By Dr Matt Pascall

1. Prevent unwanted litters: Each year in Australia hundreds of thousands of unwanted puppies and kittens are born due to non deliberate matings. Often, owners of male dogs fail to realize their pet’s contribution to the litters of puppies being born daily. Desexing can stop your pet being part of the problem.

2. Eliminate the risk of testicular cancer: This seems pretty straightforward…no testicles, no risk of testicular cancer! Don’t forget, if your pet has only 1 testicle that has dropped, your veterinarian will need to find and remove the second testicle, otherwise there is a large risk of testicular cancer.

3. Reduce the risk of prostate enlargement, abscesses, or cancer: Without testosterone’s influence, the possibility of prostatic problems diminishes greatly. In dogs, an enlarged prostate can cause difficulty urinating or even cause constipation.

4. Reduce the risk of perineal hernias: A hernia is a tear in a body wall. In this case, body fat, or even organs, can migrate through a tear in the muscle wall and end up under the skin, along the side of the anus. This is an uncomfortable condition and can only be corrected with surgery. Intact male dogs are at high risk of developing this condition.

5. Decrease the urge to roam: Intact male dogs and cats love to patrol their “territory”. Whether they are just checking out the neighborhood or looking for females, the chances of getting into a fight or being hit by a car are much higher for intact dogs.

6. Reduces aggressiveness: Neutered pets tend to be better behaved than their intact counterparts.

7. Decrease odors in your home: Almost everyone is offended by male tomcat urine or embarrassing urine stains around furniture. Neutering your pet can minimise odours and remove “marking” behavior.

8. Decrease fighting behavior: Besides breeding, male tomcats are known for getting into fights, often resulting in severe lacerations and large abscesses. Male dogs also tend to have scars as a result of battles.

9. It might be medically necessary: If your dog has a perineal hernia, enlarged prostate or certain types of tumors around the anus, neutering will help resolve the issue and improve his prognosis.

10. Avoiding spreading bad genes: Preventing unwanted litters was already mentioned, but a secondary effect of neutering is to stop the spread of genes for hip dysplasia, hereditary heart issues, and other genetic problems.

This handout provides general advice only. For specific advice regarding your pet please speak to your veterinarian at The Lost Dogs Home Veterinary Clinic.

The Lost Dogs Home Veterinary Clinic, 2 Gracie St, North Melbourne, 3051.