# Neutering - what to expect?



## Havamom10 (Apr 10, 2021)

Hello all
We have an appointment to have my Simba neutered this January. He is 7 lbs and will be 10 months old in Jan. I'm worried for him as he is a very small dog. 

What should I expect after neutering? 
How can I help him feel better? 
What are some things to be aware of, especially for smaller dogs?
Please help out this first time dog mom & my fur baby here!
Thanks in advance.


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## 31818 (Oct 29, 2014)

Havamom10 said:


> Hello all
> We have an appointment to have my Simba neutered this January. He is 7 lbs and will be 10 months old in Jan. I'm worried for him as he is a very small dog.


Our Ricky was neutered at 10 months. He was about 9 pounds at the time. Within a year he ballooned up to 15 pounds where is is today at 7+ y.o. - a VERY fit and STRONG 15 pounds.


> What should I expect after neutering?
> How can I help him feel better?
> What are some things to be aware of, especially for smaller dogs?


1. The first 24 hours after the procedure he will be lethargic, sleep a lot, and wobbly on his feet until the anesthesia wears off. After that, all dogs are different in their recovery rate. 2 - 3 weeks after the procedure, Ricky was 100% back to normal, Havanese puppy style (meaning boundless energy, chewing on everything, wanting to play several hours a day, and totally making mischief).
2. STOP WORRING ABOUT HIM. The Vet knows what he is doing. The Vet will give you some painkillers with instructions on how and when to give them if needed. (We never used the painkillers because they weren't needed in our case, but all dogs are different) What I needed was some prescription tranquillizers to help me deal with a neutered, energetic Havapuppy!
3. We put a cone on Ricky initially and he absolutely HATED it! The cone is to keep them from biting and licking their stitches, which should be avoided to prevent infection. After two days, we bought a couple of washable doggy diapers at Petco and put that on him and he couldn't have been happier. They were made out of blue jeans material and he looked so darn cute wearing it. He started literally bouncing off the walls he had so much pent up energy. Alarmed, I took him back to the Vet for a checkup. The Vet said his sutures looked good and he was healing nicely. He said "the good news he is feeling well enough for vigorous physical activity." He said the bad news is, "he is feeling well enough for vigorous physical activity!" If had it to do over again, I would have confined him into a small expen during his recovery to give me peace of mind!

Many people use a "onesie" rather than a doggie diaper. That also works to discourage them from messing with their sutures. I prefer a doggie diaper with velcro fasteners because they are easier for me to put on and take off than a onesie.

Everything is going to be fine!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Most dogs breeze though their neuter with no trouble at all. As long as you can easily feel his testicles, it really doesn’t matter what size he is. Vets are very able to manage anesthesia to animals MUCH smaller than he is!!! He’ll be bouncing around in no time.

BTW, my 7 1/2 month old, 9 lb puppy had general anesthesia yesterday to have 2 retained deciduous canine teeth extracted. He was a little woosey when he came home in the afternoon, and wanted to go to bed early, and was bouncing around like a loon today, in spite of the stitches in his mouth!


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## Havamom10 (Apr 10, 2021)

DogFather said:


> Our Ricky was neutered at 10 months. He was about 9 pounds at the time. Within a year he ballooned up to 15 pounds where is is today at 7+ y.o. - a VERY fit and STRONG 15 pounds.
> 1. The first 24 hours after the procedure he will be lethargic, sleep a lot, and wobbly on his feet until the anesthesia wears off. After that, all dogs are different in their recovery rate. 2 - 3 weeks after the procedure, Ricky was 100% back to normal, Havanese puppy style (meaning boundless energy, chewing on everything, wanting to play several hours a day, and totally making mischief).
> 2. STOP WORRING ABOUT HIM. The Vet knows what he is doing. The Vet will give you some painkillers with instructions on how and when to give them if needed. (We never used the painkillers because they weren't needed in our case, but all dogs are different) What I needed was some prescription tranquillizers to help me deal with a neutered, energetic Havapuppy!
> 3. We put a cone on Ricky initially and he absolutely HATED it! The cone is to keep them from biting and licking their stitches, which should be avoided to prevent infection. After two days, we bought a couple of washable doggy diapers at Petco and put that on him and he couldn't have been happier. They were made out of blue jeans material and he looked so darn cute wearing it. He started literally bouncing off the walls he had so much pent up energy. Alarmed, I took him back to the Vet for a checkup. The Vet said his sutures looked good and he was healing nicely. He said "the good news he is feeling well enough for vigorous physical activity." He said the bad news is, "he is feeling well enough for vigorous physical activity!" If had it to do over again, I would have confined him into a small expen during his recovery to give me peace of mind!
> ...


