Myth: Everyone wants a cuddly kitten or puppy. Spaying and neutering is more cost-effective than skipping the surgery. Myth: My dog or cat is too old to be spayed or neutered. aside from that, nothing at all. If we switch these off by neutering or spaying too early, we may be denying the opportunity to achieve both mentally and physically our dog's full adult potential. It seems that waiting until puberty –– the traditional approach –– has a downside they sought to circumvent by getting the deed out of the way early on. The surgery is performed under general anesthesia and is a short and simple procedure. Don’t leave it any longer, however. Cat spraying is also referred to as urine marking. Spaying a kitten too young can cause her bones to grow for a longer period of time. Before The Procedure. In male cats in particular, it was feared that early castration would affect the development of the urinary tract and lead to an increased incidence of cystitis or urinary obstruction. Even doing the surgery later on may not help. Cat neutering is the surgical removal of the testes of the male cat. She concludes that the structural and physiological differences in dogs neutered early may be the reason veterinarians are seeing a higher incidence of orthopedic disease such as CCL rupture and hip dysplasia than in dogs neutered after 5 1⁄2 months of age. You can have your kitten neutered or spayed as early as 6 weeks of age and the kitten weighs at least 2.2 lbs. Came home and we couldn't find him. Growing up as a single cat may make kittens more likely to exhibit problematic behaviors as adults. Found him the next day hiding in a cabinet. The risk of development of hip dysplasia doubles, and disease occurs at a younger age in the early-neuter group compared to both the intact and late-neuter group. Early spay/neuter triples the risk of developing hypothyroidism and becoming obese. I had to have a 5 year old male cat put down because of complications from neutering too early. The concept of early spaying and neutering (e.g. Your cat is never too old to fix. This mouthful of terminology was brought to you by veterinarians who theorized it would be easier to spay and neuter puppies and kittens before they reached sexual maturity. Short Term Side Effects. In fact, many health benefits are associated with neutering, so it can prevent problems for aging felines. Truth: Because early spaying or neutering is optimal, and with advanced techniques and safer anesthetic drugs, your pet can be safely spayed or neutered at 8 weeks of age and a weight of 2 pounds. A: I am very sorry for your loss, and it’s great you’ll open up your heart to a new best purring pal. If the procedure occurs too early, it may take much longer for your dog’s growth plates to close. If you’re keeping the kitten, you can safely wait until the six-month mark if you wish. They may not be aware that some risks of spaying and neutering can be decreased by delaying the surgery until a dog or cat is a little older, while … The medical terminology for cat neutering is Orchidectomy and a neutered cat is called a Gib. A uterine infection that requires emergency surgery to save your female pet’s life easily can cost several thousand dollars, while a simple tomcat neuter costs much less than products needed to eliminate urine odors after your home has been well-marked by your territorial male cat. Urine Spraying Habits. Some veterinarians say that spaying and neutering too early will deprive your dog of the sex hormones necessary for their maturation. As Coates puts it, “physiologically and behaviorally speaking, cats are made to reproduce as frequently as possible. Rather irresponsible to ask pet owners to wait 4 years until a breed is fully grown to neuter. In males the procedure can also be called castration, while the removal of the ovaries in females may also be called spaying or ovariohysterectomy. Even dogs and cats who are years older will benefit from being spayed or neutered. We went out of town for 2 days. you can't really spay to early. When deciding when to neuter your cat, four months of age seems to be fairly solid middle ground. His facial features will remain very kitten-like and they’ll never develop the bulk, weight, or height of a grown male cat. EN is never an issue in the show ring, the cats are still in proportion. Myth: My dog or cat is too old to be spayed or neutered. Myth: My dog or cat is too old to be spayed or neutered. Veterinary surgeons often focus their attention on keeping the kitten warm. Spaying too early can result in the following problems: Distortion. It got to the point where he lost all bladder control. Animals spayed early often have longer limbs and narrow skulls and chests. Reasons for Neutering or Spaying a Kitten. His bladder would swell and he could not release urine. There is most certainly such a thing as spaying your dog at the wrong time—in particular, too early while she’s too young—and it’s something that you should work to avoid at all costs. Your dog's reproductive hormones help his bones and joints develop properly. In animals that are spayed early, the bones continue to grow for a longer period of time. Obviously, we have to put a stop to that. I understand why veterinarians want all dogs to be fixed by 6 months of age. It’s very safe to spay/neuter cats at four months. Purrs . Isn’t this too early. Dogs and cats as young as eight weeks of age can be safely sterilized. More veterinarians are performing neuters earlier for several reasons, including being sure to have the surgery before the first heat, and having fewer surgical complications and quicker recoveries. It was also suggested that neutering at an early age would stunt normal growth. I don't know any Maine coon breeders who don't early neuter, and have done so with no issues for many, many years. And since the procedure is quick, they can warm the young cat a lot sooner than they can with an older cat. He was a declawed, completely indoor cat and you can imagine what that would do inside a house. If you remove those hormones too early, they don't have enough time to complete their valuable work. Can you neuter a 11 year old dog? I will