DESEXING PUPPIES & WHY

There are real problems with leaving pet dogs not desexed, from uterine infections, increased cancer risks and behaviour issues, hence puppies have a tubal litigation or vasectomy prior to leaving. There is a significant increase in life expectancy also for desexed dogs.

If you follow dog forums, you will see lots of differing opinions on Early Age Desexing (EAD), and, if you speak to some vets, they will be fully in support of it, and others will prefer the traditional wait until dogs are older. Usually, if you read enough scientific research papers, you will come away with a clear ‘yes’ or ‘no’ about a topic. However, there are many different things to consider - the size of the dog when desexed, gender, hip and elbow background of dog, breed etc. The question of whether to desex early or later doesn’t have a clear cut answer.  

As a responsible breeder I am comfortable that in the years that our vet has been carrying out early age desexing, we have not had any complications. The cost of a tubal litigation or vasectomy is included with the price of your pup. This allows us to take care of the recovery. One of the advantages is the rapid recovery of the pups. They come home ready to eat, play and behave normally - it is a longer, slower recovery for older dogs.

All of our pups have vasectomies or tubal ligation and you can then choose wether to fully desex at 12 months. This allows the normal hormonal development of the pup, but will prevent breeding. 

Vasectomy is commonly performed to render pets unable to breed without altering normal hormonal production, thus helping to control pet overpopulation while reducing the developmental impact on the animal.

As a breeder we embrace the idea of vasectomy as an alternative to traditional neutering as it can be performed on young dogs before a leaving for adoption. This ensures that the dog will not breed. Another benefit is that young dogs who are neutered are less likely to suffer problems with growth and development due to a reduction in hormones as a result of castration.

A vasectomy on dogs involves first making an incision in front of the testicle. The tube that carries sperm out of the testicle (called the vas deferens) is clamped, cut, or sealed. This prevents sperm from being ejaculated out of the body, thus preventing a male dog’s ability to breed. The testicle will still produce sperm but it is reabsorbed by the body.

With a vasectomy the testicles are left intact, allowing reproductive hormone function to continue normally. (Unlike a vasectomy, castration involves surgical removal of the testicles.) Dogs with a vasectomy will still experience the same reproductive urges as intact dogs and retain their desire to breed.

This is akin to a vasectomy in male dogs. It keeps the girls from getting pregnant. This means of sterilization is less invasive and dogs who undergo tubal ligation can still get the full complement of sex hormone-related diseases. They will also come into heat and attract males. They just won’t get pregnant if they do –– ahem –– get with a boy.

A tubal ligation in dogs, also called “having the tubes tied” or “tubal sterilization,” is a method of permanent birth control in female dogs. During this surgical procedure the fallopian tubes are cut or blocked to permanently prevent pregnancy. Blocking the fallopian tubes prevents movement of the egg to the uterus for fertilization and blocks sperm from traveling up the fallopian tubes to the egg.

We do recommend full desexing at 12-18 months of age but that is at your discretion.