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By Dr. Becker There is a growing body of evidence — including new research on German Shepherd Dogs (which I’ll discuss shortly) — that indicates spaying or neutering, in particular as it relates to large breed dogs desexed early in life, significantly increases the risk of serious health problems. For Female Rottweilers, Ovary Removal Significantly Increases the Risk for a Major Fatal Disease In 2009, a Gerald P. Murphy Cancer Foundation study found a correlation between the age at which female Rottweilers are spayed and their lifespan.1 The study compared female Rotties who lived to be 13 or older with a group who lived the expected lifespan of about 9 years. According to lead researcher Dr. David J. Waters, a professor in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences (VCS) at Purdue University: "Like women, female dogs in our study had a distinct survival advantage over males. But taking away ovaries during the first [four] years of life completely erased the female survival advantage. “We found that female Rottweilers that kept their ovaries for at least [six] years were [four] times more likely to reach exceptional longevity compared to females who had the shortest lifetime ovary exposure."2 Because death from cancer is so prevalent in Rotties, researchers conducted a subgroup analysis of only dogs that did not die of cancer. This focused research further proved the strong association between intact ovaries and longevity. Even in dogs that did not die of cancer, the females who kept their ovaries the longest were nine times more likely to achieve exceptional longevity (13+ years). Simply put, study results indicate removal of a Rottweiler’s ovaries significantly increases the risk for a major lethal disease. Did You Know That in Europe, Intact Dogs Are the Norm? A more recent study conducted at the University of California (UC), Davis provides additional evidence that spaying or neutering, and the age at which it is done, may increase a dog's risk of certain cancers and joint diseases. The U.S. takes a very different approach to spay/neuter compared to many European countries. In this country, not only are most dogs spayed or neutered, increasingly the preferred timing of the procedure is before the animal is a year old. The motivation is for desexing is pet population control, and owners are considered responsible only if their pet has been sterilized. However, in many European countries, dogs remain intact and animal health experts do not promote spaying or neutering. The UC Davis study was undertaken, according to the researchers because: "Given the importance of gonadal hormones in growth and development, this cultural contrast invites an analysis of the multiple organ systems that may be adversely affected by neutering."3 In Desexed US Golden Retrievers, the Rates of Joint Disease and Cancer Are Much Higher Than in Intact Goldens The researchers looked at the health records of 759 Golden Retrievers. Goldens were chosen because they are one of the most popular breeds in the U.S. and Europe, are often used as service dogs, and are also susceptible to various cancers and joint disorders. The intent of the study was to investigate the effects of neutering on the risks of several diseases in a single breed of dog, distinguishing between males and females, and between dogs that had been neutered or spayed early (before one year), late (after one year), or not at all. The dogs ranged in age from 1 to 8 years and had been seen at the UC Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital for one or more of the following problems: Hip dysplasia (HD) Cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) tear Lymphosarcoma (LSA) Hemangiosarcoma (HSA) Mast cell tumor (MCT) The researchers focused on joint disorders and cancers because desexing removes the testes or ovaries and disrupts production of hormones that play an important role in body processes like bone growth plate closure. Study results indicated that for all five diseases, the rates were significantly higher in both males and females that were neutered or spayed (before or after one year of age) compared with intact dogs. Of special concern was that results showed a 100 percent increase in the rate of hip dysplasia in male Goldens neutered before 12 months of age. Ten percent were diagnosed with the condition, which was double the rate of occurrence in intact males. Past studies have reported a 17 percent increase among all neutered dogs compared to all intact dogs. The UC Davis researchers suggest that neutering male Golden Retrievers well beyond puberty will help prevent an increased risk of hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament injury, and lymphosarcoma. For female Goldens, the research team concluded that: “ … [T]he timing of neutering is more problematical because early neutering significantly increases the incidence rate of CCL from near [zero] to almost 8 percent, and late neutering increases the rates of HSA to 4 times that of the 1.6 percent rate for intact females and to 5.7 percent for, which was not diagnosed in intact females.” 