Interesting article on Health Consequences of Spaying/Neutering or Not...

[Adina P]

This was posted on a different forum and it is an article I hadn't read before.  It does NOT cover the effect on population control, only health risks from the choice to spay/neuter or not.  I thought it brought up some interesting data:

http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInD...

What was most interesting was that, from how I read it, there was little positive health benefit from neutering males.  And for females the only real big plus was lower risk of mammary cancer.  Otherwise, from a health standpoint, there seemed little good data to promote spaying/neutering.  And there seemed to be more benefits to keeping dogs intact at least through puberty.

Now, of course there are other ramifications...but the health aspect was interesting.  IF anyone has newer data...feel free to share!

(I have categorized this in the Discussing Doodley Things category because it does affect doodles)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Just what we needed...more excuses for people to leave pet dogs intact.

[Adina P]

I agree...for the average and less than average pet owner keeping an intact pet is a bad idea. But there's no reason to try to convince anyone based on health statistics that may not be meaningful. And, realistically the irresponsible pet owners out there are NOT basing their decisions about neutering and spaying on scientific health data anyway. But it does make me consider the idea of bearing through puberty with any future dog. Good breeders manage to keep their breeding dogs from impregnating the neighborhood or getting pregnant by anything on 4 legs, and show people seem to be able to manage intact dogs. So it seems a responsible owner who was serious about obedience could also manage just fine with an dog that was intact a wee bit longer than 6 months. Not promoting it and don't know if there is good data to refute the claims in this article, BUT if the claims hold true I wouldn't blame someone for waiting longer for the sake of the health of their dog. Again the folks who never bother to spay/neuter are not the ones reading this article.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I cannot imagine living in the average home in the average neighborhood with an intact adult male dog.
Show dogs don't live the life of an average dog, and many breeding dogs don't either.
This is so not enough reason for me to even consider waiting longer than 6 months to spay/neuter a dog.

[Adina P]

"Show dogs don't live the life of an average dog, and many breeding dogs don't either."

How do you mean? When it comes to everyday life how is it different?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

During show season, show dogs are traveling and/or kenneled most of the time when not being groomed, exercised, trained, or shown; they aren't just hanging out in the house or the neighborhood with the family.
Many of the breeders with whom I am familiar live on acreage in the country, and do not have to worry about their dogs running into other strange dogs continuously on walks, at romps, parks, etc. Many of them are also kept in kennels rather than in the house. They also do not have to comply with neuter restrictions at doggie daycares, training classes, etc. And considering that I do not know of one breeding dog that has been relinquished to a rescue who was housebroken, i would have to conclude that their every day lives are fairly different from Jack's or Rosco's.

[Dr. Judith P. LaVorgna]

Karen, this is actually a very interesting article, particularly as it relates to early spay/neuter and long term potential effects. It talks to, in what seems like many cases, as close as possible to the age of puberty for spay and neuter as a potential for good health in old age; issues such as urinary and uterine cancer, osteocarcinoma, urine free-expression and other illnesses and issues. It appears to be the most current paper available in terms of early spay/neuter vs later, vs non, while actually not specifically talking about it!!! This ESN has been an on-going debate for the last five or six years particularly among Veterinarians and Breeders as to which time is the most appropriate. It has also pitted Veterinarian against Veterinarian, and owners vs. Breeders. So it has also an emotional impact to all sides of the argument, laying out fairly clearly statistical documentation, and allowing an owner options to think about. It appears to be the most current research available (2007), combining I believe 20 years of statistical information from all over the world. It's not so much what we can or cannot imagine living with, or the average or non average home, but what the percentages could be for health and well being vs. illness and death. My take is with Adina, after reading the article several times, I would lean more toward waiting as long as is safely possible and comfortable for the dog and the family (owners and breeders). However, I also imagine this article contains such important pieces of data that more and different studies will be undertaken just from it's diving board presence.
Certainly for any owner of a sick Doodle, very sick, it would be important to read in terms of the diagnosis and the age at neutering and the onset illness.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thank you for interpretting the article for me, but I am very adept at reading and had no trouble either reading or understanding it.
I assume I am entitled to my own opinions, as are you.

[Dr. Judith P. LaVorgna]

That is a more than rude response, Karen, totally uncalled for, out of place, and intentionally demeaning to me and the points of the discussion I felt were interesting or had import and wondered how others felt. I began with a term of endearment...your name. Guess I was way, way wrong. But guess what? You were moreso. Don't sucker punch me Karen, don't need it don't want it. I will say, however, I believe it is o.k. for others to speak freely on medical issues on DK without fear or harrassment or sarcasm..

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Judy, beginning a post with someone's name isn't a term of endearment, it is a response directed to that individual rather than just a comment to the discussion in general.
I felt quite insulted and demeaned by your response to my post, which begins with a simplistic summary of the article and an explanation of what is being said, directed only to me, as if to imply that I did not read the article and needed you to explain it to me. This is not speaking freely about medical issues, nor is it asking how others felt. If that had been your intention, why address it to me? In fact, you then discounted and dismissed the way that I felt, addressing my previous comment specifically: " It's not so much what we can or cannot imagine living with, or the average or non average home".
So I find it very interesting that you are accusing me of rudeness when it was you who decided it was your place to invalidate my comment and set me straight on what the issue was really 'about' rather than simply expressing an opinion in the general discussion, as I did.
Rudeness begets rudeness. Please clean your own spots before you point at mine.

[Holly St Pierre]

The only thing I can add is I was told that if you neuter a male before 6 months it stunts their growth. Gunner is 20 months & weighs 88 lbs & was neutered @ 4 months. There goes that theory. I know 2 male dogs that were not neutered & both got cancer before they were 7 years old, may not be related, however pretty coincidental.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

I was told by a friend that Charli is so tall (27" and weighs 46lbs) because she was spayed so early - I was told she was 9 weeks old when she was spayed but we suspect she was younger then we were told she was.
I have no idea if that is true or not.
I just pray she stays healthy throughout her life due to her be spayed so young.

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

Actually the opposite Holly....The lack of hormones prevents the bone plates from closing especially in the males and especially in the legs....So you end up with a tall, long,lanky, leggy dog that would have otherwise developed proportionately if left intact til 9-12 months of age.