Neutering is a process of removing all or part of a Bernese Mountain Dogs’ reproductive organs. So that they are unable to reproduce. The term “neuter” actually applies to both sexes, while the term “spay” refers to female and “castrate” to male Bernese Mountain Dogs. Neutering is the most commonly preferred method for sexual sterilization.
So eager to find out more about neutering, check the info below:
Best Age To Neuter a Bernese Mountain Dog
The veterinarians are suggesting that the best age to neuter your Bernese Mountain Dog is between 6 and 12 months of age. The reason behind this is that at 6 months of age, dogs are fully vaccinated and have matured to the point where they react to anesthesia and surgery like adults, which reduces the surgical risk substantially.
1. The best age to neuter a male Bernese Mountain Dog.
The best age to neuter your male Bernese Mountain Dog is before he reaches one year of life. That is between 9 and 12 months. However it’s proven that it’s much better to wait until he reaches sexual maturity, Bernese Mountain Dogs can wait longer as they reach maturity around 18 months.
Neuter Bernese Mountain Dogs take between 6 and 10 months to eliminate all the testosterone from their body. Sometimes we need to be patient before we begin to notice the beneficial changes that neutering a Bernese Mountain Dog brings.
2. The best age to neuter a female Bernese Mountain Dog.
There are different opinions from the veterinarians on when you should neuter your female Bernese Mountain Dog. Some suggest to neuter before the first heat, and those who suggest doing if after the first heat.
In the first case, the percentage is lower. It would be possible to avoid the complete development of the character of your Bernese Mountain Dog. If you choose the second option you should wait around 3 months after the end of estrus. This way it will be presented to deal with different types of cancer.
How To Care For a Bernese Mountain Dog After Neutering Surgery?
How To Care For a Bernese Mountain Dog After Neutering Surgery? Taking care of a Bernese Mountain Dog should include a few steps: give your Bernese Mountain Dog water, stick to the normal diet plan, medication, avoid bathing or getting him wet, check the incision daily.
Once you pick up your Bernese Mountain Dog from surgery, you should take care of him and first thing is to give him a little bit of water. You should put the feeding on hold at least 1 hour after you get them home and give him time to settle down. And keep the feeding schedule the same as the normal diet.
Also, the vets will give your Bernese Mountain Dog pain killers. So it’s not recommended to give him pain killers the same day when you take him out of the hospital. You should use the recommended pills after breakfast the next day and follow the instructions.
You should take care of your Bernese Mountain Dog and give him the medication until he is fully recovered. Your job for the first 14 days after the surgery should be to look at their incision because it takes 14 days for the incision to recover.
The main reason for checking the incision daily is that you will make sure that everything is healing normally. Or when you look into the incision, it’s not open, red, or swollen, but it’s in good shape, it should heal the same as the incision heals on you.
Do not ignore the bad incision. This can lead to infection and more problems, antibiotics, that can put your Bernese Mountain Dog’s life at risk. Also, there is always a green tattoo mark, next to the incision, so if someone else is taking the dog, they can shave and check the green tattoo.
You should leash walk your Bernese Mountain Dog for the first 7 days. If their belly gets wet for some reason, just pat their belly dry. If your Bernese Mountain Dog ends in a mud puddle, do not shower him, use some baby wipes to clean his paws or belly.
Also, if you are leaving your Bernese Mountain Dog alone for more than 10minutes, your dog needs a cone. The male Bernese Mountain Dog should wear the cone for 5-7 days after the surgery. And the female Bernese Mountain Dog should wear the cone for 7-10 days. If the Bernese Mountain Dog is younger, the incision will heal faster so there is no need to keep the cone.
Pros and Cons of Neutering Bernese Mountain Dogs
6 Pros Of Neutering Bernese Mountain Dog
- Behavioral problems
The behavioral problems are also known as sexually dimorphic behaviors. Are one of the most common reasons why Bernese Mountain Dogs are surrendered. These include things like roaming, mounting, and urine spraying. Now “gonadectomy” which is the removal of the tested or the ovaries has been correlated with a decrease in the sexually dimorphic behaviors due to the decrease in the gonadal steroid hormone. Castration on a male Bernese Mountain Dog also helps with separation anxiety and submissive urination. - Mammary gland tumors
The mammary tumor is common in female Bernese Mountain Dogs. This is extremely malignant, which means this tumor can easily spread to other organs. Especially the lungs, which often results in the animal being put down upon diagnosis. Maintenance of a sexually intact status is a major risk factor for the development of mammary gland tumors of which the risk increases substantially with age. - Pyometra
Pyometra is an infection of the uterus which has the potential to become fatal if left untreated. It is highly prevalent in all their infract female Bernese Mountain Dogs but can be treated successfully with an ovariohysterectomy. - Benign prostatic hypertrophy-hyperplasia
BPH is a very common condition in older, sexually intact male Bernese Mountain Dogs. This predisposes them to prostatitis which is a very painful condition that can lead to constipation and painful urination. Castration forms an integral part of the treatment and prevention of BPH in Bernese Mountain Dogs. - Testicular tumors
Testicular tumors are the second most common tumor type in male Bernese Mountain Dogs. And even though they have a low rate of malignancy, castration is curative. - Ovarian and uterine tumors
Ovarian and uterine tumors are uncommon within the Bernese Mountain Dogs, and metastasis is very rare.
6 Cons Of Neutering Bernese Mountain Dog
- Surgical complications
As with any surgical procedure. The immediate concerns of neutering include the usual anesthetic and surgical complications, such as bleeding, infections, and death. These risks are relatively low. - Urinary tract disorders
- Obesity
Obesity is common with the Bernese Mountain Dogs. Gonadectomy is commonly reported to be a risk factor for obesity. - Osteosarcoma
Osteosarcoma is a highly malignant tumor of which the risk of development increases with age and body weight. - Hemangiosarcoma
Hemangiosarcoma is the most common cardiac tumor in Bernese Mountain Dogs. It was reported that gonadectomized Bernese Mountain Dogs were at an increased risk of developing both splenic and cardiac hemangiosarcoma, compared to their intact counterparts. - Transitional cell carcinoma
Gonadectomized Bernese Mountain Dogs have a risk of development of TCC of approximately three times that of sexually intact animals.