4 Vizsla Study Suggests a Significantly Increased Risk for Cancer and Behavioral Disorders in Spayed or Neutered Dogs A 2014 study of Vizslas included over 2,500 dogs and revealed that dogs neutered or spayed at any age were at significantly increased risk for developing mast cell cancer, lymphoma, all other cancers, all cancers combined, and fear of storms, compared with intact Vizslas.5 Dogs of both genders neutered or spayed at 6 months or younger had significantly increased odds of developing a behavioral disorder, including separation anxiety, noise phobia, timidity, excitability, submissive urination, aggression, hyperactivity, and/or fear biting. When it came to thunderstorm phobia, all neutered or spayed Vizslas were at greater risk than intact Vizslas, regardless of age at neutering. The younger the age at neutering, the earlier the age at diagnosis with mast cell cancer, cancers other than mast cell, hemangiosarcoma, lymphoma, all cancers combined, a behavioral disorder, or fear of storms. Spayed female Vizslas had a nine times higher incidence of hemangiosarcoma compared to intact females, regardless of when spaying was performed, however, no difference in incidence of this type of cancer was found for neutered vs. intact males. Neutered and spayed dogs had 4.3 times higher incidence of lymphoma, regardless of age at time of neutering, and a five times higher incidence of other types of cancer. Spayed females had 6.5 times higher incidence of all cancers combined compared to intact females, and neutered males had 3.6 times higher incidence than intact males. The Vizsla researchers concluded: "Additional studies are needed on the biological effects of removing gonadal hormones and on methods to render dogs infertile that do not involve gonadectomy.”6 German Shepherds Desexed Before 1 Year of Age Triple Their Risk of Joint Disorders As I mentioned earlier, another very recent study was conducted at UC Davis, this time involving German Shepherds Dogs (GSDs). The study results suggest that spaying or neutering before 1 year of age triples the risk of joint disorders, in particular cranial cruciate ligament tears, in these dogs.7 The researchers analyzed the veterinary records of 1,170 GSDs, both neutered or spayed and intact, for a 14.5-year period. They looked for joint disorders and cancers already linked to desexing, and separated the dogs into categories that included intact, desexed before 6 months, between 6 and 11 months, and between 12 and 23 months. The study found that 7 percent of intact males were diagnosed with one or more joint disorders compared with 21 percent of males neutered prior to 1 year of age. Five percent of intact females developed joint disorders, compared with 16 percent of females spayed before 1 year. Intact female GSDs were found to develop mammary cancer at a rate of 4 percent, compared with less than 1 percent of females spayed before 1 year. Intact females had no diagnosed incidence of urinary incontinence, compared with 7 percent of females spayed before 1 year. According to lead researcher Dr. Benjamin Hart of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine: "Debilitating joint disorders of hip dysplasia, CCL and elbow dysplasia can shorten a dog's useful working life and impact its role as a family member. Simply delaying the spay/neuter until the dog is a year old can markedly reduce the chance of a joint disorder."8 My Preference Is to Sterilize, Not Desex Since simply delaying a spay or neuter until a dog is older doesn’t address all the health challenges we see in desexed versus intact pets, I like the Vizsla researchers' conclusion above that we need to investigate alternative methods of sterilizing dogs that do not involve removing the ovaries or testes. As I explain in this video, over the years I've changed my view on spaying and neutering dogs, based not just on research studies, but also on the health challenges faced by so many of my canine patients after I spayed or neutered them. These were primarily irreversible metabolic diseases that appeared within a few years of a dog's surgery. These days I work with each individual pet owner to make decisions that will provide the most health benefits for the dog. Whenever possible, I prefer to leave dogs intact. However, this approach requires a highly responsible pet guardian who is fully committed to and capable of preventing the dog from mating (unless the owner is a responsible breeder and that's the goal). My clients are incredibly responsible and educated. I’ve never had a single unplanned pregnancy in my veterinary career. But I realize I’m not providing medical care to the entire world, and the world is full of irresponsible people. My second choice is to sterilize without desexing. This means performing a procedure that will prevent pregnancy while sparing the testes or ovaries so they continue to produce hormones essential for the dog's health. This can be done at any age, and could easily replace the current standard of desexing by high volume spay/neuter clinics and shelters around the country. This typically involves a vasectomy for male dogs, and a modified spay for females. The modified spay removes the uterus while preserving the hormone-producing ovaries. This procedure is less invasive, requires shorter time under anesthesia, and yields the same results with no negative side effects. The Problem of Homeless Pets I want to emphasize that I'm not advocating the adoption of intact shelter animals to people who may or may not be responsible pet parents. Shelter veterinarians don't have the time or resources to build a relationship with every adoptive family, so the animals they care for must be sterilized prior to adoption to prevent more litters of unwanted pets. I would certainly prefer that shelter vets sterilize rather than spay or neuter homeless pets to preserve their sex hormones. However, currently the U.S. shelter system can’t accommodate alternative sterilization procedures, nor are veterinarians in this country routinely trained in how to perform anything other than full spays and neuters. So while I totally agree with the need to sterilize shelter pets, I don't necessarily agree with the method of sterilization being used. http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2016/07/27/neutering-spaying effects.aspx?utm_source=petsnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20160727Z 1&et_cid=DM112154&et_rid=1590046476
