# Banding



## piccololily (Mar 3, 2003)

I have dairy friends who recently told me that they have always banded their male dogs successfully. I was shocked, and then wondered how many farmers do this? What are your thoughts? Sounds inhumane to me, but then, how is it different than doing it with livestock?


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## bluemoonluck (Oct 28, 2008)

I've heard of breeders using banding for tail docks on very young pups, but not for neutering!

Difference between banding a bull calf and banding a dog, IMO, is that a dog can lick his "man-bits" and if you banded them he would probably go after the band in an effort to remove it, maybe doing damage to himself in the process.


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Some folks think banding is less traumatic than cutting, but that's for calves. The subject came up for us again because we have an intact large dog, 2 yrs, that was roughly abandoned and fears being loaded up. We were wondering if banding would be a good choice for him. Licking the area is the concern. When the vet operates, they come out with one of those cones around their heads. Would love to hear more from anyone with an opinion.


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## Otter (Jan 15, 2008)

The difference is that the livestock you do it to cannot contort themselves to chew it off.
Dogs and cats can, and have been known to chew massive, horrid holes in themselves should the band irritate or the dying tissue feel weird. Which it doesn't always, but I wouldn't take the chance.

Also, animals who are predators and animals who are prey process pain differently and feel things different ways. It hurts dogs more, making them more prone to want to get at it to rip it off with a high chance of damaging or killing themselves.


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## Wolf Flower (Dec 21, 2005)

I think you can be prosecuted for animal cruelty if you attempt to band a dog. Surgical neuter is the only way to do it safely and humanely.


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## bknthesdle (Mar 27, 2011)

My aunt did it once to a dog long time ago. Seemed to have worked fine. I often wondered if they don't band dogs because they can fall off in the house and what owner wants to be grossed out by that. I have two dogs that have been neutered and they never came home in a cone.


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## piccololily (Mar 3, 2003)

Those were all pretty much my thoughts, exactly. Guess I was mainly curious how many people might actually do it. I don't really know my neighbor's exact experiences, but I do know that they seem to view their animals as somewhat expendable. :-( Maybe it's more the "farm dog" attitude...knowing the higher risks and possible shorter life span of an outdoor farm pet, they don't want to invest the extra $$? (And I do know that they _never_ have any extra money lying around!) Still, I personally would never want to take the risks of something bad happening--or especially causing suffering.


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## bknthesdle (Mar 27, 2011)

Eta: mine were neutered by the vet. I have never banded or tried to band a dog.


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## CheerfulMom4 (May 21, 2008)

I have neighbors who banded their 1 year old border collie. They didn't have any trouble at all, that was a few years ago now.
I still take mine to the vet though!


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## CraterCove (Jan 24, 2011)

If people are known to use bands on dogs do they also use Burdizzo on them?

Surely before vets were easily affordable people still neutered their dogs for various reasons. How did they do it?


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## bluemoonluck (Oct 28, 2008)

CraterCove said:


> Surely before vets were easily affordable people still neutered their dogs for various reasons. How did they do it?


Back in the day when there were no vets around or they weren't affordable, people just didn't neuter/spay their pets. Its a relatively new thing for most dogs to be spayed/neutered.


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## Otter (Jan 15, 2008)

CraterCove said:


> Surely before vets were easily affordable people still neutered their dogs for various reasons. How did they do it?


Back in the day puppies and kittens were either drowned or knocked on the head at birth. Sometimes they left the mother one - less out of pity then because she wouldn't come back into heat as fast.

Also, if a male was too busy chasing females instead of working, he was shot. By his owner more often then not, why would you feed a dog that would rather run off then work?

Puppies were not the craze they are now. When you got a dog, it was between 6 months and a year old, after anybody who was going to die of distemper had done so.
So not as big a pet overpopulation problem.


