Spaying and Neutering Your Labrador Dogs

All owners of Labrador dogs will need to consider whether or not to spray or neuter their pets. Of course, if you are looking to breed from your Lab than this question won’t arise but, for the vast majority of Lab owners, it is an issue that needs addressing whilst the dog or bitch is still young.

The biggest factor in favour of spaying and neutering is that it is the only permanent, 100-percent effective method of birth control for Labrador dogs. And this is very important.

Spaying or neutering your pet means that your Lab and its potential offspring won't contribute to the population of unwanted pets which is increasing on a daily basis and is a real headache for animal welfare groups and local authorities.

Although there are numerous myths and urban legends surrounding the issue, spaying and neutering often means that the owner can enjoy theirLabrador dogs even more. Female pets that have been spayed do not go into heat and males will often undergo a positive personality adjustment.

The other massive benefit from getting our Labs spayed or neutered is that the risks of breast or testicular cancer is reduced to virtually nil.

This fact alone should sway any Lab owners who are still undecided about whether to have the procedure performed on their dogs.

Is It Safe?

the safety of their dogs whilst the operation is taking place is a very real concern for all Lab owners.

However, early age spaying and neutering is safe and effective, so talk with your veterinarian about the issue the very first time you take your pet to see him. Your vet will be only too pleased to fully explain the procedure to you.

Licensed veterinarians perform the spay or neuter operation while the pet is under anaesthesia and your dog will be back home with you by the end of the day.

Recovery Times

Recovery times vary. From my personal experienced dogs that have been neutered recover very quickly but I have had different experiences with the two bitches I have had spayed.

The first bitch took a couple of days to come back to herself but the second bitch reacted as though nothing whatsoever had happened and was running around and getting into mischief as soon as I got her home.

I think the difference in recovery may be down to the fact that the second bitch was much younger than the first when she had the operation. Most vets do recommend that bitches are spayed before they first come into season and my personal experience would seem to back that up.

Summary

By spaying and neutering our Labrador dogs we are not only going a long way to protecting them from diseases such as some cancers but we are also doing our bit to reduce the problem of unwanted animals on our streets.

Even pedigree dogs can add to the problem of unwanted dogs if they manage to escape from their owners for a period of time. There is no doubt we need to reduce the number of unwanted animals and by spaying and neutering your Lab, you can be an important part of the solution.

Related Articles 

 Neutering A Labrador 

Myths Of Spaying & Neutering 

Spaying A Labrador 

All About Health And Labrador Dogs 

Food And Nutrition For Labs 

Labradors At Home 

Return To The Labrador Retriver Guide Home Page