Spay/Neuter Articles
9/30/2016 -They Studied Dogs That Had Extreme Longevity and Guess What They Found? file:///C:/Users/Anne/Downloads/New%20Study%20-%20Early%20spaying%20or%20neutering%20increase%20risk%20of%20serious%20health%20problems.pdf 3/1//2016 - The rish of neutering dogs at 6 months http://dogsfirst.ie/neutering-dogs 10/14/2015- THE ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS OF
EARLY SPAY AND NEUTER IN GOLDEN RETRIEVERSMost of us are bombarded with messages about taking the socially correct actions and that includes early spay and neuter of our dogs. But we need to be aware that early spay and neuter can leave dogs with their long-term health impaired and in the case of Golden Retrievers, it significantly increases the likelihood they will die of hemangiosarcoma, one of the most common types of cancer in Goldens.  In Sweden spaying and neutering is against the law, under the animal cruelty ordinances. It is a very uncommon practice in Western Europe and yet there is no animal overpopulation problem in those countries. The reason is responsibility. Puppies are produced either because people breed dogs on purpose, whether or not they should be doing so. Or we get puppies from accidental breedings because owners were not knowledgeable or did not pay attention. Since you are reading this website we assume you are responsible and are trying to learn about how to best acquire and care for a Golden Retriever.
How Did We Get Here?How did we get to this place where it is socially preferable to subect our dogs to invasive surgeries that leave them less healthy than just to be responsible for their behavior? There are a tremendous number of people who get their dogs from shelters and unlike responsible hobby breeders, the shelters cannot screen who is allowed to take their dogs. We know that in California 47% of the dogs adopted from shelters end up back in the shelters. So in that case it is appropriate to help society, even as it hurts the long-term health of the dogs, by making sure all shelter animals are altered before they are adopted. What Does The Science Say?For a long time there was no research done on this. Dogs were altered, they lived, no one followed sets of altered and unaltered dogs until recently, when medicine for dogs has become a profitable business. The only side by side study of effects of early spay and neuter was done by Canine Companions for Independence. CCI would like to alter their trainee puppies as soon as possible to make life easier for their puppy raisers. CCI found that animals altered early could not be used as service dogs because of behavior issues. Nature gave animals endocrine glands for the same reason people have them. They play a large part in behavior and physical development, the rate at which bones develop, the size of the dog and how the dogs behave. It is only in the last ten years that veterinary medicine has been profitable enough to fund the studies that are not being done, most of which provide surprising data on early spay and neuter. There are a number of attachments on this subject, some more technical than others. I would urge you to read at least the one by Christine Zink, DVM. See the bottom of the page. Many uninformed people and veterinarians would probably tell you that six months of age is the optimum time. But there is absolutely no research to support this. Your veterinarian probably attended a vet school before this research was available. And they may have attended a school supported by HSUS (Humane Society of the United States). HSUS* promotes early spay and neuter without regard for the health of the dogs but even they no longer promote mandatory spay and neuter. What About Goldens Specificially?If you are considering a Golden Retriever, we assume temperament and behavior matters to you. If you have not considered Golden Retriever rescue, they have some wonderful dogs. If you feel you need to know more about the breeding, health and temperament of a potential family pet, that may be why you are at this website. And if you are wanting a Golden that looks like the dogs on this website, let me assure you that a Golden Retriever puppy that is altered early will have longer legs, less bone, a narrow and longer muzzle, be a couple inches taller and not resemble its littermates. It will NOT look like the dogs you are seeing here. BenefitsBut let's start with the benefits of early spay and neuter and there are some. Bitches that are spayed prior to their first season will not develop mammary cancer and not get pyometra. Dogs that are neutered have no testicles and therefore no testicular cancer. These are all low-incidence events and usually easily treated surgically. RisksFemales Urinary incontinence.
Increased barking and aggression toward people and dogs.
The likelihood of getting hemangiosarcoma (a non-treatable cancer that is the most common cancer in Golden Retrievers) is increased by 5 times.
Triples the risk of hypothyroidism.
