What's the best age for the snip?

My Enzo is now 10 months old and only has one beautiful furry plum where it is supposed to be. So for medical reasons he will need to be castrated - the retained testicle has a high chance of becoming cancerous.

The Vet is keen to carry out the procedure but conceded that there was no real need to hurry.

So should I just get it over with? Or are there any advantages to holding off for a bit?

J.

Is he physically fully grown? If not just hang on a wee while. I'd probably hang on until he is mentally mature too. There is no great rush, I would be tempted to wait until 12- 18 months.

There is a lot of debate over that. Some say as soon as they descend to where it is easier. This heads off behavior problems and reduces the chances of accidental breedings and other problems. Others argue waiting until physical mature to help with development. Of course, some of the ones that go sailing over the fence when a female up wind comes in season never live to mature. We have many devout believers in the idea if none of their dogs ever did that, that other ones won't either, but it sometimes happens.

On questions vets disagree on, I often suggest it isn't worth arguing with your own. If your vet wants to do it now, I would go ahead.

To be honest that's what I've been thinking, as he's a small breed I think probably by 12 months he'll be ready.

As I said in the OP unfortunately one of his testicles hasn't descended and that is why he has to be castrated. The vet can't feel it at all so it could be anywhere. Fortunately my Vet didn't argue about it at all and was quite open to a discussion about when.

J.

hi
if he was one of my own i would wait till at least 18months(if a large breed even later if at all poss)

try not to worry it can be looking for a needle in a haystack,but the only time we have never found the retained testicle so far,was when we found........ a uterus!!

Here in the UK it isn't down to the vet to decide when a dog"needs"to be castrated. Even with a retained testicle the dog doesn't need to have both removed, the retained testicle should at some point be removed as it is far more likely to become cancerous than one that is descended into the scrotum.

There is a culture of neutering everything in some countries like the USA & Canada(from 8 weeks onwards-the RSPCA near me do this !), this country is starting to go that way, but hopefully not too quickly. As for entire dogs being hell bend on mating every bitch within reach I've had entire dogs for over 43 years & I am still waiting for this to happen

The correct age to castrate a dog to minimise risk to it's health is when it is mature & the growth plates have closed. Without the testosterone the growth plates cannot close timeously. The retained testicle will not become cancerous whilst the dog is young so their is no panic at 10 months.

BTW testicles can appear from nowhere in some dogs upto puberty !

My advice do not castrate a prepubescent dog.

Exactly, I'm not comfortable with the apparent trend to early castration either. I'm in no rush as I do want him to have the chance to mature fully, although apparently there are other complications that can arise from a retained testicle, apart from tumors, so I don't want to leave it too long.

As an Affenpinscher he is obviously a small dog so will be mature sooner but do you think 12 months is too early? How do I tell? Fortunately he's a confident, out going little dog so I think he'll be fine without the testosterone!

J.

as hes small wait till 18months & do some Massaging!!!!!. If he was bigger id wait till two years.

You can always have just the retained testicle removed only. No chance of any undesirable castration effects worrying him then.

That's a good point.

And for Labman:
I have lived with entire male dogs throughout my childhood (no one seemed to have their male dogs neutered back then, only bitches), and I now live with an entire male Estrela (who does like the ladies), but the only dog I have known who would have sailed over a fence in search of a bitch in heat was my castrated male. Of course he didn't get out, because I kept him safe, as I have done with all my animals and will continue to do. You seem to have this idea that neutering removes the desire to mate, and all entire dogs and bitches are sex crazed. Total nonsense!