STERILISATION OF DOGS IN SINGAPORE
THE YOUNG SINGAPOREAN DOG OWNER'S ANTI-CRUELTY
MINDSET
Educational Article written: Dec 29, 2004.
Updated: Dec 13, 2009
Dr Sing Kong Yuen, BVMS (Glasgow), MRCVS
Breast cancer if you don't sterilise your bitch?
"Why
don't you tell the owner that the bitch will get breast cancer if she
is not sterilised?" an experienced dog groomer asked me when I went
to his pet shop to vaccinate his puppies for sale in 2004. "You will increase your revenue as
prices in Singapore keep going up every year."
"I should encourage breeding," I said. "So, that you will have more
dogs to groom!"
There is a conflict of interest for a private veterinarian to recommend
spaying to every dog owner as he generates income from surgeries.
I don't feel comfortable frightening new puppy owners
about breast and testicular cancers and therefore do not talk about
controlling the unwanted dog, cat and pet population that is said to
number around 10,000 per year in Singapore (SPCA statistics).
In any case, many younger Singaporeans from the X-file generation feel
that it is un-natural to sterilise their pets. They are aware of the
pros and cons of the surgery as the internet provides a rich source of
information easily.
The main reason Singaporeans sterilise their dogs are:
1. The blood from the bitch in heat dirties the
apartment. Pet shops sell pads to be worn by the bitch and this
resolves the problem.
2.
The considerably reduced annual dog licence fee for spayed
females is an incentive for spaying. (Update: In 2009, dog
licence fees for a sterilised male or female dog is $14.00
compared to $70.00 for an intact dog of either sex).
3.
Accidental mating may also occur if there is a male dog. I have a case
of a female Silkie terrier mated by a Shetland sheepdog in an
apartment and needed Caesarean delivery.
Does spaying of the bitch prevent breast cancer and womb
infection in the older bitch (more than 7 years old)?
It does reduce the incidence of breast cancer but few
Singaporeans think of cancer when the bitch is still a puppy!
Neutering the male dog.
As for neutering of male dogs by Singaporeans, the reasons are:
1.
Making the apartment smell of urine.
Some mature male
dog spray drops of urine onto the walls and furniture, making
family members angry.
One Maltese gets beaten by the
father but still he continues to spray urine. I saw the case
when the dog passes a lot of fresh blood in his urine. A
young lady brought him for examination and confirmed that the
dog was beaten hard on his kidney area many times for
misbehaving.
Neutering of this dog early would have given
peace of mind to the father and no physical punishment to the
poor dog. No urine stench inside the house too!
2. Aggressive biting of children and the care-giver who
is of a gentle personality. Sometimes,
the dog is
euthanased as they become uncontrollable. The 2 species of male
aggressors are usually the Jack Russell and the Cocker
Spaniel living in the apartment.
3. Gripping people with both legs
as if the dog wants to mate with the person. This can be
traumatic to visitors especially female guests.
4. Undescended testicle. Yes, the probability of the
undescended testicle becoming cancerous is higher than descended
ones. Most owners fail to detect the cancer in the older
dog (more than 7 years old).
Is sterilisation
safe for the dog and when to do it?
In 99% of the surgical
cases, the normal bitch or dog does not die from the anaesthesia
or surgery. Toa Payoh Vets' recommended time
to sterilise is after 6 months
of age for the male and 2 months after the first bleeding for
the female dog if you wish to sterilise them early. This
may mean the male dog is 8 months old and the female dog is
10-12 months old at the time of sterilisation.
Consult your vet for his or her advices. Work closely and
happily with your own vet in the best interest of your pet.
SPAYING THE
FEMALE DOG
AT TOA PAYOH VETS
A
1.5 cm cut into the skin. The ovaries and uterine horns are hooked out
and removed.
The
skin and muscles below the skin are stitched up with absorbable
stitches.
A
bandage prevents the bitch licking the wound. The bandage is to be
checked daily and be removed in 7-10 days' time.
Gas
anaesthesia is used during spay. The bitch usually wakes up before the
last stitch is tied. The bitch goes home in the evening. There is no
need to go to the vet at Toa Payoh Vets for stitch removal
generally.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT TOA PAYOH VETS' DOG CARE IS AT:
Dogs
TOA PAYOH VETS
WEBPAGE IN DEC 13, 2009
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT TOA PAYOH VETS' DOG CARE IS AT:
Dogs
TOA
PAYOH VETS
