Hey guys, I’m sorry for not writing for so long. I hate it when that happens with blogs that I like 😦
My life has been pretty busy these past two months and it’s going to stay busy for a while… So if you don’t hear from me for another month or so it’s not because I decided to stop writing altogether, it’s just another stretch of craziness.
Speaking of which, I decided to take Ruby’s family jewels away. I don’t make this decision lightly. I know it is accepted, even highly desirable in certain parts of the world, and also among certain groups in Slovenia. But it doesn’t sit so well with me. In essence it means taking a perfectly functioning organ out of the body. It disturbs hormonal balance and makes other tissues work harder to make up for the deficit. There are some indications that neutering could be connected to behavioral and health issues.
Hiding behind the table leg on his last vet visit
However, in my view the pros outweigh the cons now. Ruby goes crazy when Java is in heat, so he has to spend two weeks with friends. Then when he comes back I go crazy because he looses his mind all over again even though Java is not in heat any more. This was no fun, but doable with lots of management, training control behaviors and remembering to be Zen about it. But things have changed and I won’t be able to board Ruby with a person I trust next time Java goes into heat. He is not the easiest dog to handle so there aren’t many people that I feel comfortable leaving him with. I think that in terms of his quality of life it will be best if he gets neutered so he can stay with me during those days.
So this is it. Enjoy the last intact days, my friend. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we won’t regret this!
Ruby The Whippet 
Oooh. Tough decision for sure. I will be vasectomizing Riko rather than neutering for the reasons you listed. All the behaviors will be the same but the ability to breed will be eliminated. I suppose you’ve already thought through alternatives for Java? She could have an ovary-sparing spay (only removes the uterus), unless you were looking to breed her at some point. Just a thought. 🙂
If I leave the hormone producing tissues then I will still have three weeks or so of hormonal craziness… so yes, I have thought it through.
I sympathize with your having to make this difficult decision. I wish there were some other alternative! I have felt bad about spaying or neutering some of my dogs, yet i did so as there wasn’t really a viable alternative in terms of quality of life.
Yeah, I’m hoping he will be just fine and I will feel silly for waiting this long 😛
I’m sure Ruby will be just fine! ~hugs~
Thank you! I know that majority of dogs don’t have any complications. I need to think positive 🙂
no worries, it won´t make him a different dog than he was. My whippet is neutered as well and it did not do him any harm, physically neither mentally. In opposite, when in training, he does not care about other dogs in heat and stays focused. There are still sometimes dogs in heat, that do attract him, however he is not that crazy about it as before and it is usually enough to say NO and he would not bother anymore. Fingers crossed for Ruby´s quick recovery!
Thank you, Martina! I’m glad it worked out so well for your whippet, I hope it will be the same with Ruby. He used to have a lot of problems working when there were females in heat nearby, but “luckily” we lived next to a park where there were a LOT of dogs passing through so there were always smells of females in heat around. In time we worked through it and he was able to do agility without a problem with a female in full-blown heat on the same course with him.
My old one is neutered too without any problems. I think for him it was a relief and he got much calmer but still loved to work. So don’t worry too much about it. I keep my fingers crossed that everything goes well.
Ruby is back home now and seems fine, considering. Thank you for your wishes! Hopefully Ruby will also be one of those no-problem cases 🙂
Tough decision indeed. I like intact dogs, but am considering to spay my male for the same eason. It’s no life for anyone when the female is in heat…
Yeah, those days can be rough. I’m very curious what changes I will see when Java comes in heat next time.