Arguments for De-Sexing Bitches

* Hormone injections to prevent or eliminate a heat are not a healthy option for a bitch. They are useful if the bitch needs to miss a cycle. Given before the first "Heat" they have a 5% chance of causing permanent infertility and maybe even setting up conditions of a life threateneing pyometria later in life. Given after the first "Heat" chances are considerably less of these complications but still rise the longer the drugs are given.

The question is often asked 'if these drugs are similar to the "Pill", why we not cannot use them in the long term', and the answer is that women are the only creatures on earth that have a menstrual cycle. This enables the human reproductive tract to stay healthy without breeding at a regular intervals. In animals the lining is not lost betweeen cycles, bleeding is a signal of immenent fertility or disease, thus inflammation leading to a uterus filled with pus is the result of a non active reproductive tract.

* Desexing reduces the risk of mammary cancer by a factor of 200 if done before the first heat. Every heat there after increases the risk until no anti-cancer benefit is gained after the third heat.
 
* Life threatening disease of the ovaries and uterus in middle age is prevented by early desexing. No pyometria (Refer above)

* The most important question when the decision to breed a dog is made is "where are the puppies going", and if the process hits problems like requiring an emergency caesarian "How do we pay for this".

After many years as a vet, my advice is that breeding dogs is a wonderful exercise as long as you can sell the puppies for a reasonable fee. Breeding and buying pure breed dogs that are market desirable normally gives access to good committed new owners, and a means of paying unexpected veterinary bills.

Never give away puppies. If people are not prepared to pay for a dog they are not demonstrating a commitment in the long haul to the dog. Access to good genetics is often very difficult as registered breeders are discouraged by their societies to engage in breeding with "unregistered breeders", so if you have bought an expensive pure breed dog from a registered breeder, and you wish to breed, discuss the option when you buy the puppy. Sometimes for a fee they may organise this for you and see it as a way of promoting their bloodlines.

Note: if desexed, life threatening problems related to whelping and rearing are avoided.

* Females in heat may activate the 'somatic' or sleeping stage of the roundworm. The bitch may then spread Toxocara eggs and be a health risk to the family, so worm all bitches when in season.

* If the animal has a tendancy to gain weight, reduce the daily amount of food by 15% or one quarter of what was previously fed when desexed.

* Desexing not make a non aggressive bitch aggressive. However if a female is already showing aggression at less than one year of age, there is a 50:50 or 1:1 chance she will be worse post- desexing. However there is a 6:1 chance she would be worse anyway and it is not good breeding practice to breed from aggressive lines. Aggressive females must not be desexed whilst in heat as there is a risk that the aggression may stay at the heightened level.