Thank you so much! This is very helpful and you definitely made me feel better about this.


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## Havamom10 (Apr 10, 2021)

krandall said:


> Most dogs breeze though their neuter with no trouble at all. As long as you can easily feel his testicles, it really doesn’t matter what size he is. Vets are very able to manage anesthesia to animals MUCH smaller than he is!!! He’ll be bouncing around in no time.
> 
> BTW, my 7 1/2 month old, 9 lb puppy had general anesthesia yesterday to have 2 retained deciduous canine teeth extracted. He was a little woosey when he came home in the afternoon, and wanted to go to bed early, and was bouncing around like a loon today, in spite of the stitches in his mouth!


Thank you for this! Simba is pretty much a bundle of energy and fun and I hope that he bounces back after the neutering quickly. This was helpful


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

I agree that he will likely breeze through it - however, as he's only 8-9 months now and so small, have you discussed with your vet waiting til he's older (10-12 months old)? It won't hurt him at all and the biggest issue might be if you use daycare (though since most of them want the dogs neutered at 6 months and he's already 8 or so, I assume that's not a problem). There aren't too many disadvantages of waiting and there are some advantages in terms of hormones/ development and leg growth.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Melissa Brill said:


> I agree that he will likely breeze through it - however, as he's only 8-9 months now and so small, have you discussed with your vet waiting til he's older (10-12 months old)? It won't hurt him at all and the biggest issue might be if you use daycare (though since most of them want the dogs neutered at 6 months and he's already 8 or so, I assume that's not a problem). There aren't too many disadvantages of waiting and there are some advantages in terms of hormones/ development and leg growth.


This is absolutely true. If there isn’t a strong reason to do it now, I would wait until he is fully mayure!


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## NotAMuggle (Dec 4, 2020)

Melissa Brill said:


> I agree that he will likely breeze through it - however, as he's only 8-9 months now and so small, have you discussed with your vet waiting til he's older (10-12 months old)? It won't hurt him at all and the biggest issue might be if you use daycare (though since most of them want the dogs neutered at 6 months and he's already 8 or so, I assume that's not a problem). There aren't too many disadvantages of waiting and there are some advantages in terms of hormones/ development and leg growth.


I know it's probably different for every dog, but when do Havanese growth plates close/they finish growing? Piper is 10 months old and 9.5-10lbs. I wonder if she will grow much more. I'm planning on waiting until she has one heat to spay either way to help with development/hormones.


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## 31818 (Oct 29, 2014)

Havamom10 said:


> We have an appointment to have my Simba neutered this January. He is 7 lbs and will be 10 months old in Jan.





Melissa Brill said:


> have you discussed with your vet waiting til he's older (10-12 months old)?


He will be 10 months old in January when he is neutered. He will be putting on weight in the meantime too. BOO was 5 months old when he was neutered and he is pushing 20 years now. Ricky's Vet said there is insufficient research on small breed dogs to justify waiting until an older age to neuter. He said in his practice he doesn't see any consistent pattern in neutering at an earlier age and health issues.


