No healthy whippet should ever be spayed or neutered

[WHIPPETSAREROYAL]

I know that many vets and dog owners will disagree with me but it just makes sad when I hear that a healthy, vibrant,beautiful,regal, and happy whippet has been spayed or neutered. It is just depressing that these angel like creatures are unnaturally, out of convenience for us taken of the ability to create more. Also I believe this changes there behavior in terrible ways and it is just sad.

[PAWhippets]

While l have changed some of my views based on further research and we no longer neuter our dogs except in cases of medical necessity, I certainly disagree with this and feel it is a very one-sided and narrow statement. Altering certainly isn't just done for "convenience"; there are often valid reasons to alter, particularly females, who are at greater risk of serious conditions such as pyometra if they remain intact. Also, altering does not necessarily change behavior. Our neutered males are happy and fine. And, definitely, not all dogs should be bred!

Lois

[WhippyChick]

I find that it's mostly men who disagree with neutering. Having fostered dozens of whippets I couldn't disagree with you more. I've seen the health consequences of unspayed females, not only accidental litters, but also mammary tumors and pyometra which are more common in unspayed females and severely effect their health and well-being in their adult and senior years. Putting a dog thru a serious invasive surgery when they're older is much more difficult than a spay when they're younger - not to mention the associated costs and recovery time. And being in heat isn't a walk in the park.

I've also seen completely different behavior in neutered vs un-neutered males, particularly around other dogs. In my experience, most un-neutered males are more dominant and change the dynamic of the pack in a negative way - I see it one on one and in group activities. I cringe when I get an un-neutered male in rescue, it can be a real challenge. Have you seen an un-neutered male around a female in heat? Nothing changes their behavior more than this! I can rattle off a dozen other reasons, but "convenience" is not one of them. I would like to know how it effects their behavior in a "terrible" way, it's the exact opposite. Unless you're participating in activities that require the dog be unaltered, there's no reason NOT to spay or neuter. It's not sad, or unnatural, or depressing, it's one of the many things responsible pet owners should do.

[3whippetmadness]

This is a topic I have researched myself. Some facts that needed to be added so all can make the right decisions for their own whippies are as follows:

1) All body parts have a purpose to keeping the body healthy and functioning, take an organ or body part out of a body and you take away the good with the potential for bad in the case of a healthy whippet. IMO it is just as important to be told the side effects of desexing, as you as a whippie parent have every right to know that. And yes, there is a down side!

FACT: The hormones that are taken away in early desexing affect bone growth and other regulations of the body. Higher incidences of ACL ruptures, hip dysplasia, hypothyroidism and other problems/illnesses have been linked with early desexing.
FACT: Desexing after puberty greatly lessens the impact and/or eliminates the above from happening.
FACT: Desexing a male dog later in life can make him more grumpy. My breeder made me aware of that in his own experience and I experienced it myself.

2) Cancer or any other illness cannot overtake a body part if it has been removed so it goes without saying that you just took any chances of it happening down to 0 because you just took away a place in the body that could host it. IMO it is deceptive for a vet who has gone through such extensive education to tell you that you are "preventing" your dog from ever getting cancer in an area they are basically eliminating. Let me clarify this, some spin this as what a loving owner would do to keep their dog healthy. It is one thing to make this a silver lining of a very serious procedure. It is another to sell the procedure by insinuating that you have made your dog healthier by eliminating a possibility cancer could develop there. So technically, to WHIPPETSAREROYAL's defense, desexing in a healthy dog is not healthy, at least biologically anyways. Just as it is not in a healthy human.

3) There are less invasive ways to prevent pro-creation. It is hard to find traditional vets that are being taught in their schooling (last time I read, schools are still not teaching any other way than traditional invasive desexing) or that are being pro-active in their own continuing education in learning that there are less invasive ways to do this. We have been doing this in humans decades upon decades.

