If a hernia … Some pet owners consider having at least one litter of puppies before spaying their female dog, but we don’t recommend this. This study raises concerns about neutering in dogs and especially early neutering. The greatest cancer for your female dogs is hemangiosarcoma. In a study of Rottweilers published in 2002, it was established that the risk for bone sarcoma was significantly influenced by the age at which the dogs were desexed. For both male and female Rotties spayed or neutered before one year of age, there was a one-in-four lifetime risk of bone cancer, and the desexed animals were significantly more likely to develop the disease than intact dogs of the same breed. Many articles have been recently written about the best time to neuter. In addition, during puberty and into the third decade, estrogen has an anabolic effect on the osteoblast and an apoptotic effect on the osteoclast, increasing bone mineral acquisition in axial and appendicular bone. Risks Associated with Spaying/Neutering Too Early or Too Late. If a dog is truly at a high risk of infectious disease, revaccination might be a safer bet than relying on the results of an antibody titer test. Given that one of the accepted behavioral reasons for spaying … But most importantly, your pooch will avoid the cone-of-shame. Neutering Pets. Spaying is the only way to ensure a dog does not develop a uterus infection (pyometra) during their lifetime. According to a 2001 paper on the subject, “Early-age neutering does not stunt growth in dogs or cats (a once-held belief), but may alter metabolic rates in cats. To learn more about spaying your dog, contact us today. Early gonad removal is commonly associated with urinary incontinence in female dogs and has been linked to increased incidence of urethral sphincter incontinence in males. Topics: Risks of Early Spay and Neutering of Dogs Besides the reduction of pet over-population, other benefits of fixing our dogs include less wandering, less marking, a decrease in aggressive behavior, and reduced risk of mammary cancer. Here are examples of studies evidencing some of these potential issues. But these are actually desexing procedures that go well beyond simply sterilizing a dog so that he or she can no longer reproduce. Desexing removes hormone-producing organs (the ovaries or testicles) that researchers are now finding are actually quite important to overall health. Risk for certain cancers seems to decrease when sterilization occurs prior to sexual maturity, but risk for other cancers seems to increase when sterilization occurs prior to sexual maturity, especially in certain large breed dogs. This can mean you either do it too early or too late. Back in the 1990s, studies showed that dogs spayed or neutered before one year of age grew significantly taller than dogs not spayed/neutered until after puberty. If you’d like more on how we use your information, just check out our Privacy Policy. Older show or breeding pets who are spayed or neutered can avoid various cancers and infections. This is because orthopedic diseases are usually young to middle age dog problems and all the dogs in the studies would be equally susceptible to developing orthopedic disease. Spayed and neutered Golden Retrievers are more likely to develop hypothyroidism. Early neutering causes the leg bones to grow unevenly. [src="https://a.omappapi.com/users/3d3cb4d2c858/images/d5ebc782e5241584136416-Ear-Drops.png"], [src="https://a.omappapi.com/users/3d3cb4d2c858/images/50c975d7b7d11585953588-d5ebc782e5241584136416-Ear-Drops.png"], The Invisible Slimy Monster in Your Dog’s Water Bowl, Why Adding “Human Food” To Your Dog’s Diet Is So Important. In almost all cases, the answer is yes. Spaying your dog too early can result in health problems later on since her hormones should have some time to work. The removal of estrogen-producing organs in immature dogs can cause growth plates to remain open. There's also less benefit for a reduction in mammary tumors in older female dogs. Reduction of certain health risks. Please support the hard working holistic vets who make this information possible. Cancer. That is puppy like behaviours in adult dogs, which we believe could be related to the incidence of early spaying and neutering. And the earlier the spay/neuter procedure, the taller the dog. Early spaying can increase the risk of hip dysplasia, torn ligaments, bone cancer, and urinary incontinence. Here’s everything you need to know about spaying your dog, including when you should do it and what the best method is. She adds, “Very few dogs are truly in this situation, such as those who live in the midst of lots of completely unvaccinated dogs and … Dr. Becker often lectures about species appropriate nutrition and has co-authored the Whole Dog Journal’s Best Homemade Diet Book of All Time award, “Real Food for Healthy Pets.” Dr. Becker is also the veterinary consultant for Mercola Healthy Pets, the largest pet wellness website on the internet, with over a million monthly visitors. Over the years, I’ve changed my view on spaying and neutering dogs, based on emerging research, and also on the health challenges faced by so many of my canine patients after I spayed or neutered them. Consider the circumstances carefully before you choose to breed your dog. Long-Term Health Risks and Benefits Associated with Spay / Neuter in Dogs