If done before one year increases the risk of osteosarcoma.
Increases the risk of orthopedic disorders, possibly including hip dysplasia.
Recurrent urinary tract infections.
Increases the risks of adverse reactions to vaccines.
Increases the risk of obesity by 1.6 - 2 times.
Males
Quadruples the small risk of prostate cancer.
Increased barking and aggression toward people and dogs.
The likelihood of getting hemangiosarcoma is increased by at least 1.4 times.
Triples the risk of hypothyroidism.
If done before one year increases the risk of osteosarcoma.
Increases the risk of CCL injuries.
Significantly increases the risk of orthopedic disorders, including hip dysplasia.
Triples the risk of obesity.
Increases the risks of adverse reactions to vaccines.
Increases the risk of geriatric positive impairment. Article from Dr. Chris Zink Opinion of the Society of Theriogenology (A specialty group in the AVMA) AVMA Letter on MSN 2/16/2014 - Dangers of small incisions on spays - a must read article -
http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=2b722e5b53c15056ebf3b284f&id=0f9a15d785
1/4/2014 - Spay and Neuter health issues a must see video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enPCZA1WFKY&feature=share
Posted: 9/25/2013 - Study finds neutering-disease link in Golden Retrievers https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/130401s.aspx#.UkLMn4e4Tuo.facebook
Posted: 7/21/2013- Neuering Dogs effects on Joint Disorders and Cancers in Golden Retrievers: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0055937
Article on golden retriever health issues from spaying and or neutering to early.
http://www.caninesports.com/SpayNeuter.htmlhttp://www.cfainc.org/exhibitors/theriogenology-basis.pdfSpaying and Castration
(Neutering) Dogs and Cats
A Stark Warning | What Your Vet and the Rescue Centre's May Not Tell You and why you should never spay or castrate early
 Neuteringcan make for a better and more affectionate family pet. It is a medical fact that spaying and castration can prolong the life of our pets and may reduce the number of health problems in later life. Females can benefit from spaying by reducing the incidence of uterine, mammary, and ovarian cancers. It can also reduce the incidence of uterine infections such as Pyometra.
Castrating a male reduces the risk of prostate and testicular cancer. They are less likely to develop unwanted behaviour's such as marking, sexual aggression, and mounting, they are also less likely to escape, roam, or fight with other dogs. Some vets recommend that our dogs are spayed or neutered anywhere between 5 to 16 months. In America some are being done as early as 8 weeks and they routinely neuter at between four and six months. Many of the Vets, Trainers and Behaviourists in both America and the UK are recommending this course of action, without understanding the numerous problems this advice may create. Some rescue centre's such as the RSPCA often spay and neuter as a matter of course, whatever the age. In fact I have written an article pointing to the fact that a few of our "Welfare Societies" are neutering both male and female dogs as young as SIX WEEKS. And some breeders are doing it at the same age so that the owners cannot breed from these poor dogs later. This is especially prevalent in some breeders of Labradoodles, but other breeders are involved as well. May I recommend that you never buy from a breeder that is prepared to mutilate a tiny puppy this young. I know of a case recently, where the breeder sold siblings (two dogs from the same litter) which on its own is a recipe for disaster, and something very fewgood breeders would ever do. See But to compound the problem she had both of them neutered at six weeks. The buyer was warned but chose to ignore that advice. It is not just the owner that will suffer. As these poor little dogs start to grow and start to reach maturity. They will become more and more anxious, distressed, and frustrated. It is these poor dogs that will unfortunately be impaired for the rest of their lives, both physically and mentally. It is an absolute travesty that we can allow these people to do this to young pups. What happened to the five freedoms under the Animal Welfare Act of 2007. Where number three of the five freedoms states. "The need to to exhibit normal behaviour patterns" How can these poor pups exhibit normal behaviour patterns when they have had this start in life.?
I have some very serious reservations about neutering even at six months, but six weeks is ludicrous, I believe that for the behavioural health of our dogs this advice and practice must stop. See the RSPCA article.
There have been numerous scientific studies on the beneficial outcome of neutering, especially on a physiological level. But none I can find on a psychological and behavioural level.
I noted some six years ago that the incidence of frustration, lack of attention, and puppy like behaviour, appeared to be far more prevalent in dogs that were castrated and spayed at a younger age, rather than those that were allowed to mature naturally before attempting this operation.
