Beagle Dog
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Spaying and Neutering a Beagle
Overview
There are other reasons to have your Beagle spayed or neutered beside wanting to avoid an unplanned litter.
You may be surprised to learn that both spaying and neutering keep a dog much healthier and saves them from potential life threatening canine disease.
There are also many misconceptions about these procedures, so let's take a look at what this really means.
You may be surprised to learn that both spaying and neutering keep a dog much healthier and saves them from potential life threatening canine disease.
There are also many misconceptions about these procedures, so let's take a look at what this really means.
What Spaying or Neutering Means
When a female Beagle is spayed, the dog’s uterus and the ovaries are surgically removed. When the male Beagle is neutered, the dog's testicles are surgically removed.
Why This is Done
It is a widespread mistaken belief that this is only done to stop dogs from mating. While this is one of the end results, there are also other significant ways in which this will help your dog live a healthier and longer life.When a female Beagle is spayed, the benefits to the dog include:
• Removing her chances of developing ovarian and significantly reducing her chances for developing mammary cancer. This will also diminish her odds of developing ovarian infections.
• Stopping the chance of an older female from having a litter of puppies. Past the age of 8, the strain of carrying pups is tremendous and very unhealthy for the female dog.
When a male Beagle is neutered, the benefits to the dog include:
- Eliminating the chance of testicular tumors
- Greatly reducing the chance of infections
- Reducing the risk of prostate cancer – This is a very common and serious health issue for the male Beagle. Roughly 62% of male dogs, who are older than 5 years old and not neutered, show indications of an inflamed prostate.
Sorting out the Facts
Some worry that neutering a male dog will affect his behavior, making him depressed, lose strength and decrease his activity level.
This is not true. Clinical studies have shown that male dogs do not act out any mating behavior unless they are moved by their own hormones in reaction to a female dog who is in heat. When neutered, it does not trouble a dog that he cannot mate. When a male dog is neutered, his body can then use its energy for other things besides mating, including endurance and strength. A male dog will be just as good of a "watch dog" and act normally in all regards of activity and strength to exercise.
Some owners worry that spaying a female will cause that dog to gain weight and decrease activity.
Again, this is not true. When given the proper amount of food and exercised suitably, a female dog will not become overweight or lethargic.
The Age to Have This Done
When it comes to health, the earlier the better. Clinical studies show that a female dog’s best chance of good health is to be spayed before her first heat.
The odds of developing mammary cancer increases as she enters each heat. To offer her the best chance of a long and health life, a female Beagle should be spayed at the age of 4 to 5 months old. However, even if an owner waits, having this done at any age will help to increase the life span of the dogs.
How This is Done
Spaying female dogs is done by giving the dog general anesthesia. A tiny incision is made in the dog's abdomen. The uterus is then taken out from that small incision. The ovarian ligaments and blood vessels are securely tied. The abdominal tissues are stitched back together in layers internally. Outside (external) stitches are not always required.
Neutering a male dog is done by making an incision in front of the dog's scrotum. The testicles are then taken out through this small incision. The blood vessels are tied off and cut. The incision will have either have stitches that dissolve or ones which will be removed 10 days after the procedure.
Recovery
For the male Beagle, there is usually swelling for 3 to 4 days. There may be slight bruising. Discomfort is usually minimal and most dogs do not need pain medication. The majority of male dogs are ready to play, exercise and run around as usual even just days later; however to ensure that the incision heals properly, it is best to limit these exercise and play activities for 2 weeks.
For the female Beagle, it is vital that she be allowed to fully rest for 10 days. If she shows any signs of vomiting, tremors, pale gum or bleeding, this can be a sign of a complications and the dog should be brought to the veterinarian right away. This is, however, rare. A female dog may try to lick her stitches and this can cause infection; for that reason steps may be taken to stop her from doing so. In about 2 weeks, she will have a checkup to make sure all is well and stitches will be taken out at that time.
Tip: For both female and male Beagles, water should not be given for at least 1 hour after having the procedure done.
Senior Dogs
Some owners to not see a reason to spay or neuter an older, senior dog. Nevertheless, doing so significantly helps to extend the life of the dog. There are several reasons why:
• A female may have heat cycles for her whole life. With most dogs, this does not stop as it does with humans. Having puppies in the senior years can be very risky for both female dog and impending puppies.
• Spaying significantly reduces the possibility of developing mammary cancer and eliminates the chances of ovarian cancer as well as uterine infections. Infections are very frequent in older dogs and can often be life-threatening. Thus, having this done to a senior dog, can be very helpful in allowing them to live as long as possible.
• When a female dog is spayed, this decreases hormone changes in her body. These changes can affect other health conditions a dog may have including diabetes and epilepsy. .
• For the male Beagle, neutering a senior dog eliminates the possibility of developing testicular tumors, infections and reduces the risk of canine prostate disease. These are all canine health conditions in which the chances of developing them increase as the dog ages.
Knowing All You Should Know
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