Laura J. Sanborn, M.S. The decision on when to neuter your dog depends on their sex and breed. During an analysis of medical data that was recorded from 1982 to 1995, it was found that cardiac tumors were found… Early spay/neuter triples the risk of developing hypothyroidism and becoming obese. Many of the decisions you make over the next few months will affect your dog for a lifetime: the diet you choose, the vaccine protocol, socialization and training, and decisions about when to sterilize. News Flash: You CAN Spay your dog too early. That said, it's wise to let your dog go through one heat cycle so she can get those hormones running through her system. May 14, 2007 Precis At some point, most of us with an interest in dogs will have to consider whether or not to spay / neuter our pet. This means that your dog will enjoy less discomfort, faster healing time, and less risk of post-operative complications. On balance, it appears that no compelling case can be made for neutering most male dogs, especially immature male dogs, in order to prevent future health pr… Early spaying can increase the risk of hip dysplasia, torn ligaments, bone cancer, and urinary incontinence. Now that we’ve established how important it is to spay your female dog, we should discuss how to time the procedure. Spaying your dog too early can result in health problems later on since her hormones should have some time to work. The anaesthetic and surgical procedures are apparently safe for young puppies and kittens; morbidity is … Spaying or neutering can lead to a reduction in certain health risks for both female and male dogs. Dogs who are spayed/neutered too early have an increased chance of developing undesirable behavioral issues such as phobias, fear aggression and reactivity. With respect to cancer, cases of lymphoma were 3 … To find a holistic or homeopathic vet near you or to find one who will do phone consultations, visit The Academy Of Veterinary Homeopathy. While it’s not clear at what age the dogs were desexed, a study conducted at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center on canine cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) injuries concluded that spayed and neutered dogs had a significantly higher incidence of CCL rupture than their intact counterparts. If the spay happens between the first and second heats, female dogs still have quite a bit of protection, with only an 8% risk, compared to their intact sisters. However, if you spay her too early – or too late – it can in fact be counter-productive. Early spaying causes the leg bones to grow unevenly. In my opinion, the orthopedic risks from early spaying and neutering are clear while the cancer risks are less clear. Sign up for the Dogs Naturally Newsletter and get over 200 FREE Health Plans and Guides in 2020. Spaying or neutering are invasive procedures and only a certified medical professional should be allowed to perform it. For some pet owners, spaying is an overwhelming decision they know they’ll have to make at some point, but put off because the research seems daunting. Nikki is the marketing manager for IPH and has been writing for Intermountain Pet Hospital since 2014. And while large breed dogs had more CCL injuries, sterilized dogs of all breeds and sizes had increased rupture rates. She also completed exotic animal internships in California and at the Berlin Zoo, Germany, and is certified in Veterinary Acupuncture and Homeopathy. Waiting to spay means an increased risk of tumor development. As long as you choose the right time to neuter your dog, the benefits outweigh the risk. Undesirable sexual behaviors. First, we’ll answer the simplest question: should female dogs be spayed? The evidence shows that spay/neuter correlates with both positive AND adverse health effects in dogs. Early spaying can increase the risk of hip dysplasia, torn ligaments, bone cancer, and urinary incontinence. Tradition holds that the benefits of doing so at an early age outweigh the risks. Recent studies have linked early spay and neuter to a bevy of health risks: increased incidence of cranial cruciate ligament disease, osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, or lymphomas in dogs that were spayed or neutered before sexual maturity. Here at Intermountain Veterinary Hospital, we offer the traditional procedure (what requires the cone of shame), but we also offer an alternative method using laparoscopy. It also suggests how much we really do not yet understand about this subject. If you remove those hormones too early, they don't have enough time to complete their valuable work. Yes, I want to get emails from Dogs Naturally. The content on this website is not meant to replace veterinary advice. Your dog’s ideal time to spay will also be based on her breed and size, so it’s best to work closely with a veterinarian to determine when is the right time. The risks of early spay and neutering of dogs include: You can change your mind and unsubscribe anytime. Clearly, spaying a female dog reduces her risk of mammary cancer. These concerns might seem valid, but the reasons to spay or neuter far outweigh the risks of not doing so. THE SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS OF DOG NEUTERING BEFORE SEXUALLY MATURE. Sterilization is what I want to discuss today. Pregnancy risk. © 2020 Dogs Naturally Magazine Inc. The Royal