At What Age to Spay/Neuter: An Evidence-Based Study
- Thread starter Bahamutt99
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The rescue group I work with supports pediatric spay and neuter in both dogs and cats. The link below is not from my group, but has a lot of statements we are in agreement with. Sterilization for rescue animals is our best weapon in combatting overpopulation. If we don't have it done before pets leave our care, the result is the new owners calling us when they have litters. Early spay and neuter is essential in rescue work.
http://www.angelswish.org/documents/SpayNeuterPaper.pdf
http://www.angelswish.org/documents/SpayNeuterPaper.pdf
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I knew there was one around!
I've seen too many cases of cancers in intact senior animals we've rescued, and euth'ed way more than should have to be due to that, to leave any of mine intact.
others can do as they wish.
I've seen way too many oops to leave our rescues intact.
It seems more people own dogs that should not these days and most aren't as responsible as folks on the forum.
Read thru Craigslist if you don't believe that, or volunteer or just visit your local kill shelter.
People who adopt from us appreciate that their pet is already altered. If they prefer to wait they can adopt from someone else, that simple.
I've seen too many cases of cancers in intact senior animals we've rescued, and euth'ed way more than should have to be due to that, to leave any of mine intact.
others can do as they wish.
I've seen way too many oops to leave our rescues intact.
It seems more people own dogs that should not these days and most aren't as responsible as folks on the forum.
Read thru Craigslist if you don't believe that, or volunteer or just visit your local kill shelter.
People who adopt from us appreciate that their pet is already altered. If they prefer to wait they can adopt from someone else, that simple.
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I work with a small rural kill shelter north of here. They try to alter everything that leaves but many times they can't get the dog in for the surgery, etc.
Then the dog leaves on a contract to spay/neuter.
Well I can't tell you how many times I've been to that shelter when they have a returned female that is preg. and has had a litter. Or just got done nursing a litter - I rescued one in fact that had been returned after all the puppies had been given away.
To top it off they don't perform spay/aborts so they always have 2-3 runs of preg. mamas or nursing mamas.
The notion that people are responsible pet owners who can prevent unwanted litters is really far from reality. Take off the rose colored glasses
**I wanted to add that males in particular are very tough to adopt out right now. The reason is that many people believe they "mark" or lift their leg in the house. And many do.
And I can tell you from rescue experience that those are the toughest dogs to adopt out. Many times we can avoid those issues by spaying earlier than 6mos. in males, or at least no older than that.
Then the dog leaves on a contract to spay/neuter.
Well I can't tell you how many times I've been to that shelter when they have a returned female that is preg. and has had a litter. Or just got done nursing a litter - I rescued one in fact that had been returned after all the puppies had been given away.
To top it off they don't perform spay/aborts so they always have 2-3 runs of preg. mamas or nursing mamas.
The notion that people are responsible pet owners who can prevent unwanted litters is really far from reality. Take off the rose colored glasses
**I wanted to add that males in particular are very tough to adopt out right now. The reason is that many people believe they "mark" or lift their leg in the house. And many do.
And I can tell you from rescue experience that those are the toughest dogs to adopt out. Many times we can avoid those issues by spaying earlier than 6mos. in males, or at least no older than that.
The notion that people are responsible pet owners who can prevent unwanted litters is really far from reality. Take off the rose colored glasses
I have never said that spay/neuter shouldn't be done with rescues, and I do believe that if someone can't be responsible enough to prevent puppies they shouldn't own an intact dog.
But that doesn't mean I won't advocate for the use of leashes, fences and training. Maybe if more people did that as loudly as they say dogs should be surgically sterilized, the message would actually get somewhere? I have nothing to lose in trying.
But then again, if someone is irresponsible enough that they're dog is running loose creating puppies, or if they're irresponsible enough that should an accident happen they just dump mom and pups at the shelter, then maybe they shouldn't own a dog at all.
Spaying/neutering does not suddenly make cancer go away. Heck, it makes SOME cancers chances very low, but also adds chances of some.
Well ****. Somebody tell Rosey that she was supposed to of had tons of litters by now. Heck, I was SEVEN when I got her, and I still never let that happen.
