Will neutering make my dog lazy and gain a lot of weight?

Good on you for neutering Damon! It's a very responsible decision to make, and will have many health benefits for him. He will be fine without being fed for one morning. It's imperative he is not fed or surgery cannot happen. All dogs must be fasted before surgery to prevent them from potentially regurgitating their food while under anesthesia. You may just have to deal with his barking for one morning, and it will be ok. It's temporarily. No, it's not true he will gain weight after surgery. As long as he is fed a healthy diet of dog food, doesn't get excess treats or any human food, and gets plenty of exercise, he will stay a normal weight. All my pets are spayed and neutered, and none of them have gained weight after surgery because I feed them a healthy diet and exercise them. Intact dogs can just as easily gain weight as neutered dogs if you feed them too much and don't exercise them. Dogs who are neutered are not dull afterward. I have a Basset Hound that was a former show dog, and he was about two when I first got him. He wasn't neutered at the time, and I neutered him. He is just as lively as before. You can expect that Damon will not want to roam for females to mate with, and any aggressive behaviors that are linked to hormones are usually typically eliminated with neutering. Damon will still be the same dog you had before surgery. I hope this helps :-)

Hello, you can continue to exercise Tux daily to keep him at a lean body weight. The exercise will also help keep his muscles toned. Alternatively, you can speak with your veterinarian about performing a vasectomy and not a castration. This will allow him to keep his testicles and be unable to reproduce. Most often however, dogs that maintain a regular active lifestyle with their owners will maintain a lean body weight. Hope this helps and best of luck.

The pining for females and going on a search for females takes a lot of energy and many male dogs stop eating during that time. Having him neutered will stop this and also keeping him inside and feeding him good quality food may make him gain weight again. However, having him neutered will be best to avoid him getting skinny.

Most pets lose weight for an underlying reason that should be found out and treated for directly. In puppies that reason is often intestinal parasites, so I would suggest starting with a proper fecal exam through your vet. Most pets, even unneutered males, will still eat an appropriate amount of food, regardless of hormonal influence. At this weight, he should be eating around 2.5- 3 cups daily, and he should still be eating puppy food which is high in calories and ensures proper weight gain in an of itself. Some good food brands to consider for picky eaters are: Royal canin, Eukanuba, Victor, or Fromm. You just have to find a brand he likes. Appetite stimulants are only necessary for sick pets, and also arent' guaranteed to work on pets, especially ones that are just being picky. You can also try adding in canned wet food to see if that encourages him to eat better. : ) Post neuter, he should have limited activity for 10-14 days, wear an e-collar during his recovery to discourage licking of the incision site, keep the incision clean and dry, and close monitoring of the incision site for any discharge or opening of the incision. If you do feel that Leo is ill, then its best to get him seen by your veterinarian right away for proper care. However, most Siberian Husky breeds are on the leaner side, so it is very possible he is of proper weight already, check with your vet who can do a proper physical exam and determine this for you. Best of luck with your puppy Leo moving forward. Best wishes and take care.

You can try any food that mentions weight loss. Most of them will simply instruct you to feed less food than you are currently feeding, so another option is to simply decrease his current food intake. If he gets 2 cups a day, then start with 1.5 cups per day for a month and see what weight loss occurs. If you don't see results with that plan, discuss a prescription weight loss food with your vet. They are higher in fiber to keep dogs full while still decreasing caloric intake.

The only behaviors that will be affected by castration are those that are under the influence of male hormones. So for example, a dog’s temperament, training, and personality, are related to genetics and upbringing, not hormones. Neutering does not “calm” an excitable dog, and unless a castrated male dog is overfed or underexercised, there is no reason for it gain weight or become inactive. The undesired traits which are related to male hormones such as sexual behaviours, aggression, and urine marking will change over the course of a few days to a few months. I hope that is helpful information and I wish you the best of luck with Nipper's surgery.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lacey. Spaying a dog has the potential to slow her metabolism. This can lead to weight gain. Some dogs will require a 25% reduction in calories after the surgery. Since she has gained weight, I recommend that you accurately measure her daily calories and decrease the amount you are feeding her. Only offer very small treats and avoid human food as this can extra unnecessary calories. I hope this information helps!