When you adopt a puppy, it's a good practice to make an appointment with a veterinarian shortly after to have your puppy examined and get advice on vaccinations, flea care, and sterilization. If your puppy is a male, ask your vet about the right age to have them neutered. Unless you plan to breed your dog, neutering is a good idea.

This is surgery that removes your dog's testicles. This prevents unwanted breeding and has some health benefits such as lowering the risk of hormone-related diseases, reducing aggression, eliminating the chances of cancer of the testicles, and improving certain behaviors. Neuter services are easy to find and are usually fairly low cost. Here's an overview of the process.

Your Pet Has A Health Exam

Your pet is examined before surgery to make sure they're in good health and able to tolerate the neutering service. They may have a physical exam along with blood work. Once this work is complete, the surgery date is set and you'll need to bring your puppy back to the vet to have their testicles removed. This is a surgical procedure that is done much like surgery on people using anesthesia in an operating room.

Medications Are Given

Your pet will probably be given sedation to relax them before surgery. Once they're calm, an IV can be started so they can receive general anesthesia. The anesthesia makes your pet unconscious, so their breathing will be assisted and your puppy will be monitored closely by hooking them up to machines that let the vet watch breathing and heart rate.

The Testicles Are Removed

The vet makes an incision on your puppy's scrotum so the testicles can be removed. Once that's done, the incision is stitched. Your vet may use stitches that dissolve so they don't have to be taken out later. The final step is to allow your puppy time to recover.

It will probably take hours for the anesthesia to wear off. During this time, your puppy is monitored to make sure they recover properly and has no complications from the surgery. When your puppy is fully awake, you'll take them home to finish their recovery. Your puppy may or may not stay overnight at the vet's clinic.

Your Puppy Recovers At Home

It may take around a week for your puppy to recover. During this time, you need to watch your pet so they don't chew at their incision or develop an infection. Your puppy should have a quiet place to rest day and night that's away from other animals and kids. You'll need to control jumping and running too, so you may need to use a crate to help control your puppy until their incision has healed completely from being neutered.

Contact a veterinarian to learn more about neuter services. 

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