My dog has an enlarged prostate. Should I neuter him despite risks?

Absolutely. Actually, neutering is one way to treat a prostate hyperplasia (enlarged prostate). It should not affect him negatively. His prostate should get smaller, and he will not have any more discharge from his prepuce. If your dog has an inflamed prostate, it still needs treatment with an antibiotic prescribed by your vet.

Denzel is adorable! Since he has had 12 years of exposure to testosterone, neutering him at this point will not decrease his existing prostate enlargement. Anesthesia with a louder heart murmur can be slightly more high risk, but can still be performed in many cases after a cardiologist evaluation with an echocardiogram and cautious anesthetic monitoring. Consider discussing the risks vs. benefits of neutering Denzel at this point with your vet, but it is unlikely to change his prostate issue. I hope that all goes well!

Poor Alf! Studies have shown that neutering does not provide any protective effects against prostate cancer in dogs - in fact, neutered males have a slightly higher incidence of this disease than intact males. So I'm not quite sure about the reasoning for having him castrated, unless what your veterinarian meant was that Alf has prostatic cysts or benign prostatic enlargement - both of these things would be expected to improve with neutering. It would help to know exactly what diagnostics have been done and what the results were in order to give more specific advice - feel free to request a consultation with one of us if you want to upload copies of his lab reports and medical records for us to look at. Otherwise, if you're unsure about your current vet's recommendations, I would suggest going to another local vet for a second opinion, or requesting referral to a specialist for further evaluation.

He should be castrated. Twelve is not old for a small breed dog and age, in itself, is not a disease. If he is otherwise healthy he should be fine for surgery. Castration, in general, is a very short procedure.

I am sorry to hear about Prince. I am assuming your vet did a work-up including urinalysis and imaging (x-ray and ultrasound) to determine that a neuter is the recommended treatment for the hematuria. I am assuming that if they recommend a neuter it is because the issue is due to the prostate. If a work-up wasn't done to be certain this is the issue I would recommend one be done. We do have pets at this age go under anesthesia regularly, often for dental work. While anesthesia does pose risks for pets of any age, most do just fine, but it is recommended that they have pre-anesthetic bloodwork done to ensure that liver and kidney function are normal. I also recommend use of an IV catheter and fluids during anesthetic procedures and good anesthetic monitoring including pulse oximetry, blood pressure, and EKG in older patients. These tools help us keep the pet safe while under anesthesia. If your vet doesn't have the set up for good anesthetic monitoring, you can ask if they can refer you to a hospital that has this capability.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Popo. Neutering him will help to prevent against certain types of prostate diseases and even some forms of cancer. It will decrease his desire to roam looking for female dogs. It does not affect personality. Every surgery carries the risk of anesthesia. He could experience post-operative swelling or infection. Some adult dogs can gain weight after the surgery. So his calories need to be monitored. These risks are minimal in most cases though. I hope this information helps!

Hi there. Prostate removal is not a surgery that is normally done in dogs. I'm wondering if you meant that your veterinarian recommending neutering Harley? This is generally a very effective way of treating prostatic enlargement - so yes, I would agree that this is a good idea if the enlarged prostate is causing any problems such as difficulty peeing or pooping, or bleeding from the penis. His injured paw is a separate issue. He may have injured it in the fight with his brother, or by jumping off of something. He could also have arthritis or some other issue such as a bone tumor causing the pain and limping. I would recommend taking him to the vet to have this checked, as he may need x-rays to help determine the problem. Your veterinarian can also prescribe pain medication for him to help make him more comfortable.