Desexing Your Dog: What You Need to Know - Tanilba Bay Vet

Deciding when to desex your dog can be a complex decision, as it involves a number of factors unique to your pet’s breed, size, and health. At Tanilba Bay Vet, we understand that each pet is different, and we’re here to guide you through the process, ensuring the best outcome for your dog’s health and well-being.

Recent Updates to Desexing Guidelines

The World Small Animal Veterinarian Association (WSAVA) has recently updated their guidelines on desexing, moving away from the previous blanket recommendation of desexing all dogs before sexual maturity. Now, the approach is more tailored, considering each individual pet’s circumstances to determine the optimal time for desexing. This change reflects a more nuanced understanding of how desexing impacts a pet’s health, behaviour, and development.

We recommend discussing desexing with your vet during your dog’s. This allows us to create a tailored plan that suits your dog’s specific needs.

• Large & Giant Breeds: Desexing around 18 months or older
• Medium Breeds: Desexing between 12-18 months
• Small Breeds: Desexing between 6-12 months
• Cats: Desexing at 6 months of age

(See below for breed-specific recommendations)

Ovary-Sparing Techniques

For some female dogs, an ovary-sparing procedure may be an option. This method involves removing the reproductive tract but leaving one ovary intact. The remaining ovary continues to produce sex hormones, which can have protective benefits for joint health and reduce the risk of some cancers in specific breeds. While this technique prevents pregnancy, reproductive infections, and most cancers, your dog will still go into heat (without bleeding) and be receptive to male dogs.

Discuss with your vet if this is a suitable option for your pet.

The Advantages of Desexing

Desexing offers several health and behavioural benefits, including:

• Prevents Unwanted Pregnancies
• Stops Unwanted Wandering
• Eliminates Urine Marking & In-Heat Bleeding
• Prevents Serious Infections like pyometra in females and prostate issues in males
• Reduces the Risk of Certain Cancers like ovarian, uterine, cervical, and testicular cancers

While desexing can reduce some testosterone-driven behaviours (like marking and aggression), it’s important to note that there’s no definitive evidence linking desexing to improved overall behaviour. For pets showing anxiety or stress, leaving some sex hormones in place may actually be beneficial. In such cases, delaying desexing until your dog is closer to one year of age could be the best approach.

Disadvantages of Desexing

While desexing has its benefits, there are also potential risks:

• Joint Health Concerns: Desexing before skeletal maturity has been linked to a higher risk of joint issues like cruciate ligament disease, hip dysplasia, and elbow dysplasia, particularly in larger breeds like German Shepherds and Labradors.
• Increased Risk of Obesity: Desexed dogs have a higher likelihood of becoming overweight.
• Cancer Risk: In some breeds, early desexing may slightly increase the risk of certain cancers, such as in Boxers.
• Urinary Incontinence: Females desexed early may face a higher risk of urinary incontinence, especially in specific breeds.

Special Considerations for Female Dogs

If your female dog is in heat, it’s best to wait 3-4 weeks before scheduling a spay procedure. During this time, the increased blood flow to the ovaries and uterus makes tissues more fragile, which can increase surgical risks, including bleeding. Scheduling her surgery outside of her heat cycle minimises these risks.

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