Neutering Nerves

[ABCDogs]

Colt (3y10m) is going in to be neutered and have a gastropexy done on Tuesday. I felt it was time to do the pexy and we decided to just do the neuter too while he's out.

My nerves don't come from the surgery... his bloodwork is excellent and his echo and Holter were normal this summer. My concern is that he'll change... and I'm pretty sure I'm wayyyy overthinking it... but I would hate it if he changed somehow. He's too perfect as he is! I have never had a male dog as an adult, we had male family dogs when I was a kid but they were all farm dogs and I don't think any of them were neutered. I've always had female rescues, so they were all spayed when I got them. Except one, who was spayed only a week after I got her because she was pregnant. And Dixie, the recent sheltiexpoodle addition, who we spayed early because of the twins.

Colt is not a very doggy dog and we have never had hormone-related behavioral issues. Even when we go to class with a bitch in season he just has his nose on the floor a little more than normal, no issues focusing or working. I really am only neutering him because of the pexy. His breeders released me from the S/N contract when he was a puppy because I had some concerns regarding retaining hormones past the 18 months the contract required. And since we are all good friends, both of them agreed to release it. I have zero, and I mean ZERO interest in breeding.

anyway. Not looking to change my mind, but I'd love some comfort and/or reassurance that he'll stay the way he is.

 

[Oh Little Oji]

Good questions.

Well, he's not a very doggy dog at this point. I don't know that neutering would make him more of a doggy dog.

I'm actually not much of an expert on the effects of neutering. I have never neutered any of my 4 dogs I've had (3 Dobes and now a much different type of large dog) and I never experienced any of the problem behaviors they all say intact males have. I've also not experienced any health problems related to being intact. Well, the possible exception is Oji seemed to maybe have an enlarged prostate in his "old" age. ??

Speaking of age, all 3 of my Dobes died in their 8th year, so who knows if they had lived longer, they would've run into the serious health problems the vets warn you about from being intact.

We did neuter my wife's dog at about a year of age. I CAN tell you that that eliminated the problem of my 3+ year old male fighting with him. It's like my Zephyr is thinking okay, you smell different and now you're not challenging my supremacy.

 

[JanS]

The neuter is a fairly easy surgery so he will be fine on that front. The gastropexy is a bit more invasive but the hardest part is keeping them down for the 10 or so days for recovery.
I guess if you don't have plans to show him in AKC conformation there really isn't a drawback in neutering him if that's what you want to do.

Hang in there, we will all be here for you.

 

[Sunje]

Well--since this is not a spay where you just increase the length of the incision to accomodate the spay in with the pexy, why do it at all? He's great the way he is, you're concerned that he'll change, and your girl is spayed already. Personally, I'd keep him intact.

If we are able to get a girl dog at some point, I will likely neuter Brio then, just to avoid an accidental breeding since I'd want to give her the time to mature.

 

[Nordika]

There is no benefit to neutering a male. It does, however, increase risks of certain cancers; prostate cancer ~4× higher in neutered males, (because the prostate gland is left in place and loses hormonal regulation) bladder transitional cell carcinoma is ~3.6× more common in neutered males and hemangiosarcoma shows an increase in neutered males. Dobermans are the one breed (along with female Golden Retrievers) where the UC Davis 35-breed study explicitly recommends leaving males intact for life — no neutering at any age. The cancers tracked in the UC Davis study were lymphoma, hemangiosarcoma, mast cell tumor, and osteosarcoma. The net risk-benefit calculation for this breed tips toward leaving intact.

 

[BGpa]

@ABCDogs IF your risk/reward is based on avoiding GDV which IS a thing in this breed and heart breaking if not caught early, vs cancer etc later.

If I got that right then I'm sympathetic, and trust your gut fwiw.

He's already grown in on his leg bones and other parts affected by hormones in growth stage.

I've had zero male dobes but a couple males neutered from rescue, one a neufy that died of a spleen rupture unexpectedly, the other a GSD from a very rare cancer...not applicable.

No dobes with "before vs after", but from what I read on forums that a properly trained dog isnt affected by neuter- behavior isnt changed much, and since Colt is so well behaved anyway....well, thats a wash.

The UC Davis study is highly useful but a small sample size given the long wisdom in the breeders.

What does your breeders and other friends with lots of recent contact with breeders/handlers like EMB have to say?

Is it too late to just do the tack and leave his nuts alone? Don't fix what aint broken?