Thoughts on proper age for canine castration/spaying...

[phoenixmama]

Quote:
That makes sense...especially since she's your only working dog.

 

[la dee da]

Sorry, double post

 

[la dee da]

Redyre and Gritstar, why wait for 2 years? I've heard of waiting 6 months and even up to a year (for males), but now you two say you'll wait for 2 years? I know Redyre says it has to do with sexuel hormones (and health issues from not having them), but isn't the whole idea of neutering getting rid of those hormones?

Sorry I'm ignorant, but I've honestly never heard of someone waiting two years before S/N

Please, share your wisdom

EDITED to unquote my own post (didn't know I could do that) and to say that emote is not meaning to call you old! Just wise

 

[cassie]

I prefer to spay females shortly before their expected first heat. Larger breed animals should be older than little ones because they mature later. I have noticed that dogs that are spayed/neutered at young ages are far more likely to become obese than those that are neutered later. I am not a fan of early neutering/spaying.

 

[Cetawin]

I personally do not believe in castration until the dog has reached maturity in growth. For example, Great Pyrs do not mature until they reach at least 2 years of age...therefore, my puppy (who is 14 months old), will not be neutered for at least another 10 - 12 months.

My vets have always said that it affects their growth and for the large breeds, early altering can have fatal results. So, why risk it?

Females should have at least one full heat before being spayed, for similar reasons as above. You can avoid tons of hormonal issues by waiting as well.

 

[ChickenFanaticAB]

I don't really know what's best either way, but my dog was neutered at 8 weeks with no ill effects yet, and he is about 5 1/2 years old now. He recovered quickly, seems to have matured just fine...my cats were spayed and neutered at (i think) about 10 weeks. All of these guys were done at a spay and neuter clinic, so this is fairly routine, and all recovered quickly, with seemingly little to no pain. My cats (almost 4) are both fine, and there is no spraying and no ill effects seen yet either...

I don't know what is truly best, but from my experience, early spaying/neutering has been fine, and after having a dog get ovarian cancer, I will probably continue to spay and neuter all of my future pets fairly early. (It's also cheaper...) I also volunteer at a humane society, and all of their animals are spayed and neutered before leaving, so I think if there were major issues this would probably change...though I totally understand the reason!

 

[vicki2x2]

I think for pet owners and the average small or medium sized breed, early spay/neuter is fine, they recover quickly and the affects are minimal and outweigh the risks and problems of waiting, like unwanted litters, wandering, owners never bothering, etc.

Here is food for thought, my Maremma puppy was neutered at 4 1/2 months, but not in the traditional sense. He actually had a vasectomy, so he can't produce puppies, but he still has testosterone and will continue to grow and mature like he needs to. This is how the breeder breeder protects her puppies health and well being, when people buy a dog for guarding but not breeding purposes.

If someone wanted to, the dog could later be neutered in the traditional sense once he is down growing.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I am not going to try to answer for Redyre here, only share what I know about the issue. Spaying/neutering a large breed dog too early can lead to bone issues.
As I understand it, early altering affects the sex hormones that "tell" the growth plates in the bones when to close. This can result in taller dogs (longer limbs), lighter bone structure, narrower skulls and narrower chests (which affects lung capacity). This may also contribute to an increase in the risk of hip dysplasia.
In addition, I know of at least one study that has shown a link between early altering of large working breeds dogs and undesirable social and sexual behaviors.

 

[Windrider]

Quote:
While the sex hormones may cause problems (but I have a suspicion that they are often blamed for bad behaviors even when they are not the cause), there are decided benefits, too. Early sterilization can cause growth problems, as some of a dog's growth is regulated by the sex hormones. Many of the dog trainers I know also suspect that sterilizing too young leads to adult dogs who are mentally puppies their whole lives - they are emotionally "stunted" as it were.

Large breeds, especially the males, may take up to 2 years to reach sexual maturity. I know of some breeders who sell pups to us performance folks (who insist on structurally sound dogs who mature properly) who have tried vasectomies instead of neuter for male puppies not of breeding quality. This is really the best of both worlds, as the pup still matures as if intact but cannot reproduce. It is also a less invasive surgery. Too bad there is nothing equivalent for the females.

The American Society of Theriogenology (the study of animal reproduction) takes this position on Spay/Neuter. It is a most enlightening read:
http://www.therio.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=193

 

[Cara]

Wouldn't a vasectomy offer no protection against testicular cancer though? Or is the intention to fully neuter the dog later on?