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Puppy Basics: Spaying and Neutering
Puppy Basics: Spaying and Neutering

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What is Dog Neutering and Why is it Important?

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Population control is as essential for pets as it is for humans. Overpopulation by unwanted kindle of kittens or puppies is difficult to manage by caregivers. Many newborn young kittens and puppies are either put up for adoption or sent to an animal shelter. Besides, reproduction can be a tedious journey for your furry friend. Hence, it is better to get them spayed and neutered at the right time.
 

Spaying and neutering are medical procedures performed on dogs to stop their reproduction process. Dog neutering and spaying is one the essential medical procedures for providing care to your fur baby. There are many benefits of neutering and spaying your canine friend. To understand more about this helpful medical procedure, read the following.
 

What is the procedure for dog neutering and spaying?

A neutered or spayed dog cannot reproduce as their heat cycle is eliminated. Dog neutering is a medical procedure performed on male dogs while spaying is performed on female dogs. Veterinarian surgeons perform a surgical procedure to remove ovaries and uterus from female dogs. Besides population control, spaying also prevents uterine infections and breast cancer in female dogs. Whereas neutering is a similar procedure performed on male dogs. Neutered dogs undergo surgery for removing both testicles and associated structures. Male neutered dogs are generally believed to be more well-behaved and calmer. The surgery also stops their breeding acts such as humping and the urge to run away.
 

When are dogs neutered?

Getting your dog spayed and neutered is essential for their psychological and physical well-being and behaviour. Yet, when to spay a dog and when to neuter a puppy is a common query amongst pet caregivers. Well, it is best to get your pooch neutered or spayed at the earliest. It is best to get your fur baby neutered or spayed before it develops breeding instincts. Undergoing the procedure between 4 and 6 months is suggested. Most breeds of dogs reach redevelopment maturity around 6 months of age, yet some breeds can easily be neutered or spayed until 9 months or even after they turn over a year old. Hence, your pooch’s breed and size decide how soon it needs to be spayed or neutered.
 

Reasons to get your dog neutered

There are numerous reasons to opt for spaying and neutering for pets. By undergoing spaying and neutering procedures, pets can achieve better physical and psychological health. Neutered and spayed dogs are known to have better hormonal balance as their reproductive organs are removed which helps in neutralizing their breeding instincts. Mentioned below are a few more reasons why you should get your pets neutered and spayed.

  • Spaying and neutering help in controlling the pet population and overcrowding at animal shelters.
  • Both procedures are known to improve your pet’s health and behaviour.
  • Spaying also prevents potentially life-threatening illnesses like mammary cancer, pyometra, and other uterine infections.
  • Neutered dogs eliminate their risk of suffering from testicular cancer and prostatic cancer.
  • Spayed and neutered dogs are also believed to have better bone health.
  • Male dogs often tend to run away on reaching breeding maturity. Neutering helps prevent such breeding instincts. The procedure also helps in controlling their general aggression and behaviour.

How to prepare your pet before getting them neutered or spayed?

It is necessary to take some preventive measures to build trust and assurance before getting your pooch neutered or spayed. The following are a few things you should do to prepare your canine friend before getting it neutered/ spayed.

  • Get an appointment with their vet for a complete physical checkup. This checkup will primarily give you an idea about your pet’s health and if they are ready to undergo surgery.
  • Crate train your pooch so that it does not feel uncomfortable when kept in a crate at the vet’s clinic or after surgery for recovery.
  •  Keep the house puppy-proofed to ensure your pooch doesn’t harm itself post-surgery.
  • Restrict food and water intake the night before surgery. Please consult your vet to know the exact hours of fasting required for undergoing this surgery.
  • Stay calm to keep your pooch away from unwanted tension. Your pet’s mood often depends on your mood. Hence, it becomes curial for caregivers to stay calm and composed to ensure their canine friend is stress-free throughout the procedure.

How to ensure post-surgery recovery for neutered and spayed dogs?

Neutering or spaying can typically take anywhere between 20 to 90 minutes depending on the size, breed, and health of your pooch. As a pet parent, you need to ensure the best care and support for your fur baby to ensure its complete and stress-free recovery post-surgery. Puppies and dogs often take up to 10 to 14 days to recover after getting neutered or spayed. The following are a few things you should do to ensure your puppy recovers well after getting neutered or spayed.