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

DogFather said:


> He will be 10 months old in January when he is neutered. He will be putting on weight in the meantime too. BOO was 5 months old when he was neutered and he is pushing 20 years now. Ricky's Vet said there is insufficient research on small breed dogs to justify waiting until an older age to neuter. He said in his practice he doesn't see any consistent pattern in neutering at an earlier age and health issues.


Perry was 5 or 6 months old when he was neutered. I agree with you that it's not necessarily a problem - but if I could have waited until he was closer to a year then I would have. I have no evidence that his CCL issues were related to early neutering - though "It is acknowledged in veterinary studies that joint disorders such as hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia and CCL tear can be *directly associated to early spay/neuter*. " (and no, I don't necessarily think 10 months is "early") - Not sure this applies to small dogs too. 

And yes, 10 months is probably past the hormone/ development/ growth plate stages - and even if it wasn't I'm sure it will be perfectly fine - just throwing a thought out there for consideration (not a judgement in any way)....


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## Kay251 (Jun 17, 2021)

Nikko has a baby canine tooth that won't come out on its own so I'm scheduling the removal and nurturing next month, 8 months. I wanted to wait 12 months but I'm concerned about the tooth. Timely post.


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## UrsaMinor (Jul 4, 2021)

Havamom10, Simba is very cute. 
I have nowhere near the experience of other members here but will add the following. I'm on Melissa's side here and agree that if you can wait just a little longer, I would. Though Boo had his surgery at 5 months and is now an adorable 19 y.o. guy, he is an exception. Seeing that one doggy is healthy at 19 despite having had an early surgery is not enough data for me. I would err on the side of caution if possible. 
But again, love that many members emphasize "*no judgment*."


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

NotAMuggle said:


> I know it's probably different for every dog, but when do Havanese growth plates close/they finish growing? Piper is 10 months old and 9.5-10lbs. I wonder if she will grow much more. I'm planning on waiting until she has one heat to spay either way to help with development/hormones.


Every dog is different, and the only way of knowing FOR SURE is to X-ray the joints. The "rule of thumb" is small dogs one year, medium-large breeds 18 months, giant breeds 2 years.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Kay251 said:


> Nikko has a baby canine tooth that won't come out on its own so I'm scheduling the removal and nurturing next month, 8 months. I wanted to wait 12 months but I'm concerned about the tooth. Timely post.


OTOH, teeth and spay/neuter do not HAVE to be tied together... The practice I use (that tends to be more holistic and concerned about the well-being of the entire animal) will not do two surgeries at the same time on a puppy except if it a health risk, because of the added risk of a longer period of time under anesthesia. Just something else to consider.


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

A few things that I haven't seen mentioned and want to emphasize... (I'm sure your vet will upon discharge, but this is part of what I do for a living and people say time and again that they tend to zone out during discharge as it's a lot of info at once and you'll be focused on seeing your boy again)

A dysphoric reaction after anesthesia is VERY normal and nothing to be concerned about, but it can be very apparent and quite alarming if you aren't expecting it. We tell clients that shaking, whimpering, and whining is to be expected and to only worry if it seems to be very persistent or insistent. Brisket's reaction to anesthesia is much more outwardly noticeable (Mr Stoney Baloney may as well let a string of drool out) and he will shiver a good deal. Nino seemed to bounce back very quickly, but let me know it was WAY too soon to let his brother bounding after him by crying at the sight of him (I think he forgot he's not an only child  ), which caught me off guard! 

Consider cone alternatives. We seldom send patients home with them as they are obtrusive in both a physical and visual manner, and it can make an already not very fun experience that much more confronting for them.

While he may not seem painful, there are benefits to post-surgical NSAIDs beyond acting as a painkiller. The main thing doing the painkilling will be in his anesthetic cocktail - the NSAID you are sent home with is to help with inflammation and to expedite healing. Even if he doesn't seem to need it, give it.

Do everything you can to keep him "down" for the entire recommended healing time. It's less common in immature and small dogs, but there can be some pretty severe complications that occur when a dog healing from a neuter is allowed to do too much too fast (and trust me, he will want to do too much too fast). 

