When To Spay or Neuter a Cane Corso? The Procedure, Aftercare, Benefits
So you’ve just brought home your new four-legged family member, a female Cane Corso puppy.
There’s a lot to do when dogs are young, such as veterinarian checkups, flea and tick prevention, and worm prevention.
It seems that puppies go to the vet almost as often as children go to their doctors when they are young. The next thing on your list is to decide if you want to spay your dog.
Each vet has a slightly different timeline in which they will spay your pooch–but the rule of thumb is somewhere between four and nine months.
Why Is There Such A Broad Timeline to Get My Cane Corso Spayed?
The best time to get your female Cane Corso spayed is before she goes into her first heat cycle, although some vets disagree with this timeline because it can increase the risk of mammary tumors in female dogs. Your best bet is to ask your vet and follow those recommendations.
When To Spay or Neuter a Cane Corso?
The best time to spay or neuter a Cane Corso is between 6 and 18 months. Depending on when your dog reaches puberty, it may be possible to spay or neuter as early as four months of age. It also depends on your dog’s health; It is essential to consult with your veterinarian about the timing of this procedure.
If you get an adult female, Cane Corso, she should be able to be still spayed as long as she isn’t very old and will do just fine with this simple procedure.
What Exactly is Dog Spaying?
Spaying is when a female dog has her uterus and ovaries removed so she can’t become pregnant.
There are also two incomplete procedures in which the ovaries are removed, and a portion of the uterus is left intact, or when only the ovaries are removed, and the entire uterus is left intact.
The incomplete procedures can lead to different symptoms when your dog goes into heat. If the ovaries remain intact and leave the uterus partially or whole can cause a female dog to have pyometra.
This disease is usually found in older female dogs when they are unspayed, or the spay is incomplete.
Pyometra is a severe bacterial infection in the uterus that can lead to a system-wide infection in your dog or even blood poisoning.
It can also cause the uterus to rupture, and the infection spreads into the abdomen, leading to shock and death.
What Exactly is Dog Neutering?
Neutering is an essential procedure for male dogs because it eliminates the potential health risks posed by testicular cancer and reduces the risk of other reproductive diseases.
Neutering can also reduce aggressive behaviors, such as roaming in search of females to mate, fighting with other males over female partners, marking territory through urination, and displaying other unwanted behaviors like excessive licking or mounting.
Also, neutering helps prevent pet overpopulation by reducing the number of unwanted puppies born yearly. Therefore, neutering is an essential part of responsible pet ownership.
Benefits of Spaying My Cane Corso
There are many benefits to spaying your female dog for both the owners, the dog and your peace of mind.
The most important benefit is that you eliminate the risk of some types of cancer when you spay your dogs, such as breast cancer and cancers of the female reproductive system, including the cervix, uterus, or ovaries.
Spaying your dog prevents her from contracting pyometra because her female reproductive organs are all removed.
Most female Cane Corso’s don’t mark their territory as much as males do. However, females can sometimes spray urine in the house to mark it as their territory. It also indicates that she thinks she’s the dominant dog in the household pack.
Large dogs, such as the Cane Corso, have very messy heat cycles, and they display behavior problems and try to run away from home when they are in heat.
It would be best if you took extra precautions when she’s in heat, so she doesn’t do a jailbreak and runoff in the neighborhood.
The bleeding and spotting are heavy and messy in large breeds of dogs, and none of this is pleasant for your pup.
You don’t need to contend with male dogs at your door. When a female dog goes into heat, a male can smell her up to three miles away.
The male will do about anything to be near her and breed her, and he can hurt your dog. It’s also very irritating to hear a male dog howling at your door at all-night hours.
Spaying your female is an excellent idea if you have multiple dogs in your family. She will not have mood swings associated with going into heat, and if you also have male dogs, it won’t frustrate them as badly because she won’t go into heat.
It would be best if you also neutered your male dogs so all males and females can live more harmoniously.
Most people don’t think about the extra costs of their female dog having puppies.
If your female is intact and animal control picks her up, the boarding fee is higher, as well as the release fees and the license fees when you pick her up.
You’ll need extra supplies for a female dog that is in heat and requires much more cleaning than usual. When your dog is pregnant, she will need more food; after the puppies are born and grow, they will also need more food.
Whelping supplies will be needed, and you may need to take off work, and this isn’t even considering that your female could have significant issues when having her pups. She would need an emergency C-section, which is extremely expensive indeed.
Spaying your Cane Corso also reduces the unwanted pet population soaring out of control.
You may have adorable puppies that are registered or purebred, and you can sell them. But who’s to say the new owners will give them a forever home and not turn them into a pound when their pup becomes very large?
You are doing an excellent service to your community by altering your dogs. It’s not adding to the overpopulation and costs to the state to care for more homeless dogs.
It also leaves room in the shelters for stray dogs, which can be a nuisance to pedestrians or even pose a hazard to drivers.
Your dog will be happier overall because she won’t go into heat and have to bother with male dogs coming from miles around to court her.
Unaltered dogs don’t get to take advantage of as many services as spayed females do. A boarding kennel will charge more for an unaltered dog to stay there, and doggie daycares don’t usually accept unaltered dogs.
Dog training classes won’t take unaltered dogs because they distract the entire class.
Many dog parks also don’t allow unaltered dogs to play there because of the commotion and fighting that can happen when a female is in heat.
Cane Corso Spaying Procedure And Aftercare
Your precious pup will be sedated, and an incision will be made near her belly button. The ovaries and uterus are removed, and internal stitches are placed to close off large blood vessels.
If stitches are placed in the belly, then they will require removal by your vet 10 to 14 days after the procedure.
Keep a close eye on your dog after her surgery and if she refuses food, has discharge at the surgical site, has pale gums, diarrhea, or vomiting, then call your vet immediately.
Also, watch for signs of straining to defecate or urinate, changes in her breathing rate, and being sluggish or collapsing.
You should restrict your dog’s activities for 10 to 14 days and keep the E-collar on her so she can’t pull out her stitches. Check her incisions daily for any signs of infection.
Give your furry gal her pain medication exactly as the vet instructed you to, and follow your vet’s instructions, which you will usually get a printed copy of, including feeding instructions.
Your dog may be required to skip one meal late in the day after her surgery, but she should start eating the following day.
Spaying Cane Corso Myths
Some people believe that letting a female dog have one litter of puppies before spaying her benefits her health. It’s just not true. Spaying your dog before she has puppies will prevent many debilitating canine cancers.
Another common myth is that if you spay your dog, she will get fat and lazy. This isn’t true. You should constantly monitor the amount of food your puppy eats and ensure she has adequate time for exercise and play.
Final Thoughts
It’s a good idea to get your female Cane Corso spayed to have a more healthy and vibrant life without any complications that going into heat can bring or whelping issues.
It will keep your home much more peaceful and give you peace of mind. Contact your vet for the exact timeline for when to spay your beautiful family member.