4) Mating behavior is a natural and healthy behavior in pro-creation. Obviously breeders can and do deal with this. And not all dogs are crazy, hard to deal when kept intact. So if "bad" behavior is a reason to do this, just make sure that this "bad" behavior is so bad that a well thought out researched decision to do this is the best decision all around. The lessest of evils.

So if it is necessary to desex, it is not a decision to be taken lightly! And there is a right time to do it. With time to research and with listing all the pros and cons one will be able to see the total picture and then one can make the best decision.

I hope your baby is doing better WHIPPETSAREROYAL (can we have your name????). I was horrified at your post of your incident. I don't think many of us can voice how really we feel about your dogsitter. Please do not dismiss this behavior, they may do it to someone else.

Dawn
Max 10/28/10
Cassi K 8/1/17
JD

[chelynnah]

That's a pretty broad statement. Opinion varies from person to person, country to country etc. My personal preference is that if they are to be altered, then try to hold off till around 2 years old (or more) so that they have gone through all of the hormone changes they need to grow out properly. There are many valid reasons for spaying/neutering, so I don't think it's fair for anyone to make a sweeping generalisation either way. It bothers me to hear this statement (even though I agree to a point) as much as it bothers me to hear 'all dogs should be spayed/neutered'

Dawn's post right above mine is an excellent which covers many of the things I would normally have said.

Welcome to the board. We do invite and welcome discussion on all kinds of topics, even hot button ones. But we do ask that people respect each others' opinions and disagree with each other respectfully. So far this thread is within the guidelines, so please keep it that way

[WHIPPETSAREROYAL]

So I assume you all desex your whippets?

[WHIPPETSAREROYAL]

I could never do that to mine. I find that so cruel you know he/she will never be the same. My sister adopted one form the pound and its changed so much after she had her spayed, she was: was very aggressive about people touching her, she hated other dogs, and didn't want to play anymore.

[Kirislin]

I could never do that to mine. I find that so cruel you know he/she will never be the same. My sister adopted one form the pound and its changed so much after she had her spayed, she was: was very aggressive about people touching her, she hated other dogs, and didn't want to play anymore.

that is not normal behaviour from being speyed. If your statement is accurate I would suspect some other reason.

[PAWhippets]

I could never do that to mine. I find that so cruel you know he/she will never be the same. My sister adopted one form the pound and its changed so much after she had her spayed, she was: was very aggressive about people touching her, she hated other dogs, and didn't want to play anymore.

that is not normal behaviour from being speyed. If your statement is accurate I would suspect some other reason.

Kirislin is quite correct. That is not normal at all. Have you ever owned an altered dog?

Lois

[MikeMark]

I know that many vets and dog owners will disagree with me but it just makes sad when I hear that a healthy, vibrant,beautiful,regal, and happy whippet has been spayed or neutered. It is just depressing that these angel like creatures are unnaturally, out of convenience for us taken of the ability to create more. Also I believe this changes there behavior in terrible ways and it is just sad.

I think you should read this tremendous article regarding of it:

http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/health/articles/neutering-male-dog.html

[WHIPPETSAREROYAL]

yes.

[davepd]

I don't see how this is a yes or no thing. If you're in a situation where you can pull off not having them fixed, great. But if you're in a large city, that is just not an option. You would not be welcome at any dog parks. No dog facilities would allow your dog there. It would be a huge problem that would affect you and the social life of the dog.

[chelynnah]

So I assume you all desex your whippets?

I don't see anywhere that anyone said that, and that seems to have been phrased pretty judgementally to get a rise out of people. Many of the people who replied to you haven't.

None of mine were spayed young. 3 were done much older for health reasons (mammary tumours), one for hormonal/temperament reasons between 2 and 3yrs and our pup isn't spayed and won't be for the forseeable future. You'll also notice I said in my previous reply IF my puppy buyers feel they need to I recommend doing so later.

If you are here for a discussion - we can have that. If you are here for an argument, that won't be happening. There is a code of conduct you signed up to when you joined and inflammatory posts are not tolerated.