  • Proper rest:

Your pooch needs to relax and rest well to get back to its bubbly mood as soon as possible. Resting is especially required for healing the surgery scars. It is suggested to avoid letting them run or jump right after surgery. You should also puppy-proof your house to limit any potential mishaps to protect them post-surgery.

  • Distant from other animals:

Puppies and dogs tend to fight for socialising. However, post-surgery recovery requires your fur baby to relax and recover. Mingling with other animals increases their chances of getting into minor accidents which can potentially increase their recovery time. Hence, it is best to limit your pet’s interaction with other animals until it has fully recovered.

  • Avoid bathing:

Do not bathe your pooch for at least 10 days post-surgery. This is to prevent their wound from getting wet and infected. It is also necessary to change the wound’s dressing to keep it clean and hygienic post-surgery.

  • Check-ups:

You need to keep a close tab on the pooch’s recovery. Arrange for a vet’s appointment for conducting regular checkups and dressing changes. You should also check for redness, swelling, discharge, odor, and uneasiness to prevent infections and allergies.

  • Stay alert:

Make sure the pet eats well and is in stable condition once it is back home. Get in touch with your vet immediately if you notice the pooch vomiting, not eating well, or if it suffers from diarrhea. You should also look out for signs of lethargy and discomfort during the recovery period.
 

Managing the population is essential for strays as well as pets. When you get your pets neutered and spayed, you eliminate their chances of contributing to the overpopulation of dogs. Besides, spaying and neutering also help in managing your pooch’s aggression and urge to run away by controlling their hormones and making them calmer. Neutering and spaying also save your pooch from falling prey to infections and fatal illnesses like cancer. Hence, it is best to get your canine friend neutered or spayed at the earliest by consulting a vet.

Frequently asked questions

  1. When to spay a puppy?
  2. Female puppies can be spayed once they turn 6 months old. In general, it is best to spay your pooch before its first heat. However, you can choose to get it spayed even after they start experiencing heat cycles.

  3. Why is spaying or neutering your dog important?
  4. Spaying and neutering help in controlling the pet population as well as improving the pet’s overall behaviour and health.

  5. What is the best age to neuter a male dog?
  6. It is best to neuter a male dog between the ages of 6 to 9 months. Caregivers should consult a vet to know the ideal age suitable for their fur baby’s size, breed, and health.

  7. Is spaying or neutering painful for dogs?
  8. Your pooch will feel no pain during the neutering/ spaying surgery as they are put under anesthesia. However, some pets may feel little discomfort during the post-surgery recovery period.

  9. Are there any side effects of spaying or neutering dogs?
  10. Minor anxiety, aggression, clinginess, and depression are a few short-term side effects of neutering and spaying. Please consult a vet at the earliest if these signs do not subside within 10 to 14 days after the surgery.

  • Puppy Basics: Health Care Essentials
    Puppy Basics: Health Care Essentials
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    Puppy Health Checklist

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    Puppies like human babies need additional love, care, and support in their growing age. The first month of a new puppy is critical as it needs the best healthcare, nutrition, and love to grow into a healthy and cheerful dog. Puppy health becomes the primary responsibility of pet parents during this stage. They must ensure preventive care and medical support alongside providing proper nourishment. To know more about the puppy health checklist, read the following.
     

    Puppy health essentials

    Maintaining puppy health is the foremost important duty of every pet parent. Consulting a vet, vaccinating, neutering, and availing regular healthcare check-ups are a few duties of puppy caregivers. Similarly, other puppy preventive care includes:

