Venting Time

[LisaCC]

Don't let anyone make you feel bad. I get shit all the time for having an intact dog. Apparently dogs with balls "always escape eventually", and we can't ever be truly responsible with an intact dog...

You kept him intact, your choice, you've desexed him now, your choice. Tell everyone else to shove it.

[Loving my Oldies]

and they're all telling me I've done the right thing. So were they all judging me before, for doing the wrong thing, for having an entire dog. I only did this for my convenience, what right do they have to judge.

..and why would it be a judgement ?

if you rescued a lizard off a highway, or decided to chain yourself to a tree - and we said "well Done , you are doing the right thing!" Would that be a judgement ? No ....

I also think you have done a good thing - it saves all sorts of hassles :)

I feel a bit the same. Why is it a judgement of what you hadn't done before if they are agreeing with you now.

Maybe they have never even given it a thought before. If they are your friends, they probably knew you were waiting for the right time, because your breeder might have wanted to use him.

Getting heated over nothing, I think. Big hugs. Have a

[*kirty*]

I don't mention my entire dog to my rescue friends. :D Not worth the hassle. I own pedigree cats and rescue cats, pedigree dogs and rescue dogs. I am heavily involved in rescue, but will be having a litter (through her breeder) with my pedigree dog.

[raineth]

Do people realise that at least some dogs have to have balls, or there'll be no more dogs left?

[Dame Aussie]

I get to feel like a lepor sometimes, because I chose to get pedigree dogs & not rescue

Don't worry, I'm a vet with two purebred cats (as well as two rescues) and a purebred dog - you should hear the flak I cop sometimes :laugh:

Jokes aside, there's more than enough scientific (health-related) evidence to seriously question the practice of routine desexing, especially in large breed dogs. Of course I'm against backyard breeding and accidental pregnancies, however I'm also against mindless desexing. I think every case needs careful consideration of the possible benefits and risks.

So nice to hear this coming from a vet!

[sandgrubber]

Facebook is full of gossipy nuance. If you take things personally, it will provide you with lots of things to find disturbing.

Personally, I got so pissed off by being wished Happy Birthday that I stopped looking for FB friends. (I don't like the heat and stay out of the kitchen).

As Brightstar says, the veterinary evidence is mixed for spay/neuter. For a review that treats the different diseases supposedly affected by desexing, see:

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2013/04/benefits-and-risks-of-neutering-an-evidence-based-approach/

For most claimed risks or benefits, the results of multiple studies have been inconsistent. Findings vary with breed, with study design, and probably other factors.

Edited January 16, 2015 by sandgrubber

[OSoSwift]

I get to feel like a lepor sometimes, because I chose to get pedigree dogs & not rescue

Don't worry, I'm a vet with two purebred cats (as well as two rescues) and a purebred dog - you should hear the flak I cop sometimes :laugh:

Jokes aside, there's more than enough scientific (health-related) evidence to seriously question the practice of routine desexing, especially in large breed dogs. Of course I'm against backyard breeding and accidental pregnancies, however I'm also against mindless desexing. I think every case needs careful consideration of the possible benefits and risks.

So nice to hear this coming from a vet!

Can we have more vets like you please :)

[Steve]

The thing is though not everyone who chooses to not desex their dog is responsible, MOST who do not desex do not care if their dog falls pregnant, that is where most of our problems lie - with the irresponsible ones. If someone tells me they are not desexing their dog, and I don't know them, I will also spout all the reasons to desex....

True not everyone who chooses not to desex their dog is responsible but in my experience MOST are and they do care if their dog falls pregnant .

To the OP. Some people think they have found the answer to preventing unwanted pets being surrendered or dumped and they focus on that - cant listen to or discuss things they may have missed when they were determining the answers or learn. Not much different to anyone who has a belief and become fanatical about what they decide is the answers. Pick a group - any group and if you dare to have a difference of opinion or do things the way they have determined is the wrong way it leaves you open to a flogging .Purebred breeders are capable of judging and having a fair go at making the world see things their way or no way and kicking the hell out of anyone who dares to say or do something they dont agree with too. If you make your decisions based on what you believe is best for your dogs - you are judged by the person you see in the mirror and that's really the only one that counts.

[Christina]

The thing is though not everyone who chooses to not desex their dog is responsible, MOST who do not desex do not care if their dog falls pregnant, that is where most of our problems lie - with the irresponsible ones.

They may not have been judging you at all & it is good that they think desexing is a good thing, worse if they thought everything should be able to breed.

Re above the thing is most people here seem responsible owners but many people are not & some don't even realise how & when their dog can become pregnant or why their male escapes when local bitches are in season.

The judgements may be a standard general response & you are taking it personally. No need to have a go at anyone or respond, ignore it, if you can. Not important.

[persephone]

The judgements may be a standard general response & you are taking it personally. No need to have a go at anyone or respond, ignore it, if you can. Not important.

yes.

[denali]

I get to feel like a lepor sometimes, because I chose to get pedigree dogs & not rescue

Don't worry, I'm a vet with two purebred cats (as well as two rescues) and a purebred dog - you should hear the flak I cop sometimes :laugh:

Jokes aside, there's more than enough scientific (health-related) evidence to seriously question the practice of routine desexing, especially in large breed dogs. Of course I'm against backyard breeding and accidental pregnancies, however I'm also against mindless desexing. I think every case needs careful consideration of the possible benefits and risks.

So nice to hear this coming from a vet!

Can we have more vets like you please :)

Well in 8 years you'll have me

Just have to get through 8 years of uni!

[Kajirin]

Your dog your decision I say. I agree with just ignoring what people say, you know your dog better than anyone else.

