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If the concept of dog condoms is one of the most preposterous things you’ve ever heard, we certainly have to agree. After all, the idea seems pretty absurd, don’t you think? That’s because there are no actual condoms for dogs. The whole idea is just an internet campaign by various humane societies to promote spaying and neutering.
Luckily, dogs don’t need condoms, they just need proactive owners who are going to handle situations appropriately. Having your dog spayed or neutered is an essential part of pet ownership if you’re not planning to breed your dog. In this article, we aim to educate you on the benefits of getting your dog fixed and the consequences for not doing so. Let’s dive in.
What Are Dog Condoms?
Dog condoms are, thankfully, a spoof internet craze. The idea was created with purely the intention of entertainment and as a campaign for promoting spay and neuter surgery. Condoms for dogs are not real and would likely be ineffective anyway.
The Importance of Spay and Neuter Surgery
Spaying and neutering is a very important part of dog care. When your puppy comes home, you’re probably flooded with different responsibilities all at once, and you’re learning the ropes as you go.
During your dog’s first year, they’ll get to know their veterinarian quite well. Your vet will monitor growth, administer vaccinations, provide parasite prevention, and ensure general wellness.
Once your puppy is closer to sexual maturity, which commonly happens around the 6 month mark, your vet will more than likely recommend a suitable time to get the proper surgery – either a spay for females or a neuter for males.
Spaying and neutering ultimately helps to prevent unwanted litters of puppies. But it can also reduce undesirable behaviors related to mating and breeding, as well as reduce the risk of certain health conditions and reproductive cancers in both male and female dogs.
- Eliminates heat cycles
- Helps stop roaming/running
- May reduce urine marking
- Reduces the number of unwanted litters and homeless pets
What Happens During Spay and Neuter Surgery?
You might be curious as to what exactly happens during a spay or neuter surgery. There are a few common surgical sterilization procedures performed in veterinary settings.
Ovariohysterectomy
When you hear the term spay, it refers to an ovariohysterectomy. It is performed in female pets where the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus are all removed. Removing the ovaries will immediately remove the eggs and cut off the hormone supply that makes the female go into heat, eliminating this behavior.
Ovariectomy
The ovariectomy is another option for female pets where only the ovaries are removed with the uterus still intact.
Orchiectomy
The orchiectomy is the surgery for male dogs, also called neutering. In this process, the testicles are removed, leaving the pup unable to reproduce. It can also reduce the reproductive hormones, leading to a decrease or elimination of breeding behavior.
Hysterectomy/Vasectomy
While less common, you can also get a hysterectomy or vasectomy for your pets. Typically, this is for pet owners who want to keep hormone-producing organs intact in the body while preventing unwanted breeding and pregnancy.
Nonsurgical Sterilization
Some pet owners look for less invasive methods that can sterilize dogs and cats. Surgery and anesthesia can both be pretty scary, and some cats and dogs cannot undergo anesthesia without negative effects.
Unfortunately, nonsurgical sterilization methods are not commonly used in vet practices. However, in the future, there might be more contraceptive tools available that do not require the surgical process.
Is Spay/Neuter Surgery Risky?
As with any surgery, getting your dog spayed or neutered does come with its risks. Risks are generally pretty low during surgery, but they do still exist and should be discussed between vets and pet owners before performing any kind of surgery.
Anesthesia reactions are uncommon but can be fatal when they occur. Once your dog goes under, they will be constantly monitored until they have woken up post-surgery. This helps reduce risks involved with anesthesia, but a low risk of an adverse reaction, such as cardiac arrest or stroke, is still a slim possibility.
If your dog has surgery coming up, it’s important to discuss all of the potential risks and benefits before going through with the surgery.
Some Breeds Are Sensitive to Anesthesia
Brachycephalic breeds, such as Bulldogs, Pugs, and Shih Tzus, may struggle with anesthesia as a result of their facial anatomy. Other breeds, like Greyhounds, Labs, and Golden Retrievers, may possess a genetic mutation that makes it more difficult to break down the anesthesia medications, increasing their risk of a reaction.
Your veterinarian will do everything they can to ensure that your dog is healthy enough to handle anesthesia. This will include an exam and potentially pre-anesthetic blood work as well as constant monitoring while they’re under.
Preventing Animal Homelessness
It’s no secret that pet homelessness is an epidemic across the nation. Animal shelters are completely stuffed to maximum capacity, with animals being surrendered, abandoned, or otherwise experiencing homelessness. The yearly statistics are downright staggering.
Around 6.3 million companion animals enter U.S. shelters every year. 3.1 million are dogs, and 3.2 million are cats. Very few of them will return home to their original owners, and around 900,000 of them are euthanized because shelters are too full and adoptive homes are slim. Shelters often don’t have the resources to care for the overload that they receive.
You definitely don’t want to be part of the problem. Even if you have an extremely tight budget, affordable spay and neuter programs are available to eliminate homelessness across the globe.
Backyard Breeding Prevention
Backyard breeding is often a term used when people who don’t have the education or resources to properly breed animals do so anyway. Often, this is done for profit at the expense of the animals involved. However, you could loosely use this term for dogs that experience unwanted pregnancy at any point.
Even if you aren’t an intentional backyard breeder, if you don’t spay or neuter your dog, they can easily find a mate and get pregnant, resulting in a litter of puppies you will be responsible for rehoming. On average, depending on the dog breed, pups can have 5 to 12 puppies in a single litter.
If you want a dog, consider adopting one from a rescue or shelter or purchase one from a licensed, reputable breeder with a long history of successful litters.
Conclusion
Just to clear things up, dog condoms are not available to pets at this time. Nonsurgical options instead are in the form of medications and are rarely used in veterinary medicine. Rather, the best method for decreasing unwanted pregnancies and homeless animals is to have your pup spayed or neutered.
Now, you understand a lot more about preventative measures for dog reproduction and why they’re necessary. The last thing we want to do is contribute to the homeless animal population that is already out of control. So, while the concept may be funny, pet condoms are certainly not a real thing; we simply need to do our part and spay or neuter our pets!
Featured Image Credit: SeventyFour, Shutterstock
