Veterinarian Points Out Three Mistakes He Made With His Dog
Things a veterinarian believes you should not do to your dog.
Veterinarian Amir Anvari, known for his pet care advice on TikTok, revealed three mistakes he made while raising his dog to help others avoid making the same ones.
Early Neutering
“The first mistake was neutering my dog too early. Now he has hip dysplasia and elbow issues. He’s already developing arthritis, and he’s only four years old. I was led to believe that neutering at six months is normal,” the vet revealed.
He explained that “it’s a large breed dog and that’s not normal.”
“There are different age recommendations for different breeds when it comes to neutering and spaying, so you shouldn’t listen to anyone who says to neuter them at six months,” the veterinarian pointed out.
Neutering and spaying are procedures done by a vet to prevent dogs from reproducing, but there are important differences between them.
Neutering refers to the surgical removal of sex glands in dogs. In males, it means removing the testicles, and in females, the ovaries—and often the uterus—are removed. This procedure completely stops the production of sex hormones, significantly affecting the dog’s behavior and physiology.
Spaying refers to vasectomy (cutting the vas deferens) in males and tubal ligation in females. After spaying, the dog still produces sex hormones but can no longer reproduce.
The UK Royal Kennel Club stated that the right age to neuter a dog depends on its breed, size, and sex. They emphasized that there is frequent debate over the “best” age for this, but a vet will advise you based on the latest research and guidelines, reports Express.co.uk.
Weight Gain
Another mistake Amir admitted to was allowing his dog to gain weight. He explained that he used all kinds of excuses not to walk him, from work to bad weather.
“I felt bad, I overfed him. I gave him treats because he really liked them, and he gained weight. Since I have a large breed dog, I can already see the impact on his joints, and now that he’s developed arthritis, it’s hard to help him,” he said.
He stated that he’s now doing everything he can, of course, but believes he should never have let it get to that point.
“Don’t let your dogs get overweight. It’s not worth it,” the vet warned.
Punishment
The final mistake Amir admitted to was hitting his dog when it was a puppy, but only “when he was chasing animals on the farm” and he didn’t mean to hurt the animal. He said that even today “he still sees the fear in his eyes” if he raises his hand, even though he’s not trying to hit him.
Amir said he deeply regrets what he did and now understands he should have used a different technique. He asked other dog owners:
“Don’t hit your dogs. They’ll just fear you.”
He said that “admitting some of these mistakes is hard and shameful, especially because I’m a vet.”
“If this can help you avoid the same mistakes, then it’s worth admitting them,” the vet noted in the caption of his post, reports Net.hr.
