I’ve been feeling off colour for a couple of weeks now. My tummy is all swollen, even though I hardly touch my food. I’m out of energy, thirsty all the time and generally feeling miserable. What is going on? (Dolly, 10 years, Beagle, Potato Point)

Dr Alan

A number of possibilities come to mind. At the top of the list is a serious infection in your uterus that we vets call “pyometra”. Sounds like you weren’t desexed (speyed) when you were a teenager, Dolly, as this infection can occur in older, non-speyed female dogs. The uterus fills with puss and that could be why your tummy is enlarging. Another cause could be a problem with your adrenal glands. Try to get you owners to call the vet as soon as possible so you can be checked out. Help is at hand.

I was listening to a conversation between my owner and the vet about “castrating” me. What does that mean and why would they want to do that to me? (Clyde, 8 months, Bull Mastiff, Tilba)

Dr Alan

Clyde, there are a lot of advantages in being “desexed” as I would rather call it! Desexing male dogs means surgically removing both testicles. Entire dogs, those not desexed, have higher rates of prostate cancer and nasty tumours that grow on their anus, not to mention tumours of the testicles themselves. Desexing before puberty can reduce any aggressive tendencies that may occur and save you from receiving a lot of nasty bite wounds from “competing dogs”.

Just a little while ago, I was kept indoors for three weeks. I was only let out into the yard twice a day to relieve myself, under strict supervision. I found this very odd! Then, to top things off, I overheard the humans saying it would be a good idea for me to have a litter of puppies sometime down the track. Then they would get me de-sexed, whatever that means. I am upset and confused. What do you think is going on here? (Jess, Boxer, 10 months, Kianga)

Dr Alan

Jess, it is time for your owner to sit down with you and talk about the “facts of life”. They locked you away for the three weeks as you were “in heat”. You could have become pregnant if a boy dog had “paid you a visit”. Then, you would be making puppies! You are too young to go through all of that. There are many “old wives tales” about this topic. There is no real evidence that female dogs are better off if they have a litter of puppies before being desexed. Having puppies is a big responsibility. Finding good homes for them is not easy. Benefits of being desexed include reduced risks of cancer of the reproductive tract and infections of the uterus.

Desexing involves a routine operation where the vet removes your ovaries and uterus. It won’t hurt much, and after a couple of days you will be up and about, never to worry again about an accidental pregnancy!