Why is it Important to Spay and Neuter?

There are three principal reasons given for having your pet spayed or neutered: The first is to prevent unwanted pregnancies, which contribute to our pet over-population crisis. The second is to prevent certain life-threatening diseases which can occur in unaltered animals. The third is to diminish various objectionable behaviors which can accompany, or be more pronounced, in the unaltered state.

Pet over-population, by itself, may compel the conscientious pet owner to insist on having their pet spayed or neutered. Each year, millions of animals are produced which cannot find good homes, and which then find their way to animal shelters or rescues where euthanasia or warehousing is the fate which awaits them. As a society, we have a moral imperative to keep this from happening.

There are well-defined clinical diseases which are observed in unaltered dogs and cats. Un-spayed females have a significant incidence of breast cancer later in life, and are also prone to a condition called pyometra, which can be life-threatening if it goes unrecognized and untreated. Un-neutered males can develop testicular cancers, perineal hernias, and prostatic disease.

Male dogs may have any aggressive tendencies exaggerated in the unaltered state, and often mistake your leg for a love interest. Tomcats are well known to engage in territorial disputes with other Toms, running up vet bills and spreading disease in the process. Un-spayed females will display heat behaviors which, In the case of dogs, may cause annoying blood stains on your favorite couch or rug. Cats may sound like they’re dying. All intact pets are prone to escape, and subsequent encounters with automobiles, as their mating instincts cloud their better judgment.

If this was 5 years ago, the blog would now be over. Case closed. However, in the intervening years there have been studies published by reputable institutions, like UC-Davis, which suggest an increased prevalence of certain diseases in some breeds of altered dogs. Spayed female Golden Retrievers, in particular, may have higher rates of three cancers: lymphoma, hemangiosarcoma, and mast cell tumors. In addition, premature altering of Labradors, German Shepherds, and Golden Retrievers may make them more prone to hip dysplasia and cruciate ligament tears.

It is important to recognize that these studies are preliminary, involve relatively small numbers of animals, and are retrospective. Retrospective studies show relationships, but do not establish cause and effect. It is also unclear if the findings apply to other breeds. Clearly, more work needs to be done before we change recommendations which have served us well over many years. Nevertheless, it may be prudent to delay neutering your large breed male dog until it has finished growing, around 12 months of age. We still recommend spaying female dogs before they go in to heat, by 6 or 7 months of age, although it may behoove us to delay this procedure in female Golden Retrievers. There is currently no data of which we are aware which contraindicates spaying or neutering your cat as early as 8 weeks of age. If you have any questions or concerns, your veterinarian will be happy to discuss them with you.