Will this help prevent testicle problems like cancer, for my dog? FYI **GROSS but SERIOUS question**?

Question

I decided not to have my puppy nuetered. He's right around 7 months old and a 3/4 shih tzu 1/4 pkgnese(SP) mix. The vet said that if I wasn't going to "use" him for mating purposes then he needed to be nuetered because later in his life he could develope testicular problems and maybe even cancer.

I don't intend on letting him mate.. BUT.. (this is the gross part) he has this stuffed lion twice his size that he just loooooves to go to town on. He will hump that thing to the point of exhaustion probably 4 times a day. I figured it was better than having him hump my arm.. or leg.. ect. I think he pretends its another dog because he rough plays with it, grooms it, and sleeps with it when he's not with me.

So, my question is: Is my dog old enough to be mating? Can "releasing" on his lion be the same as doggy sex? ..meaning if it is I won't have to worry so much about probs later from not being nuetered?

Thanks for your help. Any advice or stories is appreciated!!

Answer 1

No, that will not decrease his risk of cancer. Why would you not want to have him neutered? Not only will it decrease his risk of cancer like your vet had said, but it also decreases sex aggressive behavior, fleeing to an in heat female and marking. You really need to reconsider your decision.

Answer 2

If you choose to not alter him,, yes he will be more likely to have some issues,
Prostate problems (including cancer)

Reccurent urinary tract infections... this is because the prostate (that shrinks away after neutering) is a great place for pathogentic bacteria to hide out..

Testicular cancer- not very common in dogs, but hard to diagnose early,, and generally when diagnosed has already spread in the body... so when you find out it is too late..

Herniation (tear) of the muscles around the anus,, this is from prostate enlargment,, normal process as dogs age.. because the prostate gets large the dog will strain thinking it still has to go (sensation of the enlarge postate) and can cause hernias around the anal area..

Unfortunaly these often happen later in life,, sometimes when a dog is not a good canidate for surgery.. so does often mean early death to the dog..
Also he is still young, Behavioral issues, marking, interdog aggression that are hormonally related could still be comming..
If you don't plan on using him,, fine,, but there can be some big issues.. On a side note..Even stud dogs are retired (neutered) for the health and well being.. by reputable breeders..

As far as the humping issues, this could be from the hormones,, but more likely it is a behavioral (bordom) issue.. he most likely would contiue this even if altered,, somthing small dogs seem prone to do this.. Often this behavior is reinforced by the owners,, so dogs do it for attention.. or a indication that he is fustrated and bored (not sexual specifically) and could use some more training, interaction, something to do with his time..

Although he is not too young (technically) to be having urges,, he is younger than most for sure,, if he is acting like a little stud dog,, and being a pest... it will only get worse as he really matures..

Hope this helps..

Answer 3

Neutering does help the hormone levels and certainly does help with the threat of cancer later in life. It will not completely end the "affection" for the stuffed animal. The "humping" is not necessarily a mating thing it is also a dominance thing. A girl dog will often "hump" another animal or your legs/arms.
Sorry.!!

But neuter as soon as you can...everyone is happier.

Answer 4

Get him neutered. If you weigh the options: "going to town" on a lion OR testicualr cancer. The chances that he will still love the lion after he is fixed is very good. Lots of neutered males still hump. Its a dominace thing. Dont risk his health because of the stuffed lion. Its not worth it.

Answer 5

No, the lion will not help resolve his sex drive or get any of the benefits of neutering. I'd recommend you discourage this behavior. It's not pleasant behavior and dogs can be taught not to do that.

There are plenty of good reasons not to neuter your dog. I'd encourage you to really look into it and make sure that you're up for it, though. Make sure that your yard is incredibly secure. Dogs that never went wandering or sought to escape will do so if they're not neutered and they smell a ***** in heat.

If you can't control your dog, then please get him neutered!! If you can, I'm all for it! But just don't let him breed with neighborhood dogs!

Answer 6

Just like with people, whether or not he has sex or not has nothing to do with the fact that he can develop testicular cancer.
He is defintnely old enough to be mating, and if there is a female dog in heat anywhere near you, he will find a way to get to her. I've seen dogs jump over fences, chew through them, etc. to get to a female.
I strongly recommend getting your dog nuetered.

Answer 7

Yuck. The only solution is to have him neutered. There is no reason not to have this very safe and standard procedure done. The sooner the better.
Removing the testicles removes the risk of testicular cancer. There is NO other way.
Please make the appointment now.

Answer 8

Nandina could not have said it better. Get him neutered. You realize this surgery is very simple, takes about 15 minutes for a vet to complete and dogs recover very quickly? It's not a big deal and you will be doing the best thing for your dog's long-term health.

Answer 9

I actually have a male Pomeranian who has been neutered for over 15 years. He STILL humps, so getting him neutered will not always stop that. But, you should get him neutered if you love him. You may save his life. Good luck.

Answer 10

Humping a stuffed lion won't keep him from further health problems!! He won't hump your leg or the lion if you neuter him so you won't have to worry about it. Get him neutered.