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## chma4 (Feb 27, 2005)

My understanding is that it is illegal, and from what I have heard in the rescue community, considered inhumane. I do band my livestock, and wondered why it was different. Upon discussion, I found out that because of differences in anatomy from livestock and canines, that it was more painful, more difficult to do successfully, and prone to infection. Dogs hold their testicles typically much closer to their bodies than say a bull, or goat. Also, they apparently have thicker connections and more blood supply to their testicles than hooved critters. I would never risk hurting my dog that way. JMO


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

I think it is a cruel thing to do and would never attempt any such thing on one of my cats or dogs. If it's such a good idea, why don't men get banded instead of having vasectomies?


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## Shrarvrs88 (May 8, 2010)

Well, men still want the hormones their testicals make, which is exactly what you are trying to eliminate when nuetering an animal.


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## canine14 (Feb 22, 2006)

Ravenlost said:


> I think it is a cruel thing to do and would never attempt any such thing on one of my cats or dogs. If it's such a good idea, why don't men get banded instead of having vasectomies?


:hysterical:


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

I feel bad about this... I had my mini goat Frankie banded as a baby when it is recommended to do it. I feel the same way about my goats as my dogs. I would never dream of banding a dog...but yet, my Frankie was banded  I felt horrible for him but I had a family crises going on at the same time and I wasn't able to consider other options. Not saying that I would have gone with another option, seeing that goats are hard to safely put under anethesia. I have mixed feelings about it


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## longshadowfarms (Nov 27, 2002)

Pretty sure the vets have weighed in on why this is a bad idea in previous threads. A search should yield results. Ok, maybe not. Only one on cats: 
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=112978&highlight=banding Maybe other threads have been pruned?


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## cur huntin' kid (Apr 15, 2007)

I know a farmer that banded his male cats and to tell which ones he did he put band on the tail to so the neutered males had no testicles and no tail. But these were barn cats and they had way to many


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

cur huntin' kid said:


> I know a farmer that banded his male cats and to tell which ones he did he put band on the tail to so the neutered males had no testicles and no tail. But these were barn cats and they had way to many


That is animal cruelty in my opinion. I think the punishment should fit the crime too.


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## NorCalChicks (Dec 7, 2007)

Our looney neighbor tried to band one of her male cats and now bares the scars to prove it! Served her right.


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## Wolf Flower (Dec 21, 2005)

I hear that in the old days, they used to lace tomcats up in a boot with their rear end sticking out the top, and then cut them. I can't imagine.


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Can't believe I was so naive as to even wonder if this was a solution for other than hooved critters. (I finally conditioned the dog to load up - obvious requirement in the first place...)


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## tailwagging (Jan 6, 2005)

Wolf Flower said:


> I hear that in the old days, they used to lace tomcats up in a boot with their rear end sticking out the top, and then cut them. I can't imagine.


would that be puss in boot?


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## Otter (Jan 15, 2008)

Most people I know can't get a tomcat into a _carrier_, I can't imagine what you would have to go through to lace one into a boot.


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## marytx (Dec 4, 2002)

Minelson said:


> I feel bad about this... I had my mini goat Frankie banded as a baby when it is recommended to do it. I feel the same way about my goats as my dogs. I would never dream of banding a dog...but yet, my Frankie was banded  I felt horrible for him but I had a family crises going on at the same time and I wasn't able to consider other options. Not saying that I would have gone with another option, seeing that goats are hard to safely put under anethesia. I have mixed feelings about it


There is no need for you to feel bad about banding a goat. Goats are not dogs, no matter how much we love them. DH and I have banded many goats with no adverse effects. They may or may not walk a little funny right at first, but are bouncing by the next day. An uncastrated male goat does NOT generally make a good pet, and banding is the safest way, imo to castrate a goat.


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## rescueguy (Sep 7, 2018)

I work with a dog rescue in California where stray dog overpopulation is out of control. What are your thoughts on catching stray males, banding, and releasing? It would be great to find homes for all of them (and we do what we can) but at least this way there would be less stray puppies.


