Why should I spay or neuter my Frenchie?
If this is you, you are in the right place.
This guide will give you everything you need about spaying and neutering. It includes details on how the procedure is done, the benefits, possible risks, and costs.
Read on for this and more.
Health Benefits of To Spay or Neuter
Spaying and neutering can save your dog’s life. According to studies, spayed or neutered dogs live happier, healthier, and longer lives. The following are the health benefits of spaying or neutering your Frenchie:
- It reduces the risk of breast and mammary cancer: Spaying your female French Bulldog can help reduce its risk of developing mammary cancer. This is highly fatal and affects about 50% of dogs. It also eliminates the risk of uterine and ovarian cancer, which is highly common in unspayed dogs.
- It prevents pyometra: Spaying can help save your dog’s life by preventing pyometra. This is a fatal infection of the uterus in unspayed female dogs. It’s estimated that about 25% of female dogs develop this condition.
- It eliminates the risk of testicular cancer: Neutering your dog can help eliminate the risk of testicular cancer and lower the risk of prostate problems in male dogs. Neutering also minimizes the likelihood of perianal tumors and hernias, common in older unaltered dogs.
- Spaying your Frenchie prevents heat cycles and eliminates bloody vaginal discharge, yowling, crying, and other erratic behaviors.
What does research show about spaying or neutering pets?
There’s insufficient data regarding the right time to spay or neuter your pet. However, emerging research suggests a link between sterilization status and the timing of the procedure and some diseases such as obesity, urinary incontinence, cancer, and behavioral problems. It’s important to consult an AAHA-accredited veterinarian regarding the right age to spay or neuter your dog.
Neutering a French Bulldog
There’s a lot of debate, with people having different opinions and suggestions regarding neutering French Bulldogs. However, neutering your male Frenchie is advisable unless you plan on breeding it. This can help reduce the risk of prostate cancer, minimize bad behaviors such as aggression, territorial marking, and mounting, and prevent unwanted pregnancies.
French Bulldog puberty age
Frenchies enter puberty age at around 4-9 months. Your dog experiences hormonal changes at this age, which may result in behavioral issues. You can expect lots of troubles equivalent to that of a teenager. During this time, Frenchies begin to develop sexual maturity. This is the best time to neuter your French Bulldog.
French Bulldog neutering cost
The cost of neutering a French Bulldog depends on the location, individual vets, and the condition of the dog’s testicles. Generally, you can expect to pay between £ 150-£200 for neutering in the UK and between $125-$175 in the US.
Pros and Cons of Neutering Your French Bulldog
The following are the advantages and disadvantages of neutering French Bulldogs:
Pros
- It promotes a longer and healthier life: Neutering your dog drastically reduces the likelihood of your Frenchie getting some infections, inflammations, and certain cancers, enhancing its life expectancy.
- It reduces bad behaviors: Neutered dogs are less prone to aggression and other dominance-related behavior. Neutering your Frenchie will make it calmer and less likely to attack, bite, or get into fights with other dogs.
- Reduces unwanted pregnancies: Neutering limits the chances of a male Frenchie impregnating the female counterparts and producing an unwanted litter.
- It results in a cleaner Frenchie and home: Neutering helps to stop your dog from passing body discharge from their genitals. This leaves your dog and home cleaner.
- It prevents dog overpopulation: Neutering reduces the number of stray dogs and prevents them from getting into or causing accidents, getting into garbage cans, and damaging property.
Cons
- It’s expensive: Neutering a Frenchie is a costly procedure contributing to the high cost of owning a French bulldog.
- Reaction to anesthesia: Some Frenchies don’t react well to general anesthesia used for surgeries; hence your dog may get some complications.
- It may not result in desired behavior change: Neutering may sometimes fail to solve problematic behaviors in some French Bulldogs.
- It may affect bone development: Neutering removes reproductive hormones from your dog’s body, possibly affecting bone development.
Common myths dispelled
There are several misconceptions about neutering dogs and its effects. However, they are just myths. The following are some of the myths that we need to bust when it comes to neutering:
- Neutering will make my Frenchie obese and lazy: Obesity in dogs is mainly caused by overeating and lack of exercise. While it’s true that neutering causes hormonal changes, which may result in slowed metabolism and increased appetite, feeding your dog the proper diet with lower calories and keeping them sufficiently exercised will keep it from becoming fat and lazy.
