Can an Older Male Dog Be Desexed?
Pet desexing has numerous clear benefits for male dogs. It can help to repress certain behaviour issues. Additionally, it can be advantageous to your dog's health, eliminating medical issues directly related to the testes, as well as minimising the chance of future prostate problems. And desexing also means that your dog won't contribute to the creation of any unwanted puppies. But does desexing still have the same benefits for an older dog?
Not Just for Younger Dogs
While desexing is typically performed on younger animals, this is not exclusively the case. The procedure is often recommended shortly before a dog reaches puberty, although the specific age for this can vary slightly. If your dog wasn't desexed while he was younger, it's not as though he's not ineligible.
An older dog can still benefit from desexing, but the very fact that the procedure requires surgery can complicate matters. It's very much routine surgery and isn't notably invasive, but all surgery carries some risks. These risks are not necessarily related to your dog's age, however, they can be linked to additional health complaints which are more common in older dogs.
Existing Health Issues
Certainly, your vet will be well aware of any health complications that your dog may have already faced. Whether or not this hinders your dog's eligibility for desexing really depends on the nature of the previous health condition and how it may have impacted your dog's current wellbeing. More generally, issues such as obesity may need to be addressed to minimise the possibility of complications relating to the surgery.
After Desexing
When the surgery has been performed, your dog's recovery will be fairly predictable. Older dogs may require slightly longer to recover, but there's no cause for alarm. The surgery site will be swollen for some days, and your dog may attempt to interfere with the stitches. Your vet can provide a pet cone to prevent this. Your dog's energy level and appetite may be reduced in the days following the surgery, but they will quickly return to their previous levels. These general guidelines are the same regardless of the dog's age, but any issues may linger when a dog's age means they require slightly longer to fully recover.
Just because your dog wasn't desexed earlier in life, it doesn't mean that they can't undergo the procedure when they're an adult. Reach out to a vet to discuss pet desexing.