How neutering supports the health of your male dog, household, and our communities

Orange Park Animal Hospital at Oakleaf is well-equipped to promptly and properly care for many sick pets from across Jacksonville, Florida. However, it is generally preferable to avoid the sickness whenever possible! And many illnesses and their accompanying distressing symptoms can be avoided with preventative care. 

Wellness visits are fundamental to any prevention program for your dog or cat. During these routine visits, Dr. James Gillen can also incorporate proactive preventative procedures, such as neutering. This common procedure goes far to keep your male dog healthy and promote household and communitywide health. 

When (and why) you should neuter

The apparent benefit is minimizing the number of roaming and otherwise “unclaimed” dogs in our communities. This has a public health and safety benefit. Additionally, intact dogs are generally at greater risk of developing severe health conditions, including cancers of the testicles and perianal tumors or adenomas. Unneutered dogs also tend to display undesirable mating behaviors. They may be aggressive and prone to escaping and spraying. 

By surgically removing the testicles as part of the orchiectomy or neutering procedure, these risks are avoided. Your pet is healthier and happier over the long term. Better relationships with other dogs, animals, and people in the household are also supported. 

There is always some risk involved with even the most routine surgical procedures. However, the many benefits of this process far outweigh the risk of neutered dogs developing rare side effects or complications from treatment. Due to these truths, Dr. Gillen recommends neutering your male dog or cat (and spaying female dogs or cats) as soon as possible. 

According to the American Animal Hospital Association guidelines, it is advised for small-breed dogs who weigh less than 45 pounds as adults to be neutered by the age of six months. For those large-breed dogs who weigh 45-plus pounds, neutering should be performed as soon as they stop growing. While the growth rate varies by breed, many large dogs grow no further by the ages of 9-15 months. 

We welcome any questions you may have about neutering your pet!

Call Orange Park Animal Hospital at Oakleaf at (904) 560 8006 to find out more and to schedule an appointment at our Jacksonville, FL office. 
Neutering and spaying is also a “covered service” under some of our affordable, in-house wellness plans for puppies, kittens, and adult cats and dogs.