I think those are the biggies!


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

krandall said:


> OTOH, teeth and spay/neuter do not HAVE to be tied together... The practice I use (that tends to be more holistic and concerned about the well-being of the entire animal) will not do two surgeries at the same time on a puppy except if it a health risk, because of the added risk of a longer period of time under anesthesia. Just something else to consider.


@Kay251 
While I wouldn't "move up" a neuter purely because a deciduous extraction is needed (ie adding the neuter to a decid extraction), it is very rare to run into a single decid removal that takes more than a minute to complete. When Brisket had a retained canine extracted, his total time in surgery from time of induction of anesthesia to "wake up time" was 8 minutes. I blinked and it was over! Multiple, I would reconsider adding to another surgery, but if just one, no sweat!

But again, if I were wanting to wait to neuter (and I want to 🤣), I certainly wouldn't do it sooner just because a decid needed out. Take the tooth as soon as possible to avoid oral trauma or bite issues, then neuter at an appropriate age!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

KarMar said:


> A few things that I haven't seen mentioned and want to emphasize... (I'm sure your vet will upon discharge, but this is part of what I do for a living and people say time and again that they tend to zone out during discharge as it's a lot of info at once and you'll be focused on seeing your boy again)
> 
> A dysphoric reaction after anesthesia is VERY normal and nothing to be concerned about, but it can be very apparent and quite alarming if you aren't expecting it. We tell clients that shaking, whimpering, and whining is to be expected and to only worry if it seems to be very persistent or insistent. Brisket's reaction to anesthesia is much more outwardly noticeable (Mr Stoney Baloney may as well let a string of drool out) and he will shiver a good deal. Nino seemed to bounce back very quickly, but let me know it was WAY too soon to let his brother bounding after him by crying at the sight of him (I think he forgot he's not an only child  ), which caught me off guard!
> 
> ...


All REALLY good information!!! I was just told the same thing about the Metacam sent home with Ducky after his baby canine extraction. They said he probably wouldn’t need it for pain, (I don’t think he does) but that he needs it to reduce swelling and inflammation, so to give it to him anyway!

Sophie, have you heard of a puppy going NUTS the day after anesthesia? Ducky was pretty typically whiney/woosey the first night, but then yesterday, he was MANIC. Not my typical puppy at all, grabbing toys and racing around the house at top speed, play growling, pouncing on the other dogs…happy, but TOTALLY crazed, which is not him normally. Today, thankfully, he’s back to his happy, sweet, but CALM self, bee bopping around and playing normally.

None of my other have ever behaved like that. It wasn’t worrisome, because he didn’t have a big, healing incision. But I could see where it might be REALLY troublesome in a spay/neuter or orthopedic surgery situation.


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

krandall said:


> All REALLY good information!!! I was just told the same thing about the Metacam sent home with Ducky after his baby canine extraction. They said he probably wouldn’t need it for pain, (I don’t think he does) but that he needs it to reduce swelling and inflammation, so to give it to him anyway!
> 
> Sophie, have you heard of a puppy going NUTS the day after anesthesia? Ducky was pretty typically whiney/woosey the first night, but then yesterday, he was MANIC. Not my typical puppy at all, grabbing toys and racing around the house at top speed, play growling, pouncing on the other dogs…happy, but TOTALLY crazed, which is not him normally. Today, thankfully, he’s back to his happy, sweet, but CALM self, bee bopping around and playing normally.
> 
> None of my other have ever behaved like that. It wasn’t worrisome, because he didn’t have a big, healing incision. But I could see where it might be REALLY troublesome in a spay/neuter or orthopedic surgery situation.


