Is neutering safe for my older dog with an enlarged prostate?

this could be cancerous but could also be a testicular infection or inflammation. At 14 he can safely be castrated if he is healthy. Your veterinarian will examine your dog pre-surgery and determine whether it is safe to give him anesthesia for the surgery.

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!

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.

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.

Hello. I am so sorry for your worries with Biggi. Please do not be afraid of the surgery to neuter him. It may not take care of all his problems with the prostrate gland, but may help. As long as Biggi is in good health as evidenced by normal blood work, has no obvious cardiac or pulmonary problems, then neutering him should not put him in any danger. All surgery carries a small risk, but if you trust your veterinarian, Biggi should sail through the surgery. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This depends entirely on the patient. Castration in older dogs is often recommended to manage hormonal dependent conditions, certain prostate issues or to remove testicular tumours. Risks include mostky surgical and anaesthetic risks in an older dog

Not at all. As long as he is a good candidate for anesthesia he is not too old to be neutered. Older dogs are more likely to develop prostatic disease and other medical problems are avoided by neutering.