Oban has been dripping bloody urine for the third time in 2 years. We know his prostate is enlarged but it went back to almost normal size with TCM. Yet it's happening again. I got an early morning sample and we are off to the Vet. She may try to get a sterile sample while we're there so no walk and no more pees for him this morning till we get there. I don't want to neuter him but I know it may be the easiest solution. I would prefer to get a better handle on WHY this is happening before I say go ahead. I spent some time yesterday googling and there are many possibilities. I am proud of having such a good intact boy when so many people think they are aggressive, marking, humping monsters. Yet just last week we live trapped a feral Tom and had him snipped and released the same day, there's nothing to it these days. But I still don't like the idea for Oban, even if proved there's no other way, I still don't like it. Anybody else had to do a boy late for health reasons?
I'm not someone who neuetrs dogs as a matter of course. I think each case should be judged on its merits. Resolving health issues the dog is experiencing are right up there on my reasons for neutering. What does the vet say? He's not young but if the vet is happy for him to have a GA then I would take that on board. Why don't you like the idea of neutering him?
My two Cavaliers suddenly started marking in the house at six years old. The vet suggested it was probably a bitch on heat nearby and to have them neutered. I did and they never marked in the house again. It really is a small operation and they don't miss their 'purses'
My reasons for not wanting are entirely ( ) silly. Neuter is the norm here. I am old enough I remember when neuter and spay were brand new things that most people could not afford to do. People drowned kittens and puppies and preferred male dogs because they didn't have kittens or puppies. Now there is a whole generation, couple of generations, that knows nothing other than neuter becasue here VEts really push it. I just like Oban as he is. His testicles are part of my identity. I told you it was silly. It gives me a thrill when someone comments how "well balanced' he is, how he was the easiest dog at our rescue Christmas Photo Shoot fundraiser because, apparently, he is the only one with a solid STAY, and they're surprised because they have these wrong ideas of what an intact male dog is like. A lot of that was work and training on my part of course but I like it. Being a short coated dog it's obvious he is intact and as we walk along I enjoy the view from behind him. See? Perfectly silly and I know that. Re. the feral Tomcat, he's young, probably about a year old and hanging around here simce summer. I guess I was silly about Joey too (yes, of course we named him) because the local Human Society had a good price on a TNR but they'd snip off 1/5 of his ear to make him identifiable and not be put through that again. But I didn't want his ear snipped off so we paid at our own Vet to do it ourselves. Not much more money as it turned out. Nobody around us knew what the ear snip meant and we are the only people looking out for the stray cats anyway, let him keep all of his pretty ear. So I guess I'm just anti mutilation, as I call it. We leave for the Vet in half an hour.
I can understand where you're coming from. He'll be the same boy and just as well behaved if you have it done and that will still be all down to your training
I am really sorry to hear that your boy has health problems. My sister's Belgian Shepherd had a similar problem at seven years of age, blood dripping from his penis. He wasn't neutered either. He was neutered to solve this health problem and the blood from the penis didn't recur although she said that he put on a lot of weight after being neutered. This was 20 years ago. I totally get what you say about being proud of your intact male being so balanced and well behaved. Snowie is four years old and intact and I am also interested to see people's response to this happy-go-lucky friendly chap approach their dogs, all waggly, and their dogs race up to him to greet him, all friendly, and then he turns around and the people see his balls... and I am sure some people get nervous just at the sight of an intact male. I know I do! (Now isn't that silly?!! I am so conditioned!) Although interestingly, I read a paper that looked at dog bites of dog on dog, dog on stranger, and dog on owner, and I do believe I remember reading that neutered bitches were the worst offenders. I cannot find the paper after a quick Google search because I prefer to paste the info rather than try to remember. But in my experience, my intact male and all the other intact males we come across have never had an altercation--albeit that I can count those intact males on one hand because I also live in an area where it is the norm to neuter.
If my dog had a health problem that neutering would (or would very probably) solve, and I had decent trusted vet advice on that, I wouldn't hesitate. Particularly in an older dog (I might have pause for thought in a young or very young dog). I haven't had my dog neutered because I see no reason to do so, and I'm not convinced there are health benefits. But nothing would stop me having it done if there was an obvious health benefit (ie it would solve a health problem). I would really hesitate to neuter my dog because it seemed convenient, or I had a problem that was most likely a training problem. I'd feel bad about doing that, but a health problem - I'd go right ahead.
I'm sorry to hear this. I would also think though that neutering a dog at eight years old for health reasons would be perfectly feasible, and that he would bounce back from it. I also am not a fan of neutering - but this sounds like a situation where it might really help your dog.
A reprieve of sorts, or perhaps just a delay. I was to take a first thing in the morning free flow pee sample. The OH got up to help me, held the flashlight, it's dark out the other side of the deck early in the morning. Then Oban could not pee for two hours prior to our Vet appt. and once there the Vet took a sterile sample to compare the two. They show there is probably infection in his bladder. BUT, his prostate is enlarged again and showing signs of cavitation and she feels we will most likely need to go ahead and neuter. She sent the samples off for further analysis and they have to go to the States so I won't hear back for probably 5 days. IN the meantime she doesn't want to neuter till the infection is resolved so that's two weeks of antibiotic and a change up in his TCM. Then we will be close to Christmas and she doesn't like to do it then, wants the dog to be kept calm and Christmas is a busy time so probably no neuter till the New Year. It seems neutering a mid size 8 year old dog will not be as easy as the one year old feral Tomcat either. Oban will have stitches, Joey has none. Oban apparently will still have a visible scrotum, it'll be empty, but the Vet thinks it will not shrivel up to mostly nothing as I have seen happen in cats. Not after 8 years of hanging low. So, wait and see, but it probably will happen. If you only knew how many times I've said all the reassuring things written above to someone else. My head agrees, my heart does not. If it has to happen it will though.
My friends' old Lab, Harvey, was neutered due to testicular cancer at about ten years of age. The scrotum "hung around" for a while, but did shrink in the end. But that's obviously the least of your concerns!
If his scrotum is going to hang around (pardon the pun) then pop a prosthetic in. You can pretend it never happened and look at your (almost) intact boy the same as you always have
I forgot to update this. AS of late Dec. another reprieve and no neuter, maybe never. The Vet asked if I wanted another ultrasound pre-neuter, just to see what was still going on in there. She said it was entirely my choice, she could neuter him regardless but another look see might be worthwhile. I said Yes, lets do it. I am SO glad I did. The cavitations on his prostate are gone. AND the prostate is much smaller again and we're not going to neuter him at all, not till after some more wait and see. There is NO infection and a small pocket of fluid turned out to be nothing significant. Today is exactly two months since the ultrasound and still all looks ok. Yay!
Neither of my dogs had exterior stitches when castrated, they were internal and disolved. I have been a nurse at so many castrations!
I wish I'd had your vet when my Pointer had prostate trouble aged just 3. I was pushed/bullied into castrating him, a decision I've regretted ever since as it instantly put paid to his show career. I changed vets soon after!
