Getting Kozmo Netured

[raiyo]

He is only 15 weeks right now and I asked around, they said the best time to do it is when they are 6 months old. I heard once a dog is fixed, they become more calm, is it true? My trainer said I should get him fixed asap since he has a problem climbing on top of your other dog. I asked him isn't he to young, he responded saying it is really up to you.

[HugABull1]

Six months is the most common age, but everything I've read (and my vet admits) that that age was decided pretty arbitrarily. You can neuter a puppy as young as seven weeks, they tend to recover faster, but some vets don't like to do it, as it's a smaller animal, have to be more careful with the anesthetic, etc. How old is Kozmo now? I was going to wait until Gage was a year, because some studies show if a dog is neutered young they grow taller (I didn't want him too tall), but ended up doing it at five months b/c of a broken puppy tooth.

Anyway, it's up to you and your vet when to do it. However, based on your previous posts, I doubt it'll do much about him mounting your other dog - neutering does nothing to curb dominance based mounting.

[raiyo]

Kozmo is currently 15 weeks old. If I'm going to get him fix, then I would want to do his dew claw all at once. His claw keeps getting into things and I'm scared one day it will rip. I also heard, hehehe. if you get the dog fixed at to young of an age they'll tend to grow less. So you heard it grows more, I heard it grows less. It's a rumor I think.

It could be that Kozmo is trying to dominate, but it could also be something else, heheh. I keep seeing his manly thing popping out on my female dog Vivi. I'll have to get him fixed either or, if it will help, I'll be very happy. If it doesn't then it wouldn't hurt. I wouldn't want a Pit Bull mixed with a Collie, heheh. A Pit Bull with long fur coat, hmm....

[jmann4]

Dew claws can get torn off. BUT they are incredibly tough little boogers as well. My dogs get snagged on all kinds of things and have never torn one. Unless you plan to use him as a bird dog (where they run through high grass and brush) removing his dew claw isn't really necessary.

[raiyo]

Dew claws can get torn off. BUT they are incredibly tough little boogers as well. My dogs get snagged on all kinds of things and have never torn one. Unless you plan to use him as a bird dog (where they run through high grass and brush) removing his dew claw isn't really necessary.

Really? Anyone have there dew claws torn off on your pit before? You input would really help. Since the money saved on the removal, I can buy a new center channel speaker for my home theatre. (Just got into it)

Geez, I wish i knew about removing the dew claw at a few days of age is the best way to go.

[jmann4]

Geez, I wish i knew about removing the dew claw at a few days of age is the best way to go.

I didn't say removing the dew claw at an early age was the best way to go. I said you really don't need to remove it at all. The risk of it getting torn or ripped is remote.

[raiyo]

Geez, I wish i knew about removing the dew claw at a few days of age is the best way to go.

I didn't say removing the dew claw at an early age was the best way to go. I said you really don't need to remove it at all. The risk of it getting torn or ripped is remote.

I know you didn't say that, but it would be more easy on the dog if it was removed at 5 days old. Less pain for them, and maybe none.

[jmann4]

Okay, I was just wondering. I got a tad bit confused, it's late, need more coffee

[raiyo]

Not really your fault, it's mine, heheh. I just type what I am thinking and don't proof read my work. =)

[HugABull1]

I think dewclaws are totally up to you - a lot of vets will pressure you to do it. I had it done on Angel at the same time as her spay, around a year. It was HORRIBLE. She had a problem with the sutures, got an infection, and so on, she nearly lost her foot, and has horrible scarring to this day.

The reason things went so badly, is that although Angel's dewclaws looked quite floppy, they were actually VERY attached (7 sutures per side). Had we x-rayed first, we would have realized that, and prevented this whole mess.

My vet still wanted to do Gage's as he also has large, loose looking (on one side, the other is well-attached) dew claws. I've refused. If we're going to be in heavy brush, I'll tape them (just wrap them with vet wrap). My vet feels that Angel's complications were unusual, and I know he's probably right. He removes dewclaws all the time with no problems. However, I choose to leave my dog the way he was born (except minus his nuts of course ).

I am NOT saying, don't do it, but be aware that there can be complications, and that it is relatively safe to leave them there, although you need to be more aware of them of course. If you do decide to do it, you may want to consider having x-rays done first, so your vet knows what he's getting into.

Good luck!

[sam]

My ex room-mates pittie ripped one of her dew-claws off playing one day. OUCHHHH... despite her dew claw she was still trying to play ball though.

Anyways the vet removed her other one at the same time. They both healed up fine. The ripped one seemed to heal just as well as the other one.

[Amy]

For dewclaws, our rescue has them removed when a puppy goes under for s/n if they are floppy and not attached by bone or if they tend to get snagged on things. If they are attached by bone, it's like removing a toe for them and just not worth it. Most of my dogs have dew claws and they haven't ripped theirs, course theirs do not snag on things either. If they did, I would have them removed.

For neutering, you can do it as young as your vet is comfortable with. We have noticed that the pups our rescue has had neutered very young, like around 8wks, the males do grow taller. Testosterone stops the long bones from growing and when you neuter them so young, they do grow taller. It doesn't affect the females, there is some talk of females having more urinary incontinence, but I haven't been told yet that any of our pups have wound up incontinent. I did have one foster become incontinent and she was spayed around 4 months old and while she had puppy vaginitis....so I wouldn't spay another pup with an infection again. Unfortunately, I wasn't told by the foster home that she had an infection or she wouldn't have been spayed then either, but....

I really think humping or pups jumping on other dogs is part of being a pup and a dog . But I do think it's a GREAT idea to get him neutered as soon as your vet is willing to, waiting till 6 months should be fine too.