The main purpose of neutering a dog is to prevent its reproduction. But does a neutered dog no longer have testosterone production? To answer this question, this blog article will talk about the endocrinology of testosterone production in dogs and how important it is to their lives.
How long after neutering a dog is testosterone gone?
The hormone testosterone is produced mainly by the testes with a smaller amount from the adrenal glands. So after castration the animal can have circulating testosterone in the first week. It is believed that from the second week, testosterone is below the reference value.
A 2015 study by Vanderstichel and colleagues indicated that after four months of the castration procedure, testosterone was already lower and remained low for up to six months post castration.
Testosterone will never disappear after neutering a dog because it continues to be produced in small amounts by the Adrenal. Thus, dogs will maintain a basal concentration of this hormone throughout their lives.
Importance of testosterone in dogs
Testosterone is especially important for young animals as it is responsible for the appearance of secondary sexual characteristics, inducing bone and muscle growth, causing male dogs to increase in size.
Also testosterone is a hormone that is involved in many metabolic activities, such as the production of blood cells in the bone marrow, lipid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, in addition to being responsible for prostate growth.
Why is castration important for dogs?
Castration is a very widespread surgical practice among veterinary clinicians, but with few discussions about the benefits and the real recommendations, disadvantages, and contraindications. Below are some of the benefits and harms of castration.
Benefits of Castration:
- Population control;
- Prevention of pathologies of the reproductive system such as testes tumor;
- Prevention of benign prostatic hyperplasia;
- In some dogs it can reduce territory demarcation and aggression.
Harms of castration:
- Increased occurrence of tumors such as osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma and others;
- Increased incidence of orthopedic diseases;
- It favors the weight gain of the animals.
Castration can be a useful tool in reducing the incidence of some tumors of the male reproductive tract. Through castration we can prevent the development of prostatic hyperplasia in elderly dogs and of course the most common benefit, population control.
However, recent studies point against castration, such as the possibility of increased risk of orthopedic problems, obesity, increased incidence of some tumors such as hemangiosarcoma, osteosarcoma, among others, in addition to the risks of surgery itself, including problems with anesthetics.
Even knowing the benefits of castration for dogs, its harm must be considered. Owners and veterinarian must agree on the animal’s general health status, owner’s breeding intent, breed, age and location. Thus, the veterinarian can help the tutor in the decision to neuter or not and when to neuter the dog, in order to avoid health problems for the animal.
Conclusion
With this article we were able to understand that neutering will not eliminate testosterone from the dog’s organism. Finally, it was also presented a little about the benefits and harms of castration and how important it is to decide for castration with veterinary help.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): How long after neutering a dog is testosterone gone?
Why is testosterone important?
Testosterone is especially important for young animals as it is responsible for the appearance of secondary sexual characteristics, inducing bone and muscle growth, causing male dogs to increase in size.
Also testosterone is a hormone that is involved in many metabolic activities, such as the production of blood cells in the bone marrow, lipid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, in addition to being responsible for prostate growth.
How does the male castration procedure work?
The castration of the male is called orchiectomy and the removal of the testicles of the animal is done. In this way, there is a suppression of sperm production and the production of hormones such as testosterone.
What are the benefits of neutering a male dog?
The benefits of neutering a male dog are:
- Population control;
- Prevention of pathologies of the reproductive system such as testes tumor;
- Prevention of benign prostatic hyperplasia;
- In some dogs it can reduce territory demarcation and aggression.
References
de la Riva, G. T., Hart, B. L., Farver, T. B., Oberbauer, A. M., Messam, L. L. M., Willits, N., & Hart, L. A. (2013). Neutering dogs: effects on joint disorders and cancers in golden retrievers. PloS one, 8(2), e55937.
Hart, B. L., Hart, L. A., Thigpen, A. P., & Willits, N. H. (2016). Neutering of German Shepherd Dogs: associated joint disorders, cancers and urinary incontinence. Veterinary Medicine and Science, 2(3), 191-19
McGreevy, P. D., Wilson, B., Starling, M. J., & Serpell, J. A. (2018). Behavioural risks in male dogs with minimal lifetime exposure to gonadal hormones may complicate population-control benefits of desexing. PLoS One, 13(5), e0196284.
McGuire, B. (2019). Effects of gonadectomy on scent-marking behavior of shelter dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 30, 16-24.
Reichler, I. M. (2009). Gonadectomy in cats and dogs: a review of risks and benefits. Reproduction in Domestic Animals, 44, 29-35.
Vanderstichel, R., Forzan, M. J., Perez, G. E., Serpell, J. A., & Garde, E. (2015). Changes in blood testosterone concentrations after surgical and chemical sterilization of male free-roaming dogs in southern Chile. Theriogenology, 83(6), 1021-1027.
Witsberger, T. H., Villamil, J. A., Schultz, L. G., Hahn, A. W., & Cook, J. L. (2008). Prevalence of and risk factors for hip dysplasia and cranial cruciate ligament deficiency in dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 232(12), 1818-1824.
Picture from pixabay.com
