Effect of castration on the animal

Castration of your pet is an event that happens in the owners' family at one time or another in the animal's life. And more and more often, the question arises whether the character, habits, and activity of the dog or cat will change after the operation, because for the owner, it is a family member and a loving child.

Castration is performed not only as a routine surgery, but also for emergency purposes. First of all, these are inflammatory processes in the uterus or testes that require immediate surgical intervention due to systemic pathological effects on the animal's body. Cysts or neoplasms can also pose a threat to the life and health of the animal, so they also need to be removed. In this case, when there is a problem with the animal's health, the psycho-emotional changes that can be expected from castration of females and males are not really in the first place.

Among the positive changes that appear after castration are that animals become less aggressive, more friendly with each other, and there is no need to divide the territory. We are all used to living in a society, and animals constantly need to adapt. A pet's temperament, whether phlegmatic or choleric, has a significant impact on its character, and, accordingly, owners may encounter different behavioral peculiarities.

• Speaking of males (cats, dogs), after castration, they become less likely to run away in search of females; this also means a reduction in the likelihood of injuries during a fight and the spread of disease. Another feature of uncastrated males is that they can mark their territory with urine, which has a specific odor. In this case, castration can remove such undesirable behavior and pungent urine odor. We also prevent possible prostate problems in males by performing this operation.
• Removing the testes and ovaries can further affect the animal's hormonal levels and slow down its metabolism. This means that the animal may indeed start eating more and sleeping more after the operation, but this is only because it has stopped reproducing and does not need to run somewhere or look for someone. The brain is no longer guided by the impulsive behavior characteristic of sexual desire, but only by habits in everyday life. You may also notice a slight increase in body weight as a result of decreased activity and a surplus of calories.

What should you do in this case?

• Firstly, do not overfeed your pet, even if your pet is asking for it. If treats are added to the diet, reduce the amount of dry/wet food in the main diet to prevent overeating. It is also advisable to periodically weigh your pet so as not to miss the onset of a weight problem.
• Second, you should try to encourage your cat to spend its leisure time actively. There is a wide range of interactive games and educational toys for cats that are kept in an apartment.

• Urinary incontinence is an undesirable symptom that can be observed in female dogs of large breeds after castration, because female sex hormones are responsible for the normal functioning and tone of the bladder. Given that ovarian removal can alter hormonal levels, about 10-15% of female dog owners may experience urinary incontinence in their pet during sleep, play, or when changing body position. This problem can be treated with medication and brought under control.

However, judging by the possible problems that occur in uncastrated animals with age, periodic administration of maintenance medications is not a problem for the owner.