Spay & Neuter - What You Need To Know To Make An Informed Decision

26 Aug

Another popular topic that seems to always be a very heated debate But a very important topic none the less. It seems as more time goes by, the more risks of spay neuter come to light. And so before you make a very permanent decision for your dogs health - ensure you are doing it for the right reasons.

Despite the conventional wisdom that widespread de-sexing is the only or at least best choice A survey of European countries revealed that Hungary has 57% intact dogs and the UK stands at 46% of intact dogs. Rather conversely, In some countries, spaying and neutering are considered to be inhumane and is even illegal.Take Sweden for example, 93% of females 99% of male dogs are left intact.

Under Norway's Animal Welfare Act, it is actually illegal to neuter your dog unless it was deemed medically necessary or for animal welfare reasons. And so, to have your dog desexed in Norway and other Scandinavian countries, pet parents have to provide a detailed letter with the many reasons you feel your dog must be neutered (for their benefit), and even then, it's difficult to find a veterinarian that will perform a surgery they believe is unnecessary and painful for the animal.

The good treatment of animals is just one facet of the Scandinavian desire to treat living creatures, including women and children, with respect. In their view, it is more responsible to leave a dog intact and guard and train the dog properly rather than have mass spay/neuter campaigns to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Indeed, Scandinavian countries do not have pet overpopulation problems. And yet, in many other western countries pet parents have been conditioned by veterinarians to believe that choosing not to spay and neuter our pets is highly irresponsible, no matter the circumstances.

“Stunting a puppies growth - like giving your daughter a hysterectomy before they reach puberty”

Sex hormones are very important to the development of a growing puppy. Testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone all affect the immune system, the musculoskeletal system, the cardiovascular system, as well as psychological development. Spaying and neutering remove a growing puppy's hormones and we're discovering that 20+ years of "spay everything that moves" campaigns have had some significant effects on man's best friend.

Hormones produced by the reproductive organs are essential for reproduction but, they’re also vital in developing the following;

▪ Homeostasis

▪ Body condition

▪ Cholesterol levels

▪ Energy levels

▪ Urinary continence

▪ Muscle tone

▪ Cognition

▪ Behavior

▪ They play a huge role in the immune system overall and the rise in the risk of many cancers after removal of the reproductive organs is evidence of this.

Risks of early spay/neuter

▪ dogs who were spayed/neutered early were twice as likely to tear their CCL, and 3 times more likely to have a luxating patella.

▪ Early spay/neuter causes loss of bone mass.

▪ Dogs who are spayed/neutered before 6 months have a 70% increased risk of developing hip dysplasia.

▪ Dogs who are spayed/neutered at all are twice as likely to develop bone and other cancers.

▪ Dogs who are spayed/neutered too early have an increased chance of developing undesirable behavioral issues such as phobias, fear aggression and reactivity. Males And females

▪ neutering female dogs before four years of age reduces life expectancy by 30%. Females that kept their ovaries the longest were nine times more likely to achieve exceptional longevity (13+ years).

▪ Early spay/neuter triples the risk of developing hypothyroidism and becoming obese.

▪ increased incidence of: Adverse reactions to vaccines, Noise phobias, Fearful behavior, Aggression and Undesirable sexual behaviors.

▪ infectious diseases were more common in dogs that were desexed at less than 24 weeks of age.

▪ Early Neutered Dogs Are At Increased Risk Of Incontinence

▪ the younger the dogs were spayed/neutered, the younger they were when diagnosed with cancer.

Extending Your Dogs Lifespan by over 30%

“A study conducted at the Gerald P. Murphy Cancer Foundation and published in the December, 2009 issue of Aging Cell, has found a correlation between the age at which female Rottweilers are spayed and their lifespan. The study compared long-lived female Rotties (those with a lifespan of 13 or more years) with a group who lived a usual lifespan of about nine years. “Like women, female dogs in our study had a distinct survival advantage over males” ,said the lead researcher David J. Waters, associate director of Purdue Universitys Center on Aging and the Life Course and a professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences.

But taking away ovaries during the first four years of life completely erased the female survival advantage. We found that female Rottweilers that kept their ovaries for at least six years were four times more likely to reach exceptional longevity compared to females who had the shortest lifetime ovary exposure.

Because death from cancer is so prevalent in Rottweilers, researchers conducted a subgroup analysis of only dogs that did not die of cancer. This focused research further proved the strong association between intact ovaries and longevity.

Even in dogs that did not die of cancer, the female Rottweilers that kept their ovaries the longest were nine times more likely to achieve exceptional longevity (13+ years).

Simply put, this studies results indicate that the removal of a female dog's ovaries significantly increases the risk for a major lethal disease!

Interestingly, the Rottweiler research lines up with findings from another recent study of women who had undergone hysterectomies. In that study, women who lost their ovaries prior to age 50 were at greater risk of death by causes other than breast, ovarian and uterine cancer than women who kept their ovaries until age 50.”

The Risks of spay/neuter regardless of age

▪ Dogs who were spayed/neutered early were twice as likely to tear their CCL, and 3 times more likely to have a luxating patella.

▪ Early spay/neuter causes loss of bone mass.

▪ Dogs who are spayed/neutered before 6 months have a 70% increased risk of developing hip dysplasia.

▪ Dogs who are spayed/neutered at all are twice as likely to develop bone and other cancers.

