vet costs or con

[tomrca]

i have a Yorkshire terrier aged 11years. over this last year he has had treatment for prostate trouble, blood in urine etc, his treatment was antibiotics. the vet says that there is no signs of a tumour, although they have not done a biopsy. he suggest that the dog be castrated, or monthly injections @£15 pm, and this should stop it from happening again, his diagnosis is, "hormonal problem".
my question is, does anyone know, or heard of this being a cause and castration being the cure. or is there a chance its simply a way of getting more cash?

[Frenchy]

Having your pet neutered is just logical. I don't know if it would help with your situation but it's something you should have done a long time ago.

[mafiaprincess]

Most people here have spayed or neutered pets. It cuts down on the potential risks of some cancers and other troubles that may come with having intact pets. Doesn't sound like a con, it sounds like your vet trying to prolong your dogs life with minimal suffering in future.

[Angies Man]

Yeah, I'm all for spay or neuter. Really. (Got plans for Angie)

But general anesthesia carries risks, and this is an 11 year old dog with health problems we're talking about. I would be very careful about surgery on this dog--and would at least voice my concerns to the Vet surgeon.

Most Vets use a Ketamine cocktail injected and then Isoflurane gas to anesthetize pets. But Ketamine carries the risk of convulsions and if possible should be avoided. Ideally, a dog can be put under with Isoflurane through a mask and then intubate and administer the anesthetic through the tube. It may be that this requires that you be present for the initial anesthesia (to hold and calm your dog.)

I don't think the Vet is trying to pad the bill, tho.

[Maya]

Castration. If you do go ahead with it there should be bloodwork done to make sure he is healthy enough to undergo the operation and handle any drugs that will be used. If this vet doesn't take that as a serious consideration i'd look into a second opinion. You don't want to take any chanced especially because of his age. Getting altered is done to avoid health issues and prevent the sad and cruel problem of overpopulation.

[Prin]

If the prostate is the issue, then definitely castrate. Castration cuts down on prostate cancer (as far as I know). Either way, there's no good reason to hang onto your doggy's jumblies anyway.

[hazelrunpack]

If your dog is having prostate problems, neutering is the 100% cure. Even without a tumor, inflammation and infection of the prostate can be a problem, especially in older dogs. Castration removes the hormones that cause the inflammation and the problem is cured. So I don't think your vet is padding the bill at all--castration will really clear up the problem.

The surgery would probably be cheaper in the long run than long-term injections. But if your vet feels that your dog is at risk for the surgical procedure due to other health problems, the injections would probably be the better choice. If it were my dog, I'd go for the surgery option if possible and just take care of the problem once and for all.

We had a very young dog with recurring prostate problems...very unusual to see it in a dog that young so it was hard to pinpoint the problem. The flare-ups caused him quite a lot of pain and actually even resulted in diarrhea and vomiting! Once the vet sleuthed out what the problem was and we had him neutered, the change in his health, behavior, and energy levels was remarkable! Definitely one of the best decisions we ever made.

Good luck with your boy! Hope he's feeling better soon!