- Neutering will change my Frenchie’s personality: Any change after neutering your dog will be for the better. Neutering will only eliminate unwanted behaviors such as territorial marking, mounting, and aggression.
- My Frenchie will become less protective: This is not true because a dog’s protective instincts are inborn and can be enforced through training.
- Neutering is not painful: Like any other surgical process, neutering is expensive. That’s why it is carried out under general anesthesia. Your Frenchie may also experience post-operative pain.
- My dog will die from the anesthetics: It’s true that some Frenchies don’t react well to some anesthetics and may experience minor complications. However, your dog is unlikely to die as the anesthetics used by vets are generally very safe.
Possible (but rare) complications
Although neutering is generally very safe, some complications may arise, like any other surgical procedure.
Being a brachycephalic dog breed with a flat face, Frenchies may experience breathing problems during surgery. As such, they need milder anesthetics such as sevoflurane. It’s also important for your vet to be completely familiar with the French Bulldog breed.
What to Expect After Neutering Your Frenchie?
While your vet will give you instructions on how to care for your dog and what to do, this is what you can generally expect:
- Your dog’s appetite may go down for a few days after neutering, but it will soon return to normal.
- You may need to keep a cone around your Frenchie’s neck to keep it from reaching the wound.
- You must limit physical exercise for a few days to prevent the wound and stitches from opening.
- You’ll need to watch out for any signs of infections.
- Your dog’s scrotal region will eventually flatten to resemble a flap of skin rather than the two testicles it previously had.
French Bulldog Spay Surgery
Spaying a French Bulldog is a relatively simple procedure that involves removing its reproductive organs. The procedure can be done in two methods: ovariohysterectomy (which involves removing both the ovaries and the uterus) or ovariectomy( where only the ovaries are removed).
How the procedure works
The Frenchie will receive a shot before the procedure to help her relax and manage the pain. Then a general anesthetic is administered to make the procedure painless for your dog. Additionally, a breathing tube is inserted down your Frenchie’s throat.
The Frenchie is then positioned on a heated surface throughout the operation, and its heart rate and oxygen levels are closely observed throughout the entire process.
After this, the vet will make a tiny incision below the belly button. The vet removes the reproductive system, including the ovaries and the uterus, through the abdomen. The incision is then closed up. Vets usually use two layers of dissolvable material to sew the abdominal skin.
How long does spay surgery take?
A spay surgery takes between 20 minutes and 1 hour, depending on your dog’s age and size and whether the dog is on heat at the time of surgery. When a Frenchie is in heat, there will be more blood, making the reproductive tract more delicate.
What is the recovery time?
Some Frenchies wake up from anesthesia at least 30 minutes after spay surgery. However, they need a longer time for the wound to recover fully. Vets recommend a minimum of 14 days for a Frenchie to recover from spay surgery.
French Bulldog spay recovery tips
To avoid any complications and risks that may occur after spay surgery, there are a few things you should do during your Frenchie’s recovery period:
- Closely monitor the scar to ensure it’s healing correctly.
- Limit your dog’s physical activity.
- Keep your Frenchie indoors during the recovery period.
- Use a head cone to keep your dog from licking the spay scar.
- Watch your dog for any behavioral change.
- Avoid bathing your dog 10 days after the surgery.
Will a scar be left?
Yes, a small scar will be left after the surgery. However, this will become invisible once the hair grows back. The scar size will depend on how well your dog was stitched.
Can there be any complications?
Yes, like with any other surgery, some complications may arise with the spaying procedure. Being brachycephalic dogs, Frenchies are even more prone to risk. A dog’s age can also contribute to the risk. However, while complications arising from a spay procedure are extremely rare, it’s important to consult your vet about your dog’s health before the surgery if you have some concerns.
Some of the risks that can occur include:
- Aspiration pneumonia
- Reaction to anesthetic
- Vomiting, gagging, or retching under anesthetic
- Opening of the spay wound
- Infection of the incision
French Bulldog spay surgery costs
Spaying costs vary based on your dog’s size and location. On average, if you are in the UK, you can expect to pay around £170 or £350 if you opt for keyhole spaying, which is more expensive.
In the US, French Bulldog spay surgery costs between $135- $300 on average. The prices also vary depending on your location and the chosen spaying method.
