Benefits of Neutering Males
BENEFITS OF NEUTERING MALES
One of the immediate benefits of neutering males at or before 6 months of age is that marking its territory with urine is stopped in the majority of situations. In cats this is called spraying and it really gets on peoples nerves as the odor of cat urine is so strong due to its concentrated content. Male cats will spray anything. Whenever you see a cat backing up to whatever with its tail fluttering real quick, you know that the cat is going to spray. Dogs prefer the old stereotypical fire hydrant but any vertical object will do. I once had an intact dog lift his leg on my pant legs in an exam room!! That is why most of us keep a second pair of clothes handy….
Once a dog or cat is sexually mature will neutering change that territory marking? I tell clients that I can not guarantee that it will stop but to give it a go and see what happens. If the dog or cat starts to mark his territory I always rule out the possibility of a urinary tract infectionA urinary tract infection in dogs is usually caused by a bacterial infection while in the cat it is usually caused by an excess of ash (magnesium phosphate) in the diet. Clinical signs will mimic those of an animal marking its territory so one has to rule out the infection possibility..
The main male sex hormone is testosterone. One of the other benefits of neutering males is that once a dog is castrated that goes away. Testosterone usually makes the male animal more aggressive and heightens the roaming tendencies. If a dog or cat is sweet and docile before neutering, it will be the same afterward. However, an aggressive dog or cat will usually mellow out and become a much better pet after neutering. I remember neutering this male cat that I barely could get out of the cage one day. Next day after surgery, this cat was lovey dovey and wanted to be stroked! The owner was thrilled to say the least!
Intact male dogs roam because they are looking for females to mate with!! Benefits of neutering males are that the animals stay closer to home. Over my career I have noticed that dogs that have not been neutered are at a high percentage of being hit by a car. While chasing the females the car gets in the way.
Other benefits of neutering males is that it prevents a lot of prostate issues down the road when the dog is older. The prostate is under the control of testosterone so when neutered the animal will not have any prostate issues such as problems urinating or in severe cases, a urethral blockage. Intact male dogs of 5 years and up will have an enlarged prostate. Most enlarged prostate glands are due to a non cancerous enlargement of the gland. Prostate tumors are seen in dogs but not as common as seen in humans.
