ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
by PATTY

My wonderful dog Gizmo will be 3 years old in august. When I got him as a puppy my husband did not want to have him neutered and we fought constantly about it. Well I am now in the process of divorce (no that is not the only reason why!!) and I have since moved into my own place - taking gizmo with me. He was paper trained from day 1 and has been very good about it but recently he got a bad sprain which made it hard for him to move around. During this time he began to relieve himself in other spots around the apt. and not on the paper. He has since gotten better, but now that he has marked his territory, I can't break him of this habit.

My question is: is he too old to get neutered? I am worried about him marking the apt. but at the same time, I know that this operation if far more painful at a later age. Has anyone had experience getting their maltese neutered past 2 1/2 years old?

DISCUSSION:

Well, I had Travis neutered at 2yrs of age, and I wish I had it done sooner. I'm sure either way it's going to be uncomfortable but I felt so sorry for him! He did not act like himself for approx.2 weeks after the surgery. He was constantly licking the area and I was afraid it would become infected(thank God it didn't).I'm also divorced and fought with my spouse(when we were married)about the same thing.I would have rather neutered my ex!!(sorry guys!)
-Karen Kalamaras

It may not be your dog that has changed his bathroom habits, but the appartment you moved into might be making the difference. If the previous owner had a dog that went in the house, he could be picking up the scent, thus marking will happen. You need to have the carpet treated with a cleaner to remove all traces of urine.
-Marsha A.