What Is A Neuter And What Types Exist?

If your beloved pet is scheduled for an upcoming neuter procedure, you may have a few questions about the process. Though neutering is an extremely common procedure, many pet owners don’t actually know what the process entails. 

In this article we’ll dive into the details of what a neuter is, how it can set our pet up for a healthier future, and the different types of neuter procedures that are available to our furry companions. 

So What Is A Neuter?

The term neuter can refer to animals of both sexes, but it most often refers to the removal of reproductive organs in a male animal. By performing a neuter under general anesthesia, the veterinarian can successfully prevent a male from being able to reproduce, as well as prevent any possible health concerns that often impact intact males. 

A neuter, or castration, is one of the most common and well known procedures in veterinary medicine. The average neuter takes approximately 20 minutes to perform once the animal is safely under anesthesia and prepped for surgery. A neuter is often considered an easy recovery for most furry friends, but of course this is dependent upon the appropriate post-op care at home. Most pets can go home the same day as surgery, and only require about 10-14 days of minimal activity. 

What Is Removed In A Neuter Procedure?

During the standard neuter procedure, both testicles will be removed under general anesthesia. By making an incision near the scrotal area in your pet, they are able to exteriorize both testicles, ligate the appropriate vessels to prevent bleeding, and remove them. Once your pet’s testicles are removed, your pet will experience the benefit of no longer having these reproductive organs. Your pet will no longer be able to reproduce, and will be relieved of many instinctual behaviors that come along with being an intact male. 

Why Should You Neuter Your Pet?

Though many pet owners think the main purpose of neutering an animal is to prevent unwanted pregnancies, that’s not necessarily the case. While controlling overpopulation of dogs is an extremely important part of why we neuter them, there are also incredible health benefits that come along with the procedure. Some of the many benefits of neutering your pet outside of reproduction prevention include:

• Preventing life threatening testicular cancer
• Reducing the chance of prostatitis, which is a painful infection of the prostate
• Your male dog is less likely to want to roam or escape from the yard
• Aggression toward other dogs and people will be significantly lessened in dogs neutered early on
• Your dog will be less likely to mark or urinate around the house

As you can see, there are many benefits to neutering the furry friend in your life. Neutering your pet will help to promote a healthier and happier life going forward. 

Different Types Of Neuter Procedures

While the end goal of each procedure is the same, there are a few different options for the male pets in our life. There are two common approaches to the traditional neuter in dogs, one unconventional option and one surgical approach necessary for health related concerns. The different types of neuter procedures available include:

Pre-scrotal: A pre-scrotal incision is the traditional approach to a neuter. This involves a small to medium-sized incision just in front of  the scrotal sac in a male pet. Through this incision, the veterinarian can exteriorize each testicle one at a time in order to surgically remove them. This is the most common approach for pets. 

Scrotal Ablation: A scrotal ablation is a less common method of neutering in male pets but can be necessary for some male dogs who are neutered later in life or have scrotal trauma. In a scrotal ablation, the scrotal sac will be removed along with the testicals during their castration. This can be a good option in dogs who are more mature as it makes the site more aesthetically pleasing once the testicles are gone, and it can help decrease the risk of post-op complications of bleeding into the empty scrotal sac during the post-op phase. Younger animals often do not need this type of procedure.

Vasectomy: Though a vasectomy is not a standard neuter method, it is another option of preventing overpopulation in dogs. During this procedure, the veterinarian will leave behind all the testicular tissue and instead remove a portion of the spermicidal chord. In doing this, the animal will not be able to impregnate a female. Though this is uncommon, some pet owners want their animals to keep the benefits that testosterone has on their pet’s physical appearance. This option will not have any effect on preventing testicular cancer and other complications an intact pet may experience medically or behaviorally. Not every veterinarian will agree to perform this procedure as it carries some ethical considerations. 

Abdominal incision: If your veterinarian says your pet is a “cryptorchid” then this means that he has a “retained testicle.” Having a retained testicle means that one testicle did not naturally descend into the scrotum as it should. The retained testicle may still be in the abdomen of the pet or within the inguinal canal. Regardless of where it is, it is pertinent to remove this testicle as it can cause serious health problems down the road, most commonly cancer, or it can rupture causing an emergency situation. In the situation of a cryptorchid, your veterinarian will remove the normal testicle using the regular pre-scrotal incision. If the retained testicle is thought to be in the abdomen –n as often the case — then similar to a spay incision, your veterinarian will make an abdominal incision in order to locate the underdeveloped testicle and remove it safely.  

Each of the procedures discussed above has their own list of benefits based on the pet in question. Neutering your pet is a recommended part of pet ownership and can offer them a healthier and happier life. Be sure to review the information that we discussed above, and you will better understand your pet’s upcoming neuter procedure. 

When you get your pup neutered don’t miss out on the once in a lifetime opportunity to bank their stem cells from the discarded tissue and set them up for a long healthy life Learn more