It certainly happens here and there with our younger patients, especially with a more "in and out" surgery, and I don't think there's much explanation beyond a "YAHOO I'm feeling so much better!" kicking up of their heels after they come out of their drug induced haze following a boring day at the vet


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

KarMar said:


> It certainly happens here and there with our younger patients, especially with a more "in and out" surgery, and I don't think there's much explanation beyond a "YAHOO I'm feeling so much better!" kicking up of their heels after they come out of their drug induced haze following a boring day at the vet


He certainly was a nut case! Panda just watched him spin by in total disbelief! I’m glad I have my normal sweet boy back!


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

I’m sure the anesthesia is different with humans and dogs, but I know there are humans that have a similar reaction to Ducky because DD is one of them! She became very chatty and oddly hyper. Later she completely crashed. She doesn’t remember much of those first hours afterwards. She also reacts strangely to dental anesthesia, her nerves are unusually located and she needs a lot more anesthetic. The dentist said it’s because she has red hair. I wonder if similar patterns exist among dogs! DS is an absolute angel coming out of anesthesia. He has very little inhibition due to a brain injury and anesthesia seems to amplify it. He loves everyone and thinks any drink or snack they give him is absolutely amazing. The post op nurses always adore him. The brain is amazing, and it’s amazing how everyone can react slightly differently yet the same medications generally work.

Sundance is very snuggly. Something that has worried me in the past is that he seems to have a smell to him after anesthesia. At first I thought it was being crated at the vet and it bothered me but the facility is very clean. Last time I gave him a bath right away and the next day it came back, although it was morefaint. I have wondered if it’s from his glands, but it’s not that recognizable gland smell so I’m not sure. It seems to sort of emanate from him all over, and it’s very much a strong “dog” smell I don’t normally associate with Havanese.


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## BoosDad (Mar 8, 2020)

People raise a lot of good points on both sides. This discussion is really interesting. I think it just comes down to one's comfort level.


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> I’m sure the anesthesia is different with humans and dogs, but I know there are humans that have a similar reaction to Ducky because DD is one of them! She became very chatty and oddly hyper. Later she completely crashed. She doesn’t remember much of those first hours afterwards. She also reacts strangely to dental anesthesia, her nerves are unusually located and she needs a lot more anesthetic. The dentist said it’s because she has red hair. I wonder if similar patterns exist among dogs! DS is an absolute angel coming out of anesthesia. He has very little inhibition due to a brain injury and anesthesia seems to amplify it. He loves everyone and thinks any drink or snack they give him is absolutely amazing. The post op nurses always adore him. The brain is amazing, and it’s amazing how everyone can react slightly differently yet the same medications generally work.
> 
> Sundance is very snuggly. Something that has worried me in the past is that he seems to have a smell to him after anesthesia. At first I thought it was being crated at the vet and it bothered me but the facility is very clean. Last time I gave him a bath right away and the next day it came back, although it was morefaint. I have wondered if it’s from his glands, but it’s not that recognizable gland smell so I’m not sure. It seems to sort of emanate from him all over, and it’s very much a strong “dog” smell I don’t normally associate with Havanese.


"Cousin Finley" (scotty) gets really smelly when he's crated - and not because crates are dirty. The vet says that he's just secreting something from his glands because he doesn't like being in his crate.


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

Melissa Brill said:


> "Cousin Finley" (scotty) gets really smelly when he's crated - and not because crates are dirty. The vet says that he's just secreting something from his glands because he doesn't like being in his crate.


I wonder if the smell of what they secrete changes depending on what’s going on. Sundance does occasionally have anal gland problems but the smell is different. However the most logical explanation for a smell after anesthesia is that it’s related to stress. Thankfully he is snuggly for a while and then bounces back quickly.


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> I wonder if the smell of what they secrete changes depending on what’s going on. Sundance does occasionally have anal gland problems but the smell is different. However the most logical explanation for a smell after anesthesia is that it’s related to stress. Thankfully he is snuggly for a while and then bounces back quickly.


I assume Finley's issue is stress related - since he doesn't like being in his crate. But man does it make him smell!


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