I don't really know much about it, other than, from what I can find online, it seems to be an implant that either supresses testosterone or adds progesterone for a certain amount of time (there are a few different options I guess). Personally, I think messing with his hormones for a temporary amount of time will have the same effect as actual castration, especially at this age.

I would be really annoyed with the breeder for insisting a 5-month-old puppy be neutered (too young to do any damage!---he's not old enough to be fertile or have any hormone-related behaviors) and I would find a boarding kennel that doesn't mind if he's not neutered.

 

Thanks for your comment. I completely understand your sentiment about the hormones. In fact, I would say I am pretty much generally against reaching for chemicals/hormones/pills as an answer for both animals and humans, unless a prescription is absolutely needed (just my quirk). I don`t even take Tylenol unless I have a really high fever. We did search for a doggie hotel but I either didn`t like them because they have the dogs in individual crates for a large part of the day, or they take large dogs who all sleep in the same room. The majority here will not take a dog who is not neutered.

I have a little Westie and I wanted to take him back to the breeder because she only boards Westies, and knows the breed, and she interacts with her dogs with a lot of love. She lives on a farm, and he would be back at his ancestral home where he would have freedom of movement. She has a large fenced-in area and he can go in and out as he pleases. His great grandfather (an old codger) is still there. We took him back for a visit, and it was interesting to watch him learn the heirarchy that at 5 months he is low man on totem pole. He responded well by sitting, and watching how the other dogs interacted. And he will go for 2 nights. I will go back after the first night to visit with him, and then bring him home again after his 2nd night. I want him to understand that I am coming back for him.

Of course, I don`t even want to board him at all, but I live in Europe and my kid is in the US, and I am going to see him. I cannot imagine putting my puppy on the plane for a 9 hour trip, and he is such a social dog that I know he will not sit properly with me in the cabin - at least not at this age.

The Vet told me that there are no long term side effects because it is temporary. I am not sure if his sperm is.....uh what is the right word.....potent or capable, but in the last 2 or 3 weeks he did start humping one of our regulation size soccer balls (of course I thought it was both adorable and hilarious) and he has a large 2.5 foot teddy bear and he goes after that as well, but he is not exhibiting that behavior with me or my husband. The Vet asked me if I thought he was highly sexed and I don`t know if humping his toys qualifies as being highly sexed. I thought it was just normal that he experiments as his hormones kick in.

In any case, most of the literature on line points to that it is safe, but then these things are always "safe" until they are not. I hope that there is someone here that has had direct experience with this.

 

^The dog has to be crated so what difference does it make if he won't sit still, if he were to go?

 

Well actually there is a difference. Not everyone puts their dogs in a crate below the passenger cabin. Not all dogs are crated on international flights. Smaller dogs can come into the cabin and I have seen smaller dogs sitting on their owners laps. These dogs are trained to hold the their pee. I don`t think this would work for me with a social and playful 5 month old pup LOL In addition I will be 4 days in a hotel in NYC, and then going onto another destination, which I don`t think will be fun for him, but rather stressful. On the return flight, I will fly 3.5 hours back to NYC, and then immediately board for the return trip back home. I do intend to bring him on my trip next year when he is older.

 

I meant they are supposed to be in a carrier under the seat. I've never heard of any airline allowing the dog to sit on the owner's lap.

 

Kayota,

My thread is to seek information about the temporary neutering chip, so all of this about airline policy, or what you and I have seen is not really germane.

However, "With SWISS, you can take your pet along on all routes. Right next to you in the cabin or under cabin conditions in the cargo section of the aircraft. Enjoy your flight together with your best friend." https://www.swiss.com/web/en/services/before_flight/pages/animals.aspx Just because you have never seen it, does not mean it does not happen. In fact, once I saw the crew take off the breading of a weinerschnitzel, cut the meat, and feed it to a dog on a porcelain plate. Yes, they are supposed to be in a carrier under the seat, and for a couple of hours that may be fine, but on a long haul,animals also need to stretch their legs and hydrate themselves. I read that a puppy needs a half of a cup of water every hour. I am not going to put my baby on a 9 hour flight, have him checked in 2 hours ahead, and then worry for the next 11 hours (and maybe there is a delay making the flight longer) that he has no more water because he sat in it or it is all spilled, or that he finished it with a few more hours to go. I know how dehydrated plane travel makes me. Next time when he is older, he will fly in the cabin with me.

 

I would not do it. I would also not give any return buisness yo a breeder who thinks that a five month old puppy should be neutered. That's much too young.

I'd have friends or neighbors watch him or just board him. I've worked in kennels and have friends that have worked in kennels not one of them insists that dogs be fixed unless it's a daycare type place. And even then it's only for dogs over a year old. Heck, my kennel even accepts in heat bitches.

