Castration age for male dogs and cats?

RE: Castration age for male dogs and cats?

ebedford — Sat, 14 Sep 2019 11:06:33 GMT

Cats from 4 months - I think this age (or younger) is recommended by cats protection etc for population control - hopefully catch them before they can reproduce and also before most owners will let them go outside.

RE: Castration age for male dogs and cats?

Christina Smith — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 23:33:53 GMT

Yorkshire terriers, JRTs and OES. Small breeds in general.Probably less common since the docking ban ? IMO

RE: Castration age for male dogs and cats?

Lucy Fleming — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 15:43:45 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]Does it ever occur in females?[/quote]

Hardly ever

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]And/or castrated [prior] in males?[/quote]

Hardly ever

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]Don't get "short tails" ?? [/quote]

I don't know much about this one myself but I know some of the over-represented breeds are those with a naturally short/ bobbed tail like Boston terriers. Not sure if docking predisposes?

RE: Castration age for male dogs and cats?

Anthony Todd — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 10:47:59 GMT

[quote user="Christina Smith"]and short tails.[/quote]

Does it ever occur in females?

And/or castrated [prior] in males?

Don't get "short tails" ??

Not trying to be argumentative but I assume others may not know either.

RE: Castration age for male dogs and cats?

Lucy Fleming — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 23:06:50 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]Maybe related to prostate size etc.??[/quote]

Enlarged prostate, chronic straining and weakening of pelvic diaphragm.

RE: Castration age for male dogs and cats?

Christina Smith — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 22:27:35 GMT

Perineal hernia correlates with prostatic enlargement and short tails. Rare in females

RE: Castration age for male dogs and cats?

Anthony Todd — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 17:08:07 GMT

[quote user="Lucy Fleming"]Perineal hernia risk[/quote]

Didn't know or notice that, is it written up somewhere?

Maybe related to prostate size etc.??

I don't think I ever castrated, or saw a castrated, sheep dog ??

RE: Castration age for male dogs and cats?

Roland Bulkyn-Rackowe — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 15:53:57 GMT

Cats as early as the client wishes.

Dogs - I don't often recommend.

Bitches - definitely easier surgery in the very young. I usually delay larger breeds until 15-18 months.

Rottweiler bitches seem to be a special case with more extreme longevity seen more in late spayed or unspayed bitches. I'd usually recommend spaying 4-6 years.

I've never really been aware of the reported increased incidence in lymphoma in castrated Golden Retrievers, maybe this is due to a genetic population difference between the UK and US?

RE: Castration age for male dogs and cats?

Lucy Fleming — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 12:10:13 GMT

Cats 4 months, especially if brother-sister pairing acquired at the same time. Most still seem to come in around 6 months. My understanding is that the urethral size link has been as close to disproven as possible?

Dogs: I'm fairly happy to do from 6 months, though if labrador sized or bigger then I tend to advise waiting until 15mo or older (no harm in waiting and possibly some benefit). Perineal hernia risk is enough for me to say there is some benefit in castration (we used to see loads in my first practice, large population of roaming, unneutered animals!)

RE: Castration age for male dogs and cats?

Julie Innes — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 08:57:48 GMT

Boy cats as soon as balls big enough to get hold of!

Girl cats 4-6 mths

Small breed male dogs I will do from 6 mths, large breeds I advise waiting until skeletally mature (due to links to increased incidence osteosarcoma if neutered younger). Don't get too insistent about neutering males (although have done all my own)

bitches I give owners the choice of letting them have 1 season or not, and explain pros and cons. Large breed bitches I prefer to have at least one season.

RE: Castration age for male dogs and cats?

David Mills — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 23:57:19 GMT

Cats ASAP.

Big male dogs some evidence reduced acl and bone tumours with later castration.

Female dogs before first season n. Like a cat spay. Dreamy

Done cats from 0.5kg. No issues. Quad as said.

Castrating dogs controversial. But in charity world desirable.

RE: Castration age for male dogs and cats?

Clive Ansell — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 17:14:12 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]3 months is doable, but 6 months easier.[/quote]

Done many now (7 today), find them just as easy. using the quad combination anaesthetic protocol, they wake up really quickly and are eating almost straight away. Injectable Metacam pre op, no ab's, buried sutures for spays, don't see back, no issues.

RE: Castration age for male dogs and cats?

Clive Ansell — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 17:09:42 GMT

The Cats protection league will neuter male and female cats from around 10 weeks of age, as long as they ar 0.9Kg. Done many, and not seen any adverse effects at all.

Last locum I did with the RSPCA, they were routinely neutering dogs and bitches from 12 weeks. Again, no issues I am aware of.

I think the 6 month thing is just tradition, can't think of a logical reason for it.

I don't push castration in dogs either. I didn't castrated my own Labrador

RE: Castration age for male dogs and cats?

Michael Woodhouse — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 16:34:56 GMT

Never advise routine castration in dogs, only if issues or a management reason.

Cats I will do as soon as I can get hold of them. 3 months is doable, but 6 months easier.

RE: Castration age for male dogs and cats?

Anthony Todd — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 15:10:37 GMT

[quote user="Nicola M"]

cats-I’ll do at any age really, usually from 12 weeks. A lot of practices do say 6 months old though.

-dogs-depends on the dog/owner whether I recommend castration or not. If am castrating then small/medium breeds 6months old. Large breeds later, giants (especially rotties)-as late as possible (over a year, closer to 2 if possible).

[/quote]

"Why" is the question though IMHO,

Do you think older is better re sexual and skeletal, growth plates and all that, let alone behavioural maturity?

Maybe mine is an irrational dinovet view, but it still seems sensible to me......

RE: Castration age for male dogs and cats?

Nicola Cole — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 14:52:57 GMT

Personally:

-cats-I’ll do at any age really, usually from 12 weeks. A lot of practices do say 6 months old though.

RE: Castration age for male dogs and cats?

Bob Russell — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 13:42:42 GMT

Cats about six months old. No real reason for the choice.

I spay small to medium bitches before the first season if the owners want. I have done this with mine to avoid the mess and hassle. Males similar age for small to medium but later for the larger breeds. Tend to let those have a season (if female of course).

Giant breeds a year plus but I don't put up much fight if owners want it done sooner!