took the offer. Some people deserve each other.

[Wazzat Xolo]

Ive been reading the other thread on age to desex and wondered how common it was to desex puppies before they go to their new homes. The reason I ask is my parents paid $800 for a male Bichon Frise about 15 years ago,[probably longer than that]. He came with papers etc. We were at the park one day with the pup and I rolled him over and noticed he had been desexed. When I said to Dad that he was I could of bowled him over with a feather, he had no idea. The breeder had not told him that he would be desexed. When Dad contacted the Breeder about it, who was also a member of Dads church, He got no joy. She didnt want to talk about it.

Is this normal practice?

The dog, Alfie was never a normal dog, it was almost as if he was brain damaged all his life, but he lived to a ripe old age. Could having anesthetic have had a effect on his brain?

This is something Ive wondered about for years...

The breed I have ic commonly desexed at 8 - 14 weeks in the USA and I shall be doing the same, been done in the USA for many years.

You will always get the against and the fors, really its the breeders own choice as what they want to do with their dogs, before they see or rehome them.

[kelpiekaye]

Ive been reading the other thread on age to desex and wondered how common it was to desex puppies before they go to their new homes. The reason I ask is my parents paid $800 for a male Bichon Frise about 15 years ago,[probably longer than that]. He came with papers etc. We were at the park one day with the pup and I rolled him over and noticed he had been desexed.

Was he desexed or did he have two undescended testicles?

He was definiatly desexed.

[kelpiekaye]

As tdierkx said, if the vet is experienced in early age desexing, and if the patient is over 1 kilo in weight, there is no greater risk of a negative reaction than with an older dog. How young did they get the puppy? Are you sure it was under 8 weeks when the op was performed? Early age desexing is relatively recent practice. I am surprised that someone was performing it 15 years ago.

He was 8 weeks when they got him. This was in NZ. At the time the breeder said it was normal practice. BF were very popular at the time. Perhabs they were trying to keep the breed a bit exclusive.

[kelpiekaye]

The puppy may have had 2 testicles when sold.

They may have been on short cords and did not decend and went back into the body,

As to being not normal he could have been born that way.

The breeder admitted to desexing when asked, she did not tell Mum and Dad until she was asked the question.

[Blue Fox 001]

Our standard poodle was neutered at 8 weeks and at almost 2 years of age he is not showing any adverse signs - normal, happy, healthy dog

He very rarely lifts his leg and does not mark at all I wouldn't have thought it a common thing 15 years ago, and perhaps the anaesthetic then were not as reliable as today.

If/when we get another one I would ask the breeder to have him neutured at 8 weeks, if they didn't already and if they had a vet who was experienced in early age desexing.

I researched the pros and cons before we got our little man and to be honest it seems like the more you read the more you find both for and against.

In the end I was happy to trust the breeder to do the right thing by her pups.

[dancinbcs]

I was working in a shelter that was desexing puppies and kitttens at 8 weeks about 15 years ago. They desexed about 20 animals, one day per week and never had any problems except that any of the animals I saw fully grown all looked rather weedy, no matter what breed they were.

At the time though here in Australia it was not at all common for vets to offer the service to individual breeders. In fact most were totaly against the practice.

In a rescue situation I can see the need for it but for pure breds were the breeder gets to be much more choosy about where the puppy goes then I prefer them done much later. In breeds that are popular with DD breeders though I can understand breeders being over cautious. Personally I have never sold a pet puppy where the owner didn't have them desexed at about 6 months. Getting any pet owner to leave a male dog entire in case it is needed for breeding later is just about impossible. Everyone I have dealt with has just wanted to get them desexed asap.

[kelpiekaye]

I was working in a shelter that was desexing puppies and kitttens at 8 weeks about 15 years ago. They desexed about 20 animals, one day per week and never had any problems except that any of the animals I saw fully grown all looked rather weedy, no matter what breed they were.

At the time though here in Australia it was not at all common for vets to offer the service to individual breeders. In fact most were totaly against the practice.

In a rescue situation I can see the need for it but for pure breds were the breeder gets to be much more choosy about where the puppy goes then I prefer them done much later. In breeds that are popular with DD breeders though I can understand breeders being over cautious. Personally I have never sold a pet puppy where the owner didn't have them desexed at about 6 months. Getting any pet owner to leave a male dog entire in case it is needed for breeding later is just about impossible. Everyone I have dealt with has just wanted to get them desexed asap.

Yes Alfie the dog in question was very"weedy". Small head and never looked like a true BF. I think if my parents had known he was to be desexed before they got him they wouldnt of got him. They would off desexed him in time but were never given the choice.

[nickojoy]

A small pup you wouldn't even notice the mark, it would be smaller than 1cm and majority of vets i used generally glued the hole up.

The vets would only desex a male dog if both testies are able to be felt/seen. I personally wouldn't let a puppy be desexed if you couldn't feel both, you want the Op to be quick, if the vets dig its a longer Op and more dangerous.

A smaller breed would be required to wait until they were 10-12 weeks so they were stronger.