Dog ate chocolate?

 ask a vet

Unneutered dog bit child.

Species: Dog
Breed: Border Collie
Age: 8-11 years
Hello Dr. Marie,

Our 9 year old Border Collie has no history of aggression or biting. Three months ago we had some friends at our house for a BBQ. There was a female dog in heat there as well. Our Border Collie is not neutered. My friend's 2 year old walked past our dog on the deck and our dog lunged at him an bit his face causing the need for stitches behind his ear and below his eye. The boy is fine today an we are very remorseful about the accident. My question for you is if you would be able to support that when a male, un neutered dog is around a female dog in heat, that he may act uncharacteristically and become more aggressive and territorial. Your help could be the difference between life and death for our dog. And please know that we are taking every step to be sure that this NEVER happens again.
Sincerely,
Shelly Haddon


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

I'm so sorry to hear that this has happened. I think ANY dog has the potential to bite and I never recommend letting a young child stay around dogs unsupervised.

Hormones can definitely cause unwanted behaviors like this. Having ChillyWilly neutered will likely greatly reduce the chance of something like this happening again. But, no one can say for sure.

Don't worry about him being too old to be neutered. As long as his bloodwork is good then he will do just fine with the anesthetic and the surgery.

In addition to having him neutered, it would be a good idea to buy a cage muzzle for him to wear if you have him at a family event like this again.

I hope he does ok!

Dr. Marie.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?

Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Want to receive pet coupons, vet advice and info on new pet products in your inbox?

* indicates required

We'll only send you great stuff, never spam. Unsubscribe any time.

Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Search for similar questions:

ask a vet

Popular questions...

Only one testicle descended. I have a 7 month old male boxer who has only had one of his testicles drop. Can you... (64686 views)

Vomiting and diarrhea in puppy. Lady is almost 5 months now, she's a typical Aussie puppy. She lives with me, my... (10909 views)

Garlic or Vinegar for fleas? My little Lady has been to the vet and has received a flea treatment that went... (14771 views)

Swollen hip in Golden. We inherited him from my father-in-law 2 years ago, he was very much over weight so... (7229 views)

Dog eats grass and vomits Hi Marie! My Germen Spitz(male) eats some grass while he is out and vomits.Avoids... (13036 views)

Jaundiced dog. Hi, I have an 8yr old female labrador that on the 30th December, 2013 evening... (19769 views)

Large mammary lump. Hi Dr Marie My dog Jenna is 13. Lately i have been aware that she has developed a... (12134 views)

Skin lesion on gerbil. can you recommend a treatment for what appears to be a hot spot or skin irritation... (9396 views)

Papilloma Virus. My seven month old puppy developed papilloma virus warts on his lips and then his... (29725 views)

Rash on belly. My 15 month old pit bull/great dane mix has recently started developing a "bruise"... (90270 views)

See all questions...

Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.