Was talking to my vet yesterday about getting the puppa snipped in March [when he's around a year old]. They've always respected my decision to wait until he's matured somewhat before getting him snipped and haven't pushed to have him done earlier.

[brightstar123]

Thanks for the nice comments :)

I think one of the problems, from a vet's perspective, is that you often have only 15 minutes to try and work out if the owner is responsible, ethical, careful etc. It can be very hard to know whether to push for early desexing in some cases. Needless to say, some owners talk the talk but don't walk the walk!

Unfortunately too, it's often the larger breeds so beloved of BYBers like rotties, GSDs etc that would most benefit from later/no desexing, so it can be pretty challenging sometimes ...

Good luck with the study, Denali :)

[Bjelkier]

Can't say anyone has ever said anything about my dogs being desexed or not. That being said if someone did say something I'd tell them to pull their head in and removed them from my friend list.

It's no one elses business but my own what I choose to do with my dogs.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

The judgements may be a standard general response & you are taking it personally. No need to have a go at anyone or respond, ignore it, if you can. Not important.

yes.

And you are not judging rescuers by calling them "do gooders"? As a rescuer, I personally find that term to be judgemental and offensive.

I think you need to get a grip. Why do people want to post their every move on Facebook these days? Why be friends on Facebook with rescuers if you find their views to be so opposite to your own and offensive? They were being supportive - if you don't want their comments, defriend them.

As for purebred dogs and breeders, not only do I rescue purebred dogs but I regularly tell people to buy from registered breeders and take the time to explain the difference between all the options available and that includes the rescue option. I will do all I can to stop people buying on line or in petshops - sometimes I fail so then my next option is to educate them on how to look after their oodle doodle and get it desexed at an appropriate time.

You may or may not be surprised how many people out there breed from their dogs, any dogs, deliberately or accidentally.

[VizslaMomma]

Can we have more vets like you please :)

It's wonderful to get such great input and from all the Vets here.

Train them from an early age is my motto. LOL.

It's like Doctors. Doctors are not Dog.

I am so lucky that I have been able to have all the various animal members of our family treated by Vets who are caring & compassionate.

Desxing is not an issue. I explain that they ( the humans) can get sterlised first. Then we can consider doing the same to the dogs.

Manages to end discussion.

My dog, my choice, my business is what I say.

Funnily enough, in all the years of having dogs & bitches, it was only two bitches which were wanton hussies.

The boys never gave trouble.

:D

[dogz101]

So frustrated at the moment. I desexed my 3 year old boy yesterday. Last night I put pictures up on my FB wall of him sulking (really only because he has to wear the cone of shame). I am a registered (with the ccc) breeder, but I haven't used my prefix because I haven't had the right one to breed from or the timing has been really bad. My boy, before I desexed him, I checked with my breeder, to check she didn't want him first. So I was 100% happy with my decision. I have an entire bitch and I didn't want them getting together.

So on FB, I didn't realize how many do-gooder, rescue friend I had, until I put these pictures up and they're all telling me I've done the right thing. So were they all judging me before, for doing the wrong thing, for having an entire dog. I only did this for my convenience, what right do they have to judge.

Vent over.

Its your decision to desex or not. Don't let others try and make you responsible for the 'problems' of the world.

[Little Gifts]

I'm only ever concerned about people who have undesexed dogs who are careless and clueless. Gee, I can't believe my in season bitch got out of the yard! And oh my dog I can't believe my dog is pregnant - she only got out of the yard once! I'm sure she'll have such beautiful puppies and it's good to have at least one litter, right? But I would only ever comment if behavioural concerns were raised by the owner. I'd share some realities I knew they mightn't like the sound of to get them thinking. The decision is still theirs.

My sister only got her dog desexed last month at 11.5 because she'd developed pyometra. She always had irrational fears of her dog having surgery but to go with that her dog was always securely maintained during her seasons so there was never a risk of pregnancy. She made a choice and she managed it until it compromised the ongoing health of her dog. You can't expect a responsible owner to do much more than that.

[VizslaMomma]

I'm only ever concerned about people who have undesexed dogs who are careless and clueless. Gee, I can't believe my in season bitch got out of the yard! And oh my dog I can't believe my dog is pregnant - she only got out of the yard once! I'm sure she'll have such beautiful puppies and it's good to have at least one litter, right? But I would only ever comment if behavioural concerns were raised by the owner. I'd share some realities I knew they mightn't like the sound of to get them thinking. The decision is still theirs.

You forgot they are litter brother and sister so they could not mate, could they?

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

It's hard - facebook

One of my friends - I've known for ever...

she's fat, her hubby is fat and her border collie is like a keg.

And now she's adopted another border collie puppy. ARRGGGHHH...

So I see animal cruelty every time she posts pictures of her dogs. It horrifies me. She knows her dog is fat, and she doesn't do anything about it. She and her hubby are both too crippled to walk the dogs and they don't teach them tricks either...

But the best I can do is share an article about obesity in dogs and hope she sees it.

Got another friend who doesn't like it when I share anything pro vaccinations because she's certain that vaccinations are why her grand kids are autistic. Really? Have you looked at your hubby recently - it does run in families.

The desex thing - I didn't get a choice - I got my dog from AWL - she was done at 8 weeks. I probably would have gotten her done at about 6 months, not knowing any different at the time, but if I got a dog now and a choice - I'd wait till it was 18 months.

Really batshit (to me) is the couple who have been bringing their staffy x to the beach - on heat with an undesexed male - they want to breed those dogs together "when they're older" but I'd be willing to bet she's already pregnant or will be as soon as she's willing. the bloke thinks he's watching his dog but he didn't see me and my friend catch it for a better look.