not neuter a male cat before 6 months again. SPAY/USA, which operates over 1,000 high-volume spay/neuter clinics across the country, found that 9 percent of 5-month-old female cats were either pregnant or in heat at the time they were presented for spaying. Truth: In most cases, spaying and neutering is safe and healthy for pets of all ages. These hormones are responsible for skeletal growth. Had a family member check in and gave them food and water. We have a male and female both rescued, we spayed the female immediately for obvious reasons, but my boy has yet to be done. but that is in breeds already bred to the extreme for size, and common issues related to size. Kitties are usually neutered young, when their bodies are healthiest and strongest; but older cats generally handle the procedure fine. In Switzerland, it’s usual to wait 6 months for a cat, and I wonder if it’s the same for dogs : they are spayed or neutered between five and seven months for the small breeds, between seven and twelve for the averages, and between twelve and eighteen months for the big breeds. There just hasn't been the need (although we will at … The Risks of Neutering Your Maine Coon Too Late. Early age neutering prevents cat breeders from being able to accurately determine which kittens will be valuable stud animals (it is too early to tell when they are only kittens). Hormone-related behavioral issues that develop as puppies and kittens sexually mature commonly lead pet owners to part with their pets. Too often, we view spaying and neutering through our own eyes, and how it might affect us, and assume that our pets would look at it the same way. This leaves your dog more … Reduced Territorial Behavior. Dogs and cats over 7 years of age are required to have pre-surgical blood work performed in order to check liver and kidney function prior to administering anesthesia. Are there any side-affects to early play neuter, such as fat cats? My request is that we, as veterinarians, consider the devastating effects of waiting too long to neuter an animal. They’re primary concern I believe is overpopulation. Early neutering causes the leg bones to grow unevenly. What happens if you neuter a Dog too early? We rushed him to the vet … This leaves your dog more vulnerable to hip dysplasia and torn ligaments. in large breed dogs, there is some evidence of too much growth after early spay/neuter. Once they start, these behaviors could be irreversible. While 8 to 9 months is most typical for large-breed dogs, the fact is that cats and small-breed dogs often come into heat as early as 5 months of age. Dogs who are spayed/neutered too early have an increased chance of developing undesirable behavioral issues such as phobias, fear aggression and reactivity. before the animal is sexually mature) is not a new one. In general, neutering before the age of one is a good idea and the benefits will outweigh the risks. Dogs and cats over 7 years of age are required to have pre-surgical blood work performed in order to check liver and … Cat neutering is the sterilization of the pet and is a method to control the feline overpopulation. Similarly, you may ask, what is the youngest age to neuter a cat? Spaying your dog too early can result in health problems later on since her hormones should have some time to work. In the early 1900’s, early neutering was the norm and it was not until much later that questions were raised about the negative side effects of such a procedure. The neutering procedure may have short and long term side effects. Truth: You may find homes for all of your pet’s litter but this will mean fewer homes for all the dogs and cats in shelters. At puberty, behavioral changes occur in unneutered cats. Neutering and Spaying have to be a decision based on the dog and situation, you're quite right that one size doesn't always fit all. We started noticing a couple of months ago he was peeing and pooping outside the litter box. What happens if kittens are neutered too soon? I’ll find good homes for them all. It’s important to note that if you neuter your cat too early, they will never have the look of an adult male cat. He developed bladder problems. My cat apparently was neutered too early. Interestingly, most studies find that males can safely be neutered any time from 8 weeks of age (though most vets will give them a few more months to grow and mature). Early neutering traditionally meant having surgery to prevent reproduction in male or female pets before 6 months of age. Mammary cancer—which can be prevented by spaying prior to first estrus—leads to premature death in cats and dogs every day. Although the concept of early spaying and neutering of both cats and dogs is not new, its use by veterinarians in the mid-20th century was limited because of many misconceptions: It was better to let a female cat give birth to one litter of kittens before spaying . Although it’s a routine operation, only licensed vets are allowed to perform it. 30-Year Campaign . Early spaying causes the leg bones to grow unevenly. Early spaying triples the risk of bone cancer, a deadly cancer that mostly occurs in large and giant dogs. Got him out, and he peed blood and urine on the floor. Similarly, what happens if you neuter a cat too early? It has also been observed that young female dogs that show aggressive tendencies towards owners may demonstrate increased aggression after spaying. If you remove those reproductive hormones too early, they don't have enough time to complete their valuable work. Early spay/neuter does not appear to have a negative effect on behavior. No occurrence of CCL disease was observed in intact male or intact female dogs, or in late-neutered females. Adopt a pair! If you’re hoping to adopt out the kitten in question, early neutering is a good idea, people generally prefer to adopt younger kittens and they’re more likely to take on a British Shorthair who’s been neutered and had all his shots. Bone growth in dogs and cats is normally limited by the sex hormones. Waiting too long to get your Maine Coon neutered may leave you with a very difficult pet. B. M., Hudson FL. 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