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Altering and Spaying
A dog is altered or spayed to
eliminate the breeding function and its
accompanying inconveniences, thereby making the animal a more amenable
household pet. Altering is the term generally applied to the process
performed on male animals, while spaying is applied to the female
operation. Spaying and altering are performed for the convenience of
the owner. These operations have no bearing on the well-being of the
normal animal, and generally do not drastically affect its basic
personality traits, though altered animals are inclined to become
heavier and more sluggish than unaltered ones. Females also
occasionally get heavier following the operation. Altering and spaying
are the commonest surgical operations that the small-animal veterinary
specialist is called upon to perform. They have a wide margin of safety
and few veterinarians report higher than two percent of fatalities.
Spaying the female is a major surgical operation, in which the
reproductive organs are removed through an incision in the abdominal
wall. It is best to have the animal hospitalized for about a week, or
at least until the stitches are removed. Altering male dogs is also a
major surgical operation, in which the testicles are removed through an
incision in the scrotum. These operations are performed under general
anaesthesia, so there is no pain associated with them. In spaying,
after the anaesthetic wears off, there is naturally some discomfort
caused by the sutures and bandages. But dogs have remarkable
recuperative powers. After a day or two, the inconveniences of the
surgery appear to give them only casual concern, and they remain as
active as the normal animal until
sutures and bandages are removed.
The advisability of these operations depends entirely on the
disposition of the owner. The function of the pet is to give the master
pleasure. If the heat periods of the female dog cause the owner
displeasure and consternation, then the decision is obvious. With male
dogs, the operation is sometimes not recommended because occasionally
it seems to render the animal prone to certain tumorous conditions,
especially in old age. Sometimes the operation is performed on older
male dogs to alleviate certain disease conditions, but since the
possibility of complications might be invited, the operation is advised
only as a last resort.
Altering is best performed at the earliest possible age, that is, as
soon as the testicles descend. This occurs within the first few weeks
of life. The best age for spaying is when the animal is from three to
five months old. However, these operations can be performed at any time
during the animal's life.
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