 

I think the mentality from what we saw here in Switzerland (and we looked about an hour`s drive in all directions from our house) is a bit different. Almost all wanted dogs to be neutered. I imagine it has to do with unwanted pregnancy. Switzerland is a small country and they have a mentality that reflects that. I am not saying that actually IS the reason but there are certain realities here that larger countries don`t have to deal with. Also my breeder does board - but only Westies.

Thanks for your comments - it is helpful to see what others think.

I wonder how new this temporary neutering is because there isn`t a large response.

 

I don't think the temporary neutering chips are available in the US, which is why most of us here don't have any experience with them. Europe has a lot of non-surgical birth control products for animals that aren't approved in the US for some reason :/. I think they would be useful for population control but I guess something is keeping the FDA/USDA from approving them.

I'm all for neutering and I think a boarding kennel/breeder doing boarding is well within their rights to require neutering, but he's only 5 months old! Older dogs, sure, but at his age it's a bit unreasonable to require it, IMO.

 

I haven't heard of the chip, but I can't imagine a 5 month old dog would be a breeding risk! My dog came from a shelter where they require all animals to be fixed before being adopted, so he was neutered at about 7.5 wks old! He still humped things as a puppy, and humps his best friends as an adult (regardless of sex). It really has nothing to do with capacity to mate. This is not a statement for or against neutering at any age, but I just wanted to add that despite his early neuter, my dog matured just fine and is definitely a far cry from his maturity level when he was a pup. He's overall very calm and pleasant, vs. the monster hyper biting machine he was as a pup!!

I hope you find a reasonable solution for your pup while you're away so you can relax and have a good time!

 

Thanks for all your replies. I took Teddy for the chip yesterday. It was implanted on his back. He cried (and so did I), it bled a tiny little bit. I asked the Vet if he should take it easy yesterday and she said not really. I decided, however to not let him out into the yard alone because I did not want him to dig. I wanted to make sure he would not dig or get dirt on it when he lays on his back in the grass.

The vet said that it has an opposite effect for the first 2 weeks, and that it would make him more horny. It lasts for a year. I asked the vet when it would be possible for him to impregnate a female, and she said that it can happen at 6 months, so I don`t think the breeder was being unreasonable since Teddy will stay with her for 2 weeks in late November when he will be 6.5 months old

As there is not too much information about it. I will share here as I watch for any reactions in him. 24 hours later, he is still a darling boy!

 

I know you already did it. but just thoughts on the whole chip thing. I am against the whole hormone thing for even humans I feel that it causes a lot of issues that was see today, especially birth control. Products on dogs are not very well tested. Id be worried about the side effects would be. I know many dog drugs with serious side effects like Proin and Previcox that are very popular drugs for dogs. A hormone that lasts for year? how much do they have to put in there! Gosh I think id have neutered him at 5 months old thats average age for neutering is most areas. and not have done the chip those hormone things just scream side effects to me.

 

Thanks for your comments. I didn`t neuter him because the breeder mentioned "something" about using him to breed. He is a little special Westie.

The only thing I have noticed so far as a result of the chip is that he is pretty horny and humping his giant Teddy bear a bit more.

I did ask the vet and she said there were none. I also searched the Internet and then came here. It seems there is not much info on it, but I think if there were signifcant problems with it, I would have found "something" on the Internet and I found nothing. And FWIW, I completely agree with you about hormones and just pills and chemicals in general, and also about birth control (breast cancer). I do know though that when a treatment is stopped, the body has amazing powers to reverse the effects.

Re it being for a year, I believe the chip is "slow release."

 

It's a depot chip like a melatonin implant for fur mink or ferrets, or the hormone implant they put in beef steers. Or the Depo-Medrol shot that lasts a month. So, yeah, you can call that "slow-release", but it's not like a slow-release pill.

 

Just checking in on my own thread to say that it has been 2 weeks and so far I am not noticing anything out of the usual with Teddy. Still horny and humping his giant teddy bear which has now become not only his girlfriend but his best friend. He did have a stomach upset after he spent an overnight at the breeder`s (practicing for when I go away next month), but he was on a restricted diet and it cleared up, and he is back to his old frisky self. I do not think it had anything to do with the chip.

The vet had mentioned that he wold be horny for 2 weeks, so I am hoping that this week, the humping will be curtailed ,)

 

Humping doesn't necessarily indicate horniness. As I said, my dog was neutered super young and he went through a nutty humping phase when he was 5 or 6 months old, and still will hump his favorite friends to initiate play (rude! we discourage it) and his bed. Don't be too disappointed if the humping continues.

 

For some dogs, humping is a form of play...

 

Everyone's doing it


Sent from Petguide.com Free App

 

I supervised a play group last week that was NOT family friendly. 4 large male dogs, all humping each other constantly. And not a single calming signal!

 

I find this to be very interesting. May I ask how much the implant cost you? Too bad it does not come in different lengths of time. The owner could choose how long of a chip to implant