Veterinary College researchers concluded: Due to the limited evidence available and the risk of bias in the published results, the evidence that neutering reduces the risk of mammary neoplasia, and the evidence that age at neutering has an effect, are judged to be weak and are not a sound basis for firm recommendations. Shelter medicine experts developed the concept of ultra-early neutering of kittens and puppies before adoption. A cohort study of shelter dogs conducted by the College of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M University concluded that infectious diseases were more common in dogs that were desexed at less than 24 weeks of age. There are too many measures for me to report in detail, however, the main results were the same across all three samples of dogs. Spaying your dog too early can result in health problems later on since her hormones should have some time to work. 4,7 Female golden retrievers spayed at an early age have a higher incidence of mast cell tumor, for example, and neutered male golden retrievers have a higher incidence of lymphosarcoma. Among the reports and studies pointing to health concerns associated with early spaying and neutering, you can also find mention of increased incidence of: Results of a UK study published in 2012 in the Journal of Small Animal Practice were unable to validate the theory – a theory that is widely assumed to be a fact – that early spaying protects female dogs from mammary neoplasia. That said, it's wise to let your dog go through one heat cycle so she can get those hormones running through her system. In a retrospective cohort study conducted at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and published over 10 years ago in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, results showed that both male and female dogs desexed at an early age were more prone to hip dysplasia. The objective of the study was to evaluate the evidence that spaying, or the age at which a dog is spayed, has an effect on the risk of mammary tumors. However, most experts agree that, while risk factors for some conditions may increase due to neutering, some (such as mammary cancer and prostate cancer) decrease. In early-neutered dogs, the incidence of CCL was 5.1 percent in males and 7.7 percent in females, suggesting that neutering prior to sexual maturity significantly increases a dog’s risk of developing CCL disease. I understand why veterinarians want all dogs to be fixed by 6 months of age. A dog that is spayed too young might not produce the necessary hormones that will be needed later in her life, so having the procedure performed at the right age is very important. Fearful behavior. Spaying and neutering do have some clear health benefits for dogs. If you’re thinking about adding a puppy to the family, in addition to deciding what type of dog is right for you, you’ll also be making lots of lifestyle choices for the long-term health and happiness of your new best furry friend. Dr Becker is also licensed by the U.S. Removing Hormones can be of Risk. Is it too late to spay an old dog? Pregnancy and birth also come with health implications that could put your dog at risk of injury or even death. For the past 30 years, our profession has urged the public to spay and neuter dogs and cats for a host of beneficial reasons, including population control and the avoidance of breast and testicular cancer. As compared to your male dogs, female dogs spayed too soon are 6.5 times more likely to develop cancer whereas the risk to males is 3.6 times greater after the procedure. Other studies have linked early spaying and neutering to certain cancers, joint disorders, and urinary incontinence—though the risks tend to vary by sex, breed, and living circumstances. Many spay-and-neuter clinics are low-cost and anesthesia in veterinary medicine now is on par with human medicine. 1. With client education and marketing, our profession has succeeded in making early spay-neuter programs our national custom, primarily for control of the population explosion. Spaying your dog too early can result in health problems later on since her hormones should have some time to work. Hernia. An objective reading of the veterinary medical literature reveals a complex situation with respect to the long- termhealth risks and benefits associated with spay/neuter in dogs. Early spaying causes urinary incontinence in … Unspayed females can develop a … Over the past decade several other untoward health events related to juvenile spay/neuter surgery have come to light, including cancer and behavioral problems. These were primarily irreversible metabolic diseases that appeared within a few years of a dog’s surgery. Karen Shaw Becker received her degree in veterinary medicine from the Iowa State School of Veterinary Medicine. Neutering before 1 year of age triples risk of some joint disorders Urinary incontinence risks elevated in female dogs spayed before age 1 Previous studies also found early neutering risks for golden retrievers and Labrador retrievers My current approach is far removed from the view I held in my early days as a vet, when I felt it was my duty and obligation to spay and neuter every dog at a young age. A reduction in mammary tumors in older female dogs is hemangiosarcoma website is not meant to veterinary! 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