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When is the Best time to Neuter your Basenji

Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  • ComicDom1C

    I have been researching the best time to Neuter Roo. I have done a lot of reading but there seems to be lots of conflicting information as well as conflicting opinions on the subject. Since our goal is to have the healthiest Basenji possible, I am looking for information on the subject from the most reliable sources.

    We own the book " Basenjis" A Complete Pet Owner's Manual, and it suggests we wait until Roo is 10 months to a year old before we Neuter. The author's reasoning behind this is the the claim, that during that time, "Basenji's as they have reached full sexual maturity. They no longer need the hormones for growth and development and altering them at this age prevents any of the problems of a sexually mature adult."

    I know many vets will neuter at 5 months of age, and some even sooner. I know shelter and rescue dogs get neutered at a young age so has their growth been affected?

    When do the growth plates really close?

    I ask this because I have read enough to know that it is not safe for the dog to be involved in agility until they are over a year old. If I remember correctly, the AKC does not allow a dog to compete in agility until they are 15 months of age.

    Here is a link with some interesting facts and opinions in regard to this subject:

    http://www.caninesports.com/SpayNeuter.html

    If anyone has any links to current information regarding my questions, I would appreciate you sharing them with me.

    Thanks in advance,

    Jason

    Get your Basenji Fanconi DNA tested today!

    https://secure.offa.org/dnatesting/index.html

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  • QuercusQ

    My own opinion is that you should wait as long as an intact dog is working for your situation. It is probably ideal to wait for a dog to be physically mature before you remove their reproductive hormone production center. So for most breeds that would be 10 mos to a year. But if you start to have problems, particularly with males due to the more assertive nature of testosterone, I would advocate neutering at 6 mos. Aggression, hyper-sexual behavior, and in-house marking would all be reasons I would want to neuter sooner, rather than later.

    Also, my opinion only, unless you are thinking SERIOUS canine athlete, in a small dog like a B, you could neuter after six months and not effect the health of the joints *unless there was already a underlying problem. If you are just thinking weekend 'warrior' kind of athletic events, I don't think early spay/neuter is going to make or break a dog.

    Andrea Walters

    Quercus Basenjis

    NW Ohio

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  • lvossL

    I have two male puppies that I placed as pets that were neutered under a year old. The male that was neutered at 6 months is slightly leggier than his other siblings but not very much. The one neutered at 10 months looks exactly like I would have expected for that litter. His litter brother was neutered this June at 18 months old. All of these boys are in active households and none have a problem with them.

    I agree with Andrea, I usually advise not neutering until a year old but if the owners are having issues with behavior during that first rutting season then it is fine to have them neutered then since most are around 10 months old by then.

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  • Ninabeana26N

    Dallas is 7 months & I was trying to wait until 10, after reading the same book as you mentioned in your post. However, Dallas is hyper-sexual in that he literally humps his toys every single day. So, I'm going to take him to be fixed by the end of the month. I agree that if you can wait, it's probably a good thing. However, if being unfixed is causing an issue I don't think it hurts to get it done a little sooner. At least that is what the vet convinced me. Haha. Good luck!

    Nina & my baby boy Dallas

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  • mauigirlM

    Hmm. We were planning on neutering Riley in early july when he will be almost 6 months. Now I'm having second thoughts. There aren't any behavior problems with he and Zip. I don't see him hump her at all. He did it a handful of times when we first got him but I haven't seen it in 3-4 weeks. I think she laid down some rules.
    He doesn't lift his leg at all. Zip is fixed, so there shouldn't be any issues come the fall if we keep him intact, right? But he'll probably react if he catches a whiff of any bitch in season? I obviously haven't done sufficient research on the effect an early neuter can have on development.

    His breeder has already asked if we had him neutered as it's in our contract (but we would do it anyway). She should be fine with our decision to wait, right?

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  • ComicDom1C

    @mauigirl:

    Hmm. We were planning on neutering Riley in early july when he will be almost 6 months. Now I'm having second thoughts. There aren't any behavior problems with he and Zip. I don't see him hump her at all. He did it a handful of times when we first got him but I haven't seen it in 3-4 weeks. I think she laid down some rules.
    He doesn't lift his leg at all. Zip is fixed, so there shouldn't be any issues come the fall if we keep him intact, right? But he'll probably react if he catches a whiff of any bitch in season? I obviously haven't done sufficient research on the effect an early neuter can have on development.

    His breeder has already asked if he had him neutered as it's in our contract (but we would do it anyway). She should be fine with our decision to wait, right?

    The best way to find out is to discuss it with your breeder directly if you can.

    Does your contract state that you have neuter your dog within a certain time limit?

    I will lay odds that your breeder will want you to do the healthiest thing for your Basenji, as long as your honor the neuter agreement.

    Jason

    Get your Basenji Fanconi DNA tested today!

    https://secure.offa.org/dnatesting/index.html

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  • tanzaT

    @mauigirl:

    Hmm. We were planning on neutering Riley in early july when he will be almost 6 months. Now I'm having second thoughts. There aren't any behavior problems with he and Zip. I don't see him hump her at all. He did it a handful of times when we first got him but I haven't seen it in 3-4 weeks. I think she laid down some rules.
    He doesn't lift his leg at all. Zip is fixed, so there shouldn't be any issues come the fall if we keep him intact, right? But he'll probably react if he catches a whiff of any bitch in season? I obviously haven't done sufficient research on the effect an early neuter can have on development.

    His breeder has already asked if he had him neutered as it's in our contract (but we would do it anyway). She should be fine with our decision to wait, right?

    I would just tell her that you would like to wait till he is a little closer to a year for full development and they neuter him… I don't think it will be a problem... Everyone has their own ideas about time to neuter... for me, I think around 7 to 10 months is a good time provided that you are not having any other issues....

    And yes, he will most likely react to other bitches in season, if there are any in your area... and some dog parks (at least I know for sure doggy day care) require that they be neutered/spayed by 6 months....

    Pat Fragassi

    Tanza Basenjis

    www.tanzabasenjis.net

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  • etzbsederE

    While we're at this, when they are neutered, how long do you have to keep them from licking? Can they lick in 4 days? or do you have to wait like 7-8 or what?

    Michael Feldman
    Gilbert, AZ

    Chaverim Basenjis

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  • tanzaT

    @etzbseder:

    While we're at this, when they are neutered, how long do you have to keep them from licking? Can they lick in 4 days? or do you have to wait like 7-8 or what?

    Not till the incision is well on the way to be healed (which would mean the incision is closed..)…. 4 days is not long enough... IMO

    Pat Fragassi

    Tanza Basenjis

    www.tanzabasenjis.net

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