Getting Hank 'fixed'

[Kerry L]

My Hank is now 7 months old. I was thinking we'd get him 'fixed' anytime after 6 months but our vet told us he'd like to wait until 8 or 9 months, possibly longer for the surgery because they want his joints to be fully developed. Hank has some long legs! Apparently, they are finding links between fixing dogs too early and joint problems later in life. Has anyone else heard this?

I am pregnant and due in October so I was hoping we could get the surgery done before I have the human-baby so I can focus on taking care of my fur-baby! but I, by no means, am willing to do the surgery earlier than recommended!

[Sally S Miles]

 Sounds like your Hank is a big fellow and yes, this has come to light in recent years - it is best to let those bones get settled.  With a large dog the hormone disruption can mess with the growth plates.

Congratulations on your pregnancy.  You still have July, Aug, Sept - so shoot for as late as you can,  without stressing yourself out about it - males recover faster than a female does from spay but agree it would be best to have his recuperation done if possible prior to new baby.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree 100% with Sally. It is best to wait with large males, and the recovery is pretty quick in most cases. It's much faster and easier than for spay surgery. Normal neuter surgery on a dog with both testicles descended is not really invasive, so they heal pretty fast and don't require much activity restriction. About the only thing you have to worry about is keeping them from licking the incision until it heals. 

Congratulations, enjoy the rest of your pregnancy! 

[Stella]

Your vet is right, and very forward thinking!! Recent evidence is suggesting that early spay and neuter, before they are done growing, delays closure of the growth plates of the long bones. This produces taller dogs with longer legs and it is thought can predispose them to joint problems, particularly CCL tears. So, best to wait as long as you can, preferably until he has stopped growing.

[Emily, Bentley, & Maserati]

I think it is awesome that you vet is encouraging you to wait. I agree with what everyone else has said, evidence is in favor of waiting in large breeds, especially males. I would wait. 

Congratulations on your pregnancy!

[Kerry L]

Thanks for the feedback everyone! We are waiting until Hank is done growing, whatever is best for my pup :)

[Joani, Skadi & Elli]

Good advice from your Vet...you are so lucky to have one that is up on the new standards of care.  We could have avoided Skadi's surgery for her torn ligament had we waited, but due to contractual stipulations and lack of knowledge we had her spayed at 7 months and alas suffered the consequences.  I hope breeders are paying heed to this new information.  I think the joints take a couple years to fully form.  Next pup I will definitely wait.  I encouraged my daughter-in-law to wait even tho it was hard letting her bitch cycle twice...she hung in there, doing the right thing for her furbaby.

[Stephanie and Ragley]

I have read for females, however, that the risk of a female-related cancer due to the dog cycling is much higher than the risk of a long bone related cancer or problem due to spaying too early so it is still recommended to wait at least 5-6 months, but have the surgery before the first cycle. Ragley is a standard, so I waited until she was almost 9 months old and felt good about that time frame. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Right. The benefits of spaying females before the first cycle outweigh the risks. For males, it's different. 

[Lynda Kamrath]

Yep, my friend who is very into agility with her Border Collies, says the same thing.  She got her male neutered at about 9 months.  He is a champion agility dog as were all of her females.  So I guess there is something to it.  I prefer early neutering, but see the advantage of waiting for them to develop a little more.

[Danni & Jedi]

Thanks for this. Jedi is 6 months, and we got advice from our breeder to wait, but there are outside pressures (e.g. not being able to attend day care and certain groomers or training classes past this age without being fixed). It helps to stick to our guns knowing we have some science behind us!