    • Veterinarian visits: Taking an appointment to see a vet is the first thing puppy caregivers should do. Consulting the vet helps the pet parent understand their fur baby’s healthcare and behavioural requirements. The vet also conducts a thorough health check-up to diagnose the puppy’s allergies or health concerns. Besides, vets also give helpful insights on puppy preventive care and grooming tips to pet parents. Prepare for your puppy's first vet visit by making sure you're ready and well-informed about the experience.
    • Deworming: Worm and parasite treatment is necessary for puppies. Veterinarians often recommend a stool examination on the puppy’s first visit to diagnose worms and parasites. Worms are very common among puppies; hence, vets recommend a deworming session on the puppy’s first visit.
    • Vaccination: Like humans, puppies too need immunity to fight harmful viruses, bacteria, and diseases. To keep your puppy’s health in check, it is important to get them vaccinated against harmful diseases like hepatitis, distemper, rabies, parainfluenza virus, parvovirus, and Bordetella. Make sure that you go through the puppy vaccination guide before consulting your vet. This will help you jot down any questions regarding the vaccination process and schedule. However, as a pet parent, you must know that vaccination is not limited to puppies, adult and senior dogs also need booster shots to fight back fatal diseases.
    • Flea treatment: Ticks and fleas are extremely common in puppies. Getting your puppy treated for fleas and ticks is important for their hygiene and well-being. These parasites treat your fur baby as a host to feed on its blood and suck away all essential nutrients away from its body. Besides, fleas and ticks also cause a lot of irritation to puppies. So, frequent ticks and flea treatment is recommended for the puppy’s health.
    • Health and exercise: Puppies are playful and energetic. Pet parents can build a healthy routine for their fur babies by dedicating a fixed time for walks and playtime. Doing so will keep the puppy entertained and healthy. Spending playtime with the puppy will also help you to establish a strong bond with it. Besides, this also aids in observing the puppy to gauge its development, health, and mood.
    • Balanced diet: Puppies need more energy as they are constantly growing. However, their anatomy is way smaller than the amount of energy they require. Therefore, pet parents need to ensure puppies are fed a well-balanced, nutrient-dense diet. Protein, fibre, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates are some essential nutrients required for a puppy’s physical well-being. Moreover, puppies should be fed at least 3 to 4 meals a day to support their nutritional requirements for healthy growth. With IAMS™ puppy food, you can provide your pooch with a nutritionally balanced meal for healthy growth and development. Thanks to our best-quality ingredients, you do not have to worry about digestibility.

    Puppy medical care

    Medical and preventive care is extremely necessary for puppies. Younger puppies are too small to understand what is good or bad for them. Besides, they are also very curious, playful, and energetic during their initial years. This playful and curious nature can sometimes lead to harmful situations.
     

    Puppies often play and munch on random objects, which can sometimes result in toxication. In fact, accidents are also common in puppies as they lack cognitive skills to measure the consequences of their action. Hence, pet parents should pay more attention to their puppy’s growth and development. Some essential puppy health recommendations are as mentioned:

    • Finding a vet: Taking your pup for regular health check-ups is essential for a its adequate growth and development. Consulting a veterinarian will provide useful insights and health tips for the puppy’s well-being. However, before visiting a vet, you should check important details like the doctor’s experience, speciality, and location. You need an experienced vet in or around your vicinity.
    • Health check-up: On visiting the vet, request a few tests to diagnose and treat any abnormalities or diseases. Stool test for internal parasites and head-to-tail examinations for inspecting the puppy’s fur, eyes, ear, mouth, and body are conducted by the vet during your initial visits to diagnose and treat health issues.
    • Feeding medicines: Veterinary doctors prescribe medication or supplements for treating any underlying illness and replenishing vitamin deficiency in puppies. However, feeding medicines to puppies or dogs is not an easy task. Follow the steps given below to learn how to successfully feed medicines to puppies.
    1. Step 1: Start with a play session to relax the puppy. Praise it for good behaviour and sit nearby once it calms down.
    2. Step 2: Keep the pill ready in one hand and gently open the puppy’s mouth using your free hand.
    3. Step 3: Place the pill at the far end of your puppy’s tongue and remove your hand. Now, quickly hold your puppy’s mouth shut and blow gently on its nose. Blowing air on the puppy’s nose will force it to swallow the pill.
    4. Step 4: Offer the fur baby a treat for good behaviour and resume playtime.

    Apart following puppy health checklist, pet parents also need to ensure their fur baby is provided with other basic facilities for their overall growth and development. Training and socializing are as important as providing the best healthcare.
     

    Besides, potty training and command training establishes hygiene and good behavior in them from a young age. To conclude, puppy health, fitness, and training are some of the most essential aspects for the overall growth and development of puppies.

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