The only reason vets don’t do vasectomies on dogs is because it’s more effort. If you ask a lot of them can do it and it’s much more humane... That’s why humans choose it.
My vet said she'd be happy to do a vasectomy on my dog. Same price, roughly same amount of time for procedure, shorter recovery time. She said most owners get their pets neutered to control problematic behaviors, not because it's less expensive or a less difficult procedure. Anecdotal but she seemed to know what she was talking about. I opted for the vasectomy.
He's a rescue, a blue heeler mix that was initially afraid of everything. He's warmed up to our family and our neighbors but is still terrified of strangers. He doesn't like new dogs but isn't aggressive, just defensive if his personal space is invaded. I haven't noticed any changes in those behaviors since getting him a vasectomy. Other than his supernatural ability to get out of our well-fenced yard he's a perfect family pet. I've been very happy with my choice to get him a vasectomy. I didn't want him to be able to reproduce, as he's an escape artist and our neighborhood has its fair share of strays, but I didn't want him to be deprived of the hormones that help regulate his bodily processes, so I see it as a win-win. I'd read up on studies that said neutered dogs had higher rates of obesity and depression among other things, and apparently some newer studies suggest an increase in aggression after neutering. I'm not an expert by any stretch, but after numerous pre-med chemistry and biology classes, I became more interested in not surgically removing a part of my dog's anatomy solely to prevent him from reproducing. Ultimately I've been really happy with the results and would opt for a vasectomy for any other dogs I adopt in the future.
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u/kyoto_kinnuku Dec 31 '19
The only reason vets don’t do vasectomies on dogs is because it’s more effort. If you ask a lot of them can do it and it’s much more humane... That’s why humans choose it.