Neutering, also known as spaying, castration, or fixing, is a routine surgical procedure that dogs can undergo for a variety of health reasons. These can include the reduction in developing certain types of cancer and diseases, preventing unwanted litters of puppies, and in some cases, neutering may help to improve some behavioural traits. If you're considering neutering your dog, you can speak with your vet for more advice on this, or we have a Vet Nurse Team who are always available for a chat; you can contact us here.

Once a dog has been neutered, they will usually experience a change in their hormone levels and energy requirements. As a result, this reduces a dog's basal metabolic rate - this is the number of calories a dog needs to keep their body functioning (whilst in a state of rest) and carrying out essential processes such as breathing and regulating their body temperature. Neutering may also affect how quickly a dog's body can convert food into energy; typically neutered dogs are a little slower at this, meaning they may not burn quite as many calories as a dog who hasn't been neutered.

There can be an expectation that neutering may result in your excitable pup 'calming down'. Although this isn't always true, it's likely to have come from evidence that shows dogs who have been neutered will spend less time following their instinct to roam in search of another dog to mate with. Now, as your pet dog is unlikely to be let outside the front door to roam as much as they like, you probably won't notice much of a difference in this area, however, it could mean that your dog burns slightly fewer calories overall.

In essence, these changes mean that a dog may not need as many calories to maintain their body condition and weight after being neutered, because their body is no longer providing energy to their sex organs or the processes associated with them.

This means, post-neutering, it's important to keep a close eye on your dog's body weight and body condition. You can use the body condition scoring chart below (click to enlarge) to regularly score your dog's body condition on a scale of 1-5, with 3 being ideal.

If you're noticing that your furry friend is gradually creeping towards a 4, then try switching up their meal selection for more of our leaner chicken, turkey, game and veggie recipes. Or, you could try reducing your dog's overall daily portion by 10-20%.

If you need a hand with adjusting your dog's portions or would like any advice on weight management, you can contact our friendly Customer Love team here.