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My old dog has a heart murmur and enlarged prostate. Is neutering safe?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male | unneutered | 12 years and 9 months old | 17 lbs

My 12yr old yorkie cross has got a grade 5 heart murmur and enlarged prostate but neutering will be too risky under anesthesia because of the heart murmur is there any other treatment

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on May 27th, 2017

Denzel is adorable! Since he has had 12 years of exposure to testosterone, neutering him at this point will not decrease his existing prostate enlargement. Anesthesia with a louder heart murmur can be slightly more high risk, but can still be performed in many cases after a cardiologist evaluation with an echocardiogram and cautious anesthetic monitoring. Consider discussing the risks vs. benefits of neutering Denzel at this point with your vet, but it is unlikely to change his prostate issue. I hope that all goes well!

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