The notion that people are responsible pet owners who can prevent unwanted litters is really far from reality. Take off the rose colored glasses
:hail:
Honestly, pediatric spay and neuter makes me a bit (or more than a bit) queasy. It makes me keep thinking of an ad saying "Speutero in Utero coming soon to a clinic near you"
But I'm more sick of listening to people (rescues being the main culprits around me) spout on and on about all the health benefits of spaying and neutering without ever mentioning anything that might be a negative or a risk and making it sound like your dog is going to:
A-Become a cancerous mass of tumors just because s/he still has his balls or uterus
B-Pee on everything that looks like it might think about existing
C-Start fights with every single dog in that it comes across and attack humans at random and
D-Impregnates (or becomes pregnant) just by having their reproductive organs intact
I don't like propaganda and misconceptions being spread like that and how hard you have to dig to find unbiased information. I don't like the the general public being made to feel like villains for not wanting to surgically alter their dog. How it's become something to be "fixed". How people are made to feel like they have no choice but to do that because no one can handle a dog as they come.
Honestly, pediatric spay and neuter makes me a bit (or more than a bit) queasy. It makes me keep thinking of an ad saying "Speutero in Utero coming soon to a clinic near you"
But I'm more sick of listening to people (rescues being the main culprits around me) spout on and on about all the health benefits of spaying and neutering without ever mentioning anything that might be a negative or a risk and making it sound like your dog is going to:
A-Become a cancerous mass of tumors just because s/he still has his balls or uterus
B-Pee on everything that looks like it might think about existing
C-Start fights with every single dog in that it comes across and attack humans at random and
D-Impregnates (or becomes pregnant) just by having their reproductive organs intact
I don't like propaganda and misconceptions being spread like that and how hard you have to dig to find unbiased information. I don't like the the general public being made to feel like villains for not wanting to surgically alter their dog. How it's become something to be "fixed". How people are made to feel like they have no choice but to do that because no one can handle a dog as they come.
My office recommends between 5 and 6 months of age for both males and females. Doesn't make any difference what breed.
If we have an aggressive puppy or one that is becoming dominate we will recommend it closer to 5 months.
If there is a female with a juvenile vulva, we recommend that they go through at least one heat cycle if not two in hopes that this will help with that issue.
If we have an aggressive puppy or one that is becoming dominate we will recommend it closer to 5 months.
If there is a female with a juvenile vulva, we recommend that they go through at least one heat cycle if not two in hopes that this will help with that issue.
This is actually a really controversial topic with vets. It seems like it depends on who you talk to. My old vet was really into rescue and she would spay three month old pups. My new vet has a conformation background and does not believe in spaying until the dog is 1 year (or after the first heat).
I can't read the link, it says "Page Not Found"
Either way, I got my female APBT spayed at 7 months, right after her first heat. I regret it. She developed incontinence. I wish I would have waited until she fully developed, and I will next time.
I got my male RR neutered at a year and a half. I'm on the fence with it. While it curbed and almost eliminated a lot of his dominant behaviors, it also changed his personality. It's not a bad change, just a different one.
My 11 year old female dachshund is not spayed, and she has tumors. Quite a few. She will undergo surgery as soon as we have the money for it to be spayed and remove the tumors. We got her from my boyfriends parents, and she was obese and had to lose weight in order to be cleared for surgery at her age. She has a lot of hormone problems and she has even once had a puppy abort. Poor girl.
My 6 month old male puppy, I plan to never neuter. Unless he shows some sort of temperament issue, then I will never have him neutered. I just don't see a lot of reason for it if he will not be exposed unsupervised to intact females.
I guess my point is, there are a lot of conflicting studies on the pros and cons of spaying and neutering at certain ages. I think most of us know enough about dogs and hormones and behavior to be able to make common sense decisions based on the dog. Because I truly feel that it is a dog-by-dog thing as to whether or not they should be altered and when. Wish I could read the link, though.
Either way, I got my female APBT spayed at 7 months, right after her first heat. I regret it. She developed incontinence. I wish I would have waited until she fully developed, and I will next time.
I got my male RR neutered at a year and a half. I'm on the fence with it. While it curbed and almost eliminated a lot of his dominant behaviors, it also changed his personality. It's not a bad change, just a different one.
My 11 year old female dachshund is not spayed, and she has tumors. Quite a few. She will undergo surgery as soon as we have the money for it to be spayed and remove the tumors. We got her from my boyfriends parents, and she was obese and had to lose weight in order to be cleared for surgery at her age. She has a lot of hormone problems and she has even once had a puppy abort. Poor girl.
My 6 month old male puppy, I plan to never neuter. Unless he shows some sort of temperament issue, then I will never have him neutered. I just don't see a lot of reason for it if he will not be exposed unsupervised to intact females.
I guess my point is, there are a lot of conflicting studies on the pros and cons of spaying and neutering at certain ages. I think most of us know enough about dogs and hormones and behavior to be able to make common sense decisions based on the dog. Because I truly feel that it is a dog-by-dog thing as to whether or not they should be altered and when. Wish I could read the link, though.