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

[vicki2x2]

Exactly, after age two, I can have him neutered if I want, which I probably will do. It would also help if people are having other male dog problems like roaming, wanting to breed, etc. as he still has all those hormones. In the mean time, his purchase price covered the vasectomy, made my county happy when I registered him and I got the neutered discount, and he will still grow and develop properly.

 

[la dee da]

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.

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

Thank you both! I never heard that stuff before so it's definatly something I want to look up. Windrider I'll check that site out later, when I'm more awake

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[geepy]

I had my dog (pit-hound mix) neutered at 4 months. After 2 acl replacments (they wen't cheap either) I did some research and found that some research papers were published concerning this. My daughters dog (same litter) was spayed at 4 months and both of her acl's had to be replaced also. I can trace these dog's linage back to there grand parents (both sides) and there was never any leg problems. I asked my vet about it and he never heard of any research being done. There are eight dogs at our house so non altering was not an option. I just wonder if this had something to do with the leg problems.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I have read of a link between too early altering and ligament problems.

 

[Windrider]

Oops! I gave the wrong link. Well, the right site but the wrong position statement. Here is the link to the Theriogenology statement of health reasons why there should be no mandatory spay/neuter at a young age:

http://www.therio.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=192

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

I'm just going to say my bit.


I had my female kitten spayed when she was 7 weeks old. She did perfectly fine, no inflammation, perfect temperament, acted like nothing had happened at all. She was sadly killed by an owl earlier this year.


I am scared to death to have my Shih Tzu spayed. She is not, in my terms, breeder quality, but is better than several other "breeding" dogs I have seen. I worked at a vet's office where at LEAST 2 female dogs died each month due to complications from spaying. I am just scared to death that something would happen to my little Vida.


ALL of my male dogs have been neutered. The surgery is simply not as invasive.

 

[gypsy2621]

From all the vets I have contacted in regards to altering my Male Malamute,10 months old is the minimum age they would do him.
I was told repeatedly that due to bone growth conjuncts with hormones that it could seriously deter his growth and lead to problems down the line.
The Beast ( Thunder) is now 11 months old and has an appointment in 2 weeks. his weight right now is 95 lbs and still not done growing , but according to the vets he will be fine from here.
I am not a fan of early S/N reason being I know cats and dogs with more issues than necessary.
Urinary issues being the most problematic.The inability to retain fluids being the biggest issue, perfectly healthy animals not able to house train due to incontinence which leads to more surrenders and homeless pets.

I am a huge fan of S/N BUT I think everyone is knife happy and altering sooner than is necessary.
Just because the Humane $ociety says its the proper thing to do does not make it right in every case.

The instances of cancers are no higher in unaltered animals than they are in altered animals , its all scare tactics.
Find credible research on altering your animals. read everything you can , the pros and the cons.

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

Quote:
I wrote this earlier and I do strongly believe in it. However, I also feel the need to clarify that I personally have only ever had 2 altered dogs. One, a Dobie, is a breed rescue so I had no choice. The other, a rat terrier, is also a rescue and again I had no choice. Over the years I have had many, many Dobies and GSDs and these are the only 2 who were altered. In all these years we have NEVER had an unplanned litter, even though we have always had a mix of males and females on the place at the same time and ALL of our dogs are house dogs. Our altered Dobie is a female who has had lifelong incontinence problems requiring twice daily medication to avoid accidents. I would never have chosen to have her altered, even though she is not breeding quality.

While I completely agree with shelter policies regarding s/n, I would never make that choice for any of my dogs. But then, I openly admit that I consider all of my crew as members of our family and not as "pets". As such, I consider their physical welfare as important as my own. Yeah, that's kind of extreme, but it is the way I feel about it. I have this screwy notion that in the grand scheme of things, we are not any more important than they are--we just make more money. And, as you know, the ones with the money get to call the shots in our society. Hey, I admit I am screwy!

Rusty

 

[Tala]

I don't believe that "pediactric spay/neuter" is good for the animal, but I do understand why shelters do it.

My dog is unaltered and we have not added any unwanted puppies to this world. She doesn't EVER leave the yard off-leash, and further when she's on her cycle she doesn't get to be even inside the fence without supervision!! It's only a few weeks out of the year really. Both of my cats were fixed around 7-8 months of age though, the female after her first heat cycle and the male slightly before that. My cats are indoor/outdoor and it's too hard for me to prevent breeding because of that. I prefer to wait until I know the animal has reached their sexual maturity.
I don't want to produce any unwanted pets, and I'm doing what I feel is best for each of my different pets to accomplish that goal.

 

[fowltemptress]

Quote:
I believe this from my own personal experience. This last dog was the last time I'll let my SO have his dogs neutered at 6 months, because they act like puppies their entire lives, and I hate it. I've always had my own dogs done later in life.