Benign prostatic hyperplasia is common in intact older male dogs causing urinary and defecation difficulties, and castration or medical management effectively resolves the welfare impact.
BPH causes chronic welfare harm through the discomfort and difficulty of urination and defaecation. Dogs straining repeatedly to pass urine or faeces due to prostatic compression experience ongoing daily discomfort. Prostatitis superimposed on BPH causes acute pain and systemic illness. Castration resolves BPH rapidly and eliminates the welfare burden completely in most cases. For intact dogs where breeding future is important, deslorelin implants provide effective temporary management. The availability of highly effective treatment makes BPH-related welfare harm entirely preventable once diagnosis is established.