The pros and cons to spay surgery
Here are the pros and cons of having your Frenchie spayed:
Pros
- It eliminates unwanted pregnancies.
- Enhances your dog’s quality of life and lifespan.
- Minimizes the risk of uterine inflammation and infections.
- It reduces your dog’s heat period.
- It minimizes the risk of tumors and cancers.
Cons
- It may lead to post-surgical infections
- It can cause complications resulting from a possible reaction to anesthetics.
- It may lead to the loss of bladder muscle tone resulting in incontinence.
Is it better to spay or not to spay French Bulldog?
While there may be possible risks, it’s advisable to spay your French Bulldog as the benefits of spaying far outweigh the risks. It can improve your dog’s quality of life and life span.
When should a female French Bulldog be spayed?
Vets recommend spaying a female Frenchie before her first heat cycle, which occurs between 5-10 months. The best time to spay a female Frenchie is thus between the ages of 4-6 months. This can help reduce the risk of uterine infections, cancer, and unwanted pregnancy.
Is it more important to spay or neuter?
Both spaying and neutering are important for French Bulldogs as they have health benefits. The only difference is that neutering is for male dogs, while spaying is for females. Spaying/ neutering can increase the chances of a longer and healthier life.
What happens if I don’t neuter my Frenchie?
Failure to neuter your Frenchie puts it at a higher risk of developing serious prostate infections, testicular tumors, and cancer. Unneutered Frenchies are more likely to be aggressive and display undesirable behaviors.
Are dogs healthier if they are neutered?
Yes, neutering your dog can help minimize the risk of some infections and diseases, enhancing the chances of a longer and healthier life.
Is it morally wrong to neuter a dog?
Whether it’s morally wrong to neuter a dog or not is a personal opinion because pets don’t care about sterilization as humans do.
What are the risks of not spaying my dog?
Unspayed dogs are more prone to life-threatening health conditions such as pyometra, ovarian, uterine, and mammary cancer.
What is the negative effect of spaying?
Spaying may slow down your dog’s metabolism rate, which can consequently lead to overfeeding and obesity. It may impact bone and muscle development if not done at the right time.
Do spayed dogs live longer than unspayed dogs?
Yes, spaying dogs increases the chances of living a longer and healthier life. This is because it reduces the risk of some diseases and infections.
Should French bulldogs be neutered?
You should neuter your French Bulldog unless you plan on breeding it. This will improve their health and reduce unwanted behaviors such as mounting, territorial urine marking, and fighting with other dogs.
Can dogs live without being neutered?
Yes, dogs can live without being neutered. However, there are clear health benefits of neutering. Neutered dogs are believed to live a longer and healthier life.
Should you spay your French Bulldog?
Yes, you should spay your Frenchie. Spaying benefits your dog’s health as it can help prevent certain cancers like uterine and ovarian cancer and breast tumors. It also helps eliminate unwanted pregnancies.
Will spaying my French bulldog calm her down?
Yes, spaying your Frenchie will prevent them from being on heat, thus reducing their desire to roam looking for a mate. Spaying your dog can also make it less aggressive.
When should you spay a French Bulldog?
The best age to spay a French Bulldog is 4-6 months before its first heat cycle. This can reduce the risk of uterus infections, cancers, and unwanted pregnancies.
Will neutering my French Bulldog calm him down
Neutering can have a calming effect on your French Bulldog. This is because it affects its hormones and reduces its desire to hunt for a mate. It will also make it less aggressive to other dogs.
Do French Bulldogs need a cone after neutering
You may need to keep a cone around your French Bulldog’s neck to keep it from scratching or licking the neutering scar.
What age should you neuter a Bulldog?
It’s best to neuter your Bulldog between the ages of 4-9 months while it’s still in its adolescent stage, as this will have several health and behavioral benefits.
Final Thoughts
Unless you plan on breeding your Frenchie Bulldog, it’s important to consider neutering it. Fixing your dog offers various health and behavioral benefits. Besides preventing undesirable behaviors, spaying/neutering can minimize the risk of diseases like cancer.
There are several misconceptions regarding spaying/neutering dogs. Additionally, just like any surgery, the procedure has some risks. As such, it’s crucial to consult your vet in case you have concerns about the health condition and safety of your Frenchie before commencing the procedure.
