At What Age to Spay/Neuter: An Evidence-Based Study

[Bahamutt99]

http://www.akcchf.org/pdfs/whitepapers/3-23-08DiscoveriesArticle.pdf

Interesting read with good info, IMO

 

[Dekka]

interesting read. Thanx for posting.

 

[Renee750il]

Ah, just read that over at Pitbull-Chat, Baha . . . thanks for cross posting it here

 

[Picklepaige]

So is this basically saying it's good to spay females early, but to wait on males? The risk of pyometra and mammary cancer is too great and life-threatening for me to ever wait too long on spaying a female, but I would probably wait until at least two years old to neuter a male.

 

[Bahamutt99]

I think the tables at the bottom of that PDF are the most helpful, and the best way to break it down.

 

[ACooper]

That is an interesting read, and I have read and asked for informations similar to this on another board. I think you should be as informed as possible in BOTH directions before making a choice

So is this basically saying it's good to spay females early, but to wait on males? The risk of pyometra and mammary cancer is too great and life-threatening for me to ever wait too long on spaying a female, but I would probably wait until at least two years old to neuter a male.

And yes page, that is exactly what I did with Orson He goes in this coming Friday and won't be two until April 20th, so 16 days early isn't so very bad right? LOL

Honest to goodness I probably wouldn't neuter him at all if he wasn't starting the marking BS and aggravating Phoebe with his nose up her bum all the time (even though she is spayed) I think there are still too many unknowns about hormones to be certain in either direction.

 

[jess2416]

One behavioral consequence of spaying that has been documented in several studies is an increase in reactivity towards humans with unfamiliar dogs and increased aggression toward family members. This may be hormonally related; there may also be a breed predisposition

I would like to read one of those studies.. because this isnt the first time I have heard this??

 

[Amstaffer]

interesting, I wasn't surprised at all about females that is exactly what I had read before but on males I was somewhat surprised.

 

[DryCreek]

I'm not sure if you have all seen this report but it's a very good read as well.

http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf

 

[Bahamutt99]

Here's another one. Don't know if its been posted:

Early Spay-Neuter Considerations for the Canine Athlete