▪ Dogs who are spayed/neutered too early have an increased chance of developing undesirable behavioral issues such as phobias, fear aggression and reactivity. Males And females

▪ Neutering female dogs before four years of age reduces life expectancy by 30%. Females that kept their ovaries the longest were nine times more likely to achieve exceptional longevity (13+ years).

▪ Early spay/neuter triples the risk of developing hypothyroidism and becoming obese.

▪ Increased incidence of: Adverse reactions to vaccines, Noise phobias, Fearful behavior, Aggression and Undesirable sexual behaviors.

▪ Infectious diseases were more common in dogs that were desexed at less than 24 weeks of age.

▪ Early Neutered Dogs Are At Increased Risk Of Incontinence

▪ The younger the dogs were spayed/neutered, the younger they were when diagnosed with cancer.

▪ Increased likelihood of cognitive disorders if castrated before complete cognitive development

▪ Inhibited social adjustment if castrated prior to sexual maturity.

The other side of the coin

With the above in mind, It is important to state that unneutered dogs also have their own risks (though nowhere near as many!). For males, Asides the increased risk of gonadal cancers (from having gonads) there aren’t many health risks for them remaining entire and this would always remain my recommendation. This is because although the incidence of testicular cancer isn’t uncommon, the Purdue university conducted with golden retrievers found that testicular cancer in males had a 90.9% survival rate - with treatment being very successful. This combined with the frequency of testicular cancer would put it so fewer than 1% of males actually die from testicular cancer.

With females however, there is two Main risks to keeping them from being spayed. Pyometra and Mammary cancer.

Pyometra is the abnormal thickening (pyometra) of the uterus’ lining. It can occur in dogs at any age, although it is more common in those over the age of 5.. Thankfully prognosis is positive with more bitches treated on an out-patient basis than require a full hysterectomy An analysis of Swedish Pet Insurance data reveals that overall, almost 25% of the insured dog population had developed pyometra by 10 years of age, with approximately 50% of at risk breeds (rough-haired Collie, Rottweiler, Bernese Mountain Dog) experiencing pyometra before reaching 10 years of age (Hagman 2004).

Another issue for female is that mammary cancer dramatically increases in unspayed older females. “Current studies show that spaying between twenty-four and thirty months of age will allow females to reach maturity and may have some beneficial protective effects against certain cancers, while still having a low incidence of mammary cancer” writes Dr Judy Morgan

And if after all of this, you still want to spay/neuter your dog

If you are going to spay/neuter we would only recommend doing so by waiting until the dog is fully grown, which often comes after going through puberty. For smaller breeds like cavaliers that can be 18-24 months of age to close their last bone growth plates.

My recommendation for females would be a 2 pronged approach;

1. learn and know the signs of pyo. Which may include; increased thirst and urination, decreased appetite, lethargy, and possibly vaginal discharge. Females with discharge are easy to diagnose, while those that do not show discharge are more challenging. Pyometra generally occurs approximately six to eight weeks following a heat period.

And

2. consider spaying using keyhole surgery after the 2.5 year mark but before the age of 5 (after this age the risk of Pyo is said to increase) - for my own female, I have chosen to spay her after her 4th birthday.

For females you could also opt for a less invasive procedure like a OSS (ovary sparing spay) or partial spay, or a tubal ligation are all safer options than a typical spay. But it must be said that leaving the ovaries in tact can still present the risk of mammary cancer - this is a risk you must weigh up in your individual circumstances.

In regards to neutering males (again it must be stated that the studies show that they are better off left entire) opt for a vasectomy after the age of 2 in small breeds and 4 in large breeds.

There is also a zinc injection that has recently come into favour but it may be difficult to find a veterinarian that offers this.

A Note on Sterilisation techniques

“In most veterinary schools in the US, students are not taught how to do hysterectomy or vasectomy, and the number of veterinarians offering these options is small.

However, Parsemus Foundation is doing its part to encourage education, dialog and communication with dog owners and practitioners. Their website (parsemus.org) offers information on hormone-sparing options, including extensive online training material for veterinarians on ovary-sparing spay. They also maintain a list of veterinarians who offer alternatives to traditional spay/neuter. Parsemus Foundation envisions a win-win future, when veterinarians offering choices are sought out by those who want the most appropriate methods of sterilization for their dogs.
”

— Elaine Lissner, founder and trustee of Parsemus Foundation

In conclusion

We fully understand why most veterinarians want all dogs to be neutered by 6 months of age. Their primary concern being overpopulation. Approximately 13.5 million pets are euthanized each year globally. It’s the same reason why you can’t adopt from a rescue group without the pet being spayed or neutered first, no matter the age. But having read the research, and letting common sense prevail, it’s abundantly clear that dogs need those hormones and additional months to grow just as much as you and I do.

When we surveyed our members on whether or not they think it’s right to neuter all dogs to prevent unwanted litters the results were clear;

As mentioned above, many European countries have made it illegal to neuter pets unless it’s for a health condition and the incidents of accidental matings/stray’s in these countries is reportedly low.

This is not to say that we are against spay and neuter completely. We understand that in a number of circumstances there are certainly medical benefits to spaying and neutering. We just oppose it being done too early before your puppy has had time to put themselves together properly!.

So if you have a choice, think carefully about when to spay or neuter your dog. And as we always say, the decision is yours, not the vets. Do your research and make up your own well informed decision - hopefully the resources we provide in this article and in our groups/social platforms can help you with this life decision for your dog!