early spay neuter in dogs

Early spay and neutering in dogs

/ susanbulanda / 2 Comments

A study conducted at the University of California – Davis researched the data of 35 breeds of dogs collected over fifteen years from thousands of dogs to determine if neutering, the age of neutering, the differences in the sex of the dog had any relationship to certain cancers and joint disorders such as hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament tears, elbow dysplasia, lymphoma, cancer of the blood vessel walls, mast cell tumors and bone cancer.

They found that the occurrence of joint disorders was related to body size. Smaller breeds have less issues while the majority of larger breeds did. The surprising exception to this were Great Danes and Irish Wolfhounds which showed no problem regardless of what age they were neutered.

Small dogs had a low rate of cancer regardless of what age they were neutered or not. The exceptions were Boston Terries and Shih Tzu’s who had a significant increase of cancers if neutered.

They also found that the sex of the dog sometimes made a difference in health risks. For example, female Boston Terriers who were neutered at six months had no risk of joint disorders or cancer, yet male Boston Terriers neutered before a year of age had significantly more risks.

Another finding was that neutering or spaying female Golden Retrievers at any age increased the risk of one or more of the cancers from five to fifteen percent.

Sue’s Note: Many working dog people, especially in the herding breeds, claim that neutering a dog before full physical and mental maturity hinders the mental and working ability of the dog.

Journal Reference:

  1. Benjamin L. Hart, Lynette A. Hart, Abigail P. Thigpen, Neil H. Willits. Assisting Decision-Making on Age of Neutering for 35 Breeds of Dogs: Associated Joint Disorders, Cancers, and Urinary Incontinence. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2020; 7 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00388

Cite This Page:

University of California – Davis. “When should you neuter your dog to avoid health risks? Comprehensive study lays out guidelines for 35 dog breeds.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 15 July 2020. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200715160008.htm>.

Heavy mixed breed dogs have greater health risks

/ susanbulanda / 2 Comments

Benjamin Hart, a professor emeritus at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, did a comprehensive studyon health issues in mixed breed dogs weighing 44 pounds and over. He found that if these dogs were spayed or neutered prior to one year their health risks increased.

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The study analyzed 15 years of data from thousands of dogs at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. They found that joint disorders including hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia and cranial cruciate ligament tears, and knee injuries jumped from 4% in intact dogs to 10 – 12% in those neutered or spayed prior to one year.

The problem which the study pointed out, is that when someone adopts or purchases a mixed breed dog as a puppy, they may not know who the parents are and thus will not know for sure how big the dog will get as an adult.

In an earlier study, the scientists determined that health risks due to the age of neutering varied a lot depending upon the breed of dog. In this case the common belief that a mixed breed dog is generally healthier than a purebred does not seem to be the case.

My question is, why is there a difference between mixed breed and purebred if the injuries are a result of weight.

The bigger issues as pointed out in the article is that the common practice of early spay and neuter needs to be reviewed and possibly modified. This is also important information for people who train working dogs.

Health issues related to early spay and neuter of dogs

/ susanbulanda / Leave a comment

For many years I have had working dog people tell me that a dog should not be neutered or spayed until after they reach puberty. For a bitch that would be after the first heat. They claimed that the dog fully develops mentally after puberty and that early neutering and spaying retards this development.

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In a recent study, scientists found that some breeds have a higher risk of developing certain cancers and joint disorders if they are neutered or spayed during their first year of life.

This study looked at 35 breeds over a ten-year period and analyzed thousands of dogs over fifteen years. What is interesting is that the age and sex of the dogs did factor into whether or not the dogs were afflicted with health issues.

The health issues under consideration included hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament tears and elbow dysplasia, lymphoma; hemangiosarcoma, or cancer of the blood vessel walls; mast cell tumors; and osteosarcoma, or bone cancer. While the study showed that early neutering did not affect all of the dogs, there were breed related problems.

I personally feel that a dog needs the full range of hormones to fully develop mentally. But it can be difficult for the owners of female dogs to control a bitch in heat and prevent an unwanted litter. For the owners of male dogs there are methods to prevent the dog from siring an unwanted litter other than neutering. It is always wise to consult with your veterinarian and explore all of your options.

As an aside, I would like to see a similar study about the health and mental affects of early spay-neuter in cats.