As behavioural consultants and obedience trainers, I find that we are treating many more cases where dogs are displaying (paedomorphic) tendencies. That is puppy like behaviour's in adult dogs, which I believe is related to the incidence of early spaying and neutering.
I also observed that bitches spayed too early, may be far more interesting to intact males; unwanted male attention can cause the female to become aggressive and protective of this attention in adulthood.
I asked the members of PAACT
“The Professional Association of Applied Canine Trainers”
to start to monitor the dogs they were treating and to record the time they were spayed and neutered. Their feedback appeared to bear out my initial findings.
With regard to neutering, I believe that males should not be castrated until they have been cocking their leg for at least one month, and should be at least 10 to 27 months of age (depending on size and breed). The larger the breed then the later they mature,. therefore something like a German Shepherd would be much later than the 10 months stated. Probably more like 17 months. Unless of course there are medical or serious behavioural issues to take into consideration.
In females, I believe that they should have at least one season; but preferably two, then wait approximately 3 months after the season before considering spaying, allowing the internal organs to settle down after the season.
It has also been observed that young female dogs that show aggres sive tendencies towards owners, especially before the age of six months; often demonstrate increased aggression after spaying.
Spaying removes the production of progesterone, which is a natural calming hormone and a Serotonin uplifter. Spaying may therefore escalate any observable aggressive behaviour, either to humans or other dogs. Despite popular belief spaying does not calm a female dog down. It may help to calm certain behaviour's in males, but not female dogs. How could it when you are removing hormones that raise serotonin?
Many vets and rescue centre's will neuter a male dog before they have cocked their leg. It is at this point dogs start to seriously mark territory. Not the half-hearted attempts we see in immature dogs. The immature castrated dog may squat for the remainder of it’s life, and may be more interesting to intact males.
There appears to be a testosterone surge at between 10 and 24 months depending on breed and size, which clearly turns on a dormant hard-wired program that establishes this cocking behaviour. Male dogs also produce Progesterone. Progesterone and testosterone switches on many of the hard-wired behaviour's we see in maturity and are not isolated to just one action, therefore other functions that are not so obvious may be switched on at this time. These may have social implications and behavioural effects that aid in the development of dogs psychological and physical growth. If we switch these off by neutering or castrating too early, we may be denying the opportunity achieve both mentally and physically the dog’s full adult potential. Progesterone receptors are found in brain cells, in nerve sheaths and in bone cells, In both male and female dogs. indicating that progesterone is involved in their function. It also appears to be involved in a range of other biological activities. Therefore neutering before both physical and psychological maturity may have numerous other long-term detrimental effects.  Many dogs that have been neutered early, appear to retain far more juvenile characteristics than those neutered when mature. In other words, they retain perpetual puppy like characteristics, whilst this may appear to be initially endearing, who would really want a dog that shows low concentration levels and frustrated puppy like behaviour for the remainder of its adult life?
Because early neutering removes sex hormones, this delays maturation of “osteoclasts” resulting in the delayed closing of the growth plates of the long leg bones creating leggy taller than average dogs, thereby increasing the risk of some orthopedic disorders such as cruciate ligament disease, Hip problems and possibly bone cancer.
It was long believed that eunuchs (castrated humans) were castrated to stop them being interested is the ladies of the Harem. However they were also used as palace guards, because of the affect neutering has on the “osteoclasts” these eunuch's were therefore appreciably taller, making them more imposing as guards and soldiers. It has been observed that Spaying can significantly increase the risk of urinary incontinence in bitches. Early neutering also increases risk of urethral sphincter incontinence in males (A. Aaron et al., Vet Rec. 139:542-6, 1996.) In conclusion, I am all for neutering, but at the right time, thereby allowing your dogs to reach full maturity in both body and mind. I believe that a full psychological and physiological set of tests and experiments should be scientifically undertaken, to study the effect of early castration and spaying on all our animals, not just dogs and cats. These findings though purely observational, have also been borne out by observation and experiences of behaviourists and trainers who are members of PAACT “The Professional Association of Applied Canine Trainers” An organisation dedicated to enhancing and bringing together the two main canine disciplines of obedience training and behavioural therapy. It is PAACT’s belief that to be able to work with dogs on a professional level, you need to be versed in both of these disciplines. Article written by.
Stan Rawlinson MTCBPT. MPAACT
Chairman and Founder Member
Professional Association of Applied Canine Trainers.
Contact details for PAACT www.paact.co.uk
administrator@paact.co.uk
0208 979 2019 |
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