A problem often confronted by pet owners is a young male dog who refuses to eat, or does not want to eat enough, and wants to go out all the time. The owner worries that the dog is losing weight.

It’s very important to know everything about the problem, and sometimes the solution is very simple.

For example, there might be female dogs in heat in your neighbourhood, and your male dog can get obsessed and lose his appetite.

Other times, it is not so simple. The lack of appetite, which is actually anorexia, can be caused by many different things. 

Possible reasons for this condition are: a body infection; stomach or intestine infections; nose or throat problems; problems with organs or glands; tumors; psychological problems; poisoning; fever or heat stroke.

In any of these cases, your dog should be taken to a veterinarian for treatment. The vet can take blood, make an x-ray or echo-graph, or it may even be necessary to do a biopsy. 

Once the problem is diagnosed, the proper treatment can be prescribed.

However, if the problem is simple, like the young male dog is not eating when there is a female dog in heat, the best solution is to have him neutered.

This is now a simple procedure, and will not make your dog fat and lazy, as many people think.  

Also, it will not make the dog less of a “man,” which is another false belief.  

It will just allow your dog to have an easier life, and not be chasing his hormones all the time. And that is a relief for the owner, the neighbours (because of the crying in the night) and also for the owner of the female dogs because they will not have unwanted puppies.

As for the male cat, neutering is also an easy solution.

He will not fight all the time, not disappear for days, not spray in the house or balcony to mark his area and, above all, not get neighborhood female cats pregnant.

But he is still the male cat in every other way!

Finally, I would like you to know the positive things about spaying females, so I will write more about this in the future. But everyone should know that spaying your female dog or cat is very important.

Not only to prevent the birth of unwanted puppies and kittens, but also because it promotes better health for your pet.  

A popular belief in Crete is that a dog or cat must give birth at least one time. This is not true!

It is proven that if you neuter your cat or dog before the first time they go into season, the chance of cancer of the organs (uterus and mammary glands) is reduced to 98 percent.

So, for the health of the dog and cat neutering is the recommended.

And, what about your own easier life? 

No more male dogs or cats wandering around your house or bothering you on walks. No more drops of blood around the house. No more puppies or kittens to take care of, or having the responsibility to find good homes for them.  

Isn’t that nice?