Can a male dog be banded as a form of neutering?

Our question this week was:

Can a dog (8-month-old male) be banded as a form of neutering?

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Pi Therit

Answer

Hi – thanks for your email. You asked if a male dog that is 8-months-old can be banded as a form of neutering. The answer is no.

For those that don't know, banding is a form of neutering large animals – especially well known for calves. That is a practice that after a male cow is born – he testicles are "banded" which involves placing a constricting rubber piece – like a band – above the testicles. Eventually they receive no blood supply and die – eventually falling off.

In older animals and dogs – the risk of complications is high including life-threatening infections. I do NOT recommend this. The safest way to have your dog neutered is to see your local veterinarian.

An article that might be helpful to you is Neutering in Dogs. Another article that may interest you is one on a product called Neutersol which is a chemical way of neutering.

Best of luck!

Dr. Debra

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