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

Over the years I have banded well over a dozen dogs. None of them got sick, and none of them ever chewed on themselves. I have never considered banding cats. The coyotes keep the cats from over populating.


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## CIW (Oct 2, 2007)

I've banded several dogs over the years. The tough thing is getting the band high enough because the dogs testicles are so tight to the body. It being a good hot die helps.


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## KED326 (Jul 24, 2018)

rescueguy said:


> I work with a dog rescue in California where stray dog overpopulation is out of control. What are your thoughts on catching stray males, banding, and releasing? It would be great to find homes for all of them (and we do what we can) but at least this way there would be less stray puppies.


Im not here to say my personal opinion. There is many people that say its ok and many that don't.
Check with your local vet clinic there may be laws in place that will cause you some serious fines or worse. One worry I would have with it for strays is if there is a medical concern such as infection or improper placement ect. these animals when released have no one to watch for these things or asses pain and may suffer and/or die.


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## bobp (Mar 4, 2014)

Ive seen my grandfather 'cut' several male dogs.... Holding them down was the most traumatic part it seemed.... 
I remember my aunt had a weiner dog that was constantly trying to mate everything....rocks.... furniture...your foot.... everything....papaw caught him up, cut him just like a pig in about 30 seconds no blood...no yelping...no trauma it seemed...and much better behavior after...my aunt was mad....but i believe that she appreciated the better behavior too....


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## rescueguy (Sep 7, 2018)

Thanks everyone for your insights, much appreciated!


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## Phillip.h (Oct 1, 2020)

Ravenlost said:


> I think it is a cruel thing to do and would never attempt any such thing on one of my cats or dogs. If it's such a good idea, why don't men get banded instead of having vasectomies?


I have banded myself to se about the debate and I disagree my ball sac is not hanging like a cow it works fine if the balls fit in the band it will castrate them I have to put on in at a time but my balls have been banded for over an hour it hurts bad my girl had me tied down and she got mad at me and left it for 15 extra minutes I almost just left it on at that point it was almost to late but they made it I still band with other banders the green ones are to small


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## Phillip.h (Oct 1, 2020)

Wolf Flower said:


> I hear that in the old days, they used to lace tomcats up in a boot with their rear end sticking out the top, and then cut them. I can't imagine.


I have seen and castrated cats that way and they rarely Mia a beat now I’ve banded my balls before to feel the experience and it hurts bad it takes a couple hours to stop hurting I have pics if anyone wants to look at my experience I have been basically castrated


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## Phillip.h (Oct 1, 2020)

CIW said:


> I've banded several dogs over the years. The tough thing is getting the band high enough because the dogs testicles are so tight to the body. It being a good hot die helps.


I’ve banded dogs and cut cats I got wondering about the pain so I band castrated my balls for an hour and a half so I guess I probably no more than most I cut the bands off but I’ve been castrated lots of times and with the big banders to there a lot more hardcore I almost lost my balls to the smart bander my girl was behind me castrating me and it kept getting tighter and tighter and she kept castrating and it seemed like it was never going to get tight but then it was so deep into my sac we almost couldn’t get it off I almost lost the testicals for good I will castrate my testicals this morning and post them for everyone to look at the different scenarios I can explain the stuff I have figured out it hurts but it’s doable you just tie the guy down before you castrate him


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## Phillip.h (Oct 1, 2020)

RedDirt Cowgirl said:


> Some folks think banding is less traumatic than cutting, but that's for calves. The subject came up for us again because we have an intact large dog, 2 yrs, that was roughly abandoned and fears being loaded up. We were wondering if banding would be a good choice for him. Licking the area is the concern. When the vet operates, they come out with one of those cones around their heads. Would love to hear more from anyone with an opinion.


It depends on how big his balls are but I would band him I have castrated myself with the green bands and my testicals don’t hang down any different than the dog it hurts but it will get him castrated I left the bands on my balls for an hour and a half


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