Will castration prevent my dog from getting prostate cancer? Many veterinary websites say that castration can prevent testicular cancer, but that it will not prevent prostate cancer...is this true? I am not sure whether or not I want to castrate my dog. He is not an aggressive dog, I don't allow my dog to breed with other dogs and he is perfectly healthy...honestly, I do not see the point of castrating my dog if it is not actually going to be of any benefit to him in terms of his health...can anyone advise me?
I'm particularly afraid of the effects that anesthesia may have on my dog during surgery (however small the possible, any surgery involving general anesthesia may be fatal) and that he will become overweight after castration. Though I don't mind having a fat dog, I am concerned that being overweight will put him at greater risks of other medical problems (heart problems, etc.). Also, and I know this may sound silly, I don't want him to feel depressed afterwards.