Our vet neutered Atlas on November 2, 2020, a week short of his first birthday. This included pre-anesthetic bloodwork and consultation.
Many people have their dogs neutered at around six months. We waited until Atlas turned one year old to have the procedure done. Our vets informed us that since Dobermans are large breed dog, they are continuing to grow even past six months. It is best to wait until at least one year old or 18 months before neutering. Since we take Atlas to doggy daycare and board him, we decided to have the procedure done at one year. The doggy daycare require all dogs over 6 months old to be neutered.
In addition to daycare requirement, we neutered him to tame his testosterones. He had the propensity to hump everything that crosses his sight, people or other dogs. After Atlas was neutered, this urge to hump gradually went away over the next two weeks and then disappeared altogether after a month has passed.
What to Expect
Atlas is our first dog, so naturally we’re pretty clueless with what is involved pre-surgery and post-surgery.
Before the procedure takes place, the vet takes blood sample from Atlas a week before the surgery appointment for bloodwork. We brought Atlas in for his pre-bloodwork consultation on Halloween day, October 31, 2020. Our vet tested his blood for any anomaly that may result in complication from the surgery. The test result was available within 24 hours and Atlas was cleared to make his surgical appointment for November 2, 2020.
Appointment Day
The night before his appointment, Atlas was not to eat anything after 10:00 PM but can have sips of water. On the day of his appointment, I dropped him off in the morning and returned home. The entire procedure lasted only 3 hours. I dropped Atlas off at the vet at 9:00 AM and received a call from our vet that he is ready to go home at around 11:45 AM. I picked up Atlas at around 1:00 PM and brought him home to recover.
Recovery
Atlas came home with an Elizabethan collar to prevent him from licking his surgical location. This can inadvertently introduce bacteria and cause an infection, or worse, open up his stitches. Our vet also included Trazodone, a sedative, to keep Atlas calm and relaxed for the next couple of days so he doesn’t agitate his surgical area. We were to use the Trazodone as needed. And finally, our vet also included Ketoprofen, a short term management for post surgical pain, taken with food once a day. We were also advised to not feed Atlas for at least 24 hours, but to give him access to water and to keep his Elizabethan collar on for at least 10 days. We were also advised not to let him move too much, so, no walking for at least a week.
On the first day of recovery, Atlas was lethargic and hated his collar. Somehow, he managed to chew a portion of his collar. By the second day, Atlas was back to his goofy self. His urge to lick his surgical area was at an all time high.
By the sixth day, we removed his collar. We paid close attention to his stitches and also check to see if Atlas would lick his stitches periodically. The minute he does so, his collar goes back on. Surprisingly, he didn’t the entire day and we discarded the collar. I resumed his normal walking routine after a week.
Back at Doggy Daycare
When we brought Atlas back to doggy daycare for boarding in late December (we boarded him for 9 nights), we were informed by his coaches that he was well behaved. No humping incidents. Before Atlas was neutered, he would relentless hump the staff at the daycare. In fact, Atlas’ humping behavior has gotten so bad at one point that it became a running joke at the daycare. Fortunately, his humping behavior is gone, once and for all.
