# Long Term Health Risks and Benefits Associated with Spay/Neuter in Dogs



## Ron Ackerman (Jul 29, 2007)

Below is a link to a rather interesting article on the “Long Term Health Risks and Benefits Associated with Spay/Neuter in Dogs” on the National Animal Interest Alliance website. http://www.naiaonline.org/

Many have strong beliefs on these procedures as to how they affect a dog’s health.

This study seems to be very complete and may make you aware of some facts that you may not have considered.

Hopefully, it may also help you in advising friends and possibly clients in making a more informed decision on this matter. 

http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf


Any thoughts?


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## Ian Forbes (Oct 13, 2006)

I think it is an excellent document.

Attached is another one with food for thought:

http://www.caninesports.com/SpayNeuter.html


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## Ron Ackerman (Jul 29, 2007)

Ian,

Thanks for the link. It backs up a lot of what I've seen in my clients' dogs, especially the part about agressiveness in males.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Ron, what have you encountered with neutered males and aggression? I'm a behaviorist (I may end up as a veterinary behaviorist...we'll see!) and I don't find neutered males more aggressive. Heck, isn't that part of the reason why some working folks are so gung ho about leaving males intact is to get that extra aggression?

As to the Zink article (the canine athlete one), a DVM/PhD who is a boarded member of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons from Texas A&M's vet school wrote this in rebuttal:

http://www.unleashyourself.biz/documents/zinkrebuttalearlyspaynueter.pdf

Here's my own personal opinion, which I have said before, but I'll say it again. As a future vet leaning more into holistic medicine, for the 95% of American pet owners that just want a nice pet, I don't have a problem with spaying and neutering them, even at a fairly young age if they were obtained from a shelter. As there is still something like 3-10 million unwanted dogs and cats euthanized often just for space, there is just no need for it. Even many responsible breeders have oops litters. How many of us know ol' Billy Bob in the trailer park who is trying to get his pit bull mix to have just one more litter? :roll: 

Many MANY more animals get put down directly or indirectly (2 dogs with terrible temperaments who never should have reproduced produce an ill-tempered fear biter who mauls a kid or the big litter that gets brought to the shelter ends up forcing older dogs out just because they are older) from irresponsible and/or accidental breeding than ever hemangiosarcoma or osteosarcoma. An interesting parallel is vaccinations and socialization. You'll still get some old school vets who say that the puppy shouldn't leave the yard before 4 months because of parvo, etc. Many many dogs get PTS due to lack of socialization at critical periods which manifest into undesired or even dangerous behaviors than ever die of parvo or distemper. So in the end, it's a cost/benefit analysis. For my future clients (the average pet owner), doing the spay/neuter is going to be more practical for them and for the greater goal of limiting overpopulation.

Now, that being said, if someone has a working, working sport, or sporting (agility, flyball, whatever) dog that they'd prefer to leave intact until it's done growing, that's fine. Or if they'd like to breed that dog because it's a superior and proven specimen that's proven itself in health, temperament, and some sort of working ability, that's also fine. And I'll never ever advocate for mandatory spay/neutering. Education is the way to go.


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## Will Kline (Jan 10, 2008)

Maren, I really like the way you think!!! =D>


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

Here is another article that discusses effects of early altering:

http://www.acc-d.org/2006 Symposium Docs/Session I.pdf


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## leslie cassian (Jun 3, 2007)

I totally agree with Maren!

As someone who is new to the working dog world, but has been a pet dog owner for many years, it seems to me that there is a very big difference in the way pet dog owners and working dog owners live with/manage their dogs. 

As a pet dog owner, I lived in Toronto and spent a lot of time with my dogs in Toronto dog parks. Intact dogs were few, but the few that did come around seemed to cause problems. My old neutered male was very quick to rise to any sort of challenge or posturing from an intact male. Intact females seemed create a bit more tension in a group of dogs. Having a spayed or neutered dog is a just a whole lot easier and seems to make for better group interaction in a dog park situation.

The working dog world is different and I am still adjusting - both to the different expectations regarding dogs of the people I train with and the way my working lines dog behaves with other dogs. A "park" dog he is not. 

Working dog people seem much less concerned with having a social dog, (or absolutely opposed, if Leerburg is representative of the working dog attitude) so spay/neuter as way of reducing aggression in group play situations is probably not much of a priority. But for the average pet owner, I would still strongly recommend spay/neuter.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

leslie cassian said:


> I totally agree with Maren! ... But for the average pet owner, I would still strongly recommend spay/neuter.


1. Me too.

2. And me too, at full growth (or right this minute if the dog will not be protected from oops litters).


This is a working forum, so our opinions on neutering pets aren't as crucial here as they may be elsewhere.... :wink:


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## Lynsey Fuegner (Apr 11, 2007)

I totally agree with Maren...my working dogs are intact, I do however have one pet dog (Fenris) who I neutered at 3 years or so for the simple fact that it was easier to deal with him and my female when she was in season. I didn't feel he was a breeding quality male and I deffinately didn't want an oops litter from him...


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