Author Topic: Research concerning early Spay/neutering  (Read 4464 times)

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Offline JaspersMum

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Research concerning early Spay/neutering
« on: April 20, 2012, 09:03:36 PM »
This week I attended a very good 2 day workshop "Coaching the Canine Athlete" run by physio-vet.  Our speaker was Dr Christine Zink DVM, PhD, ACVD, a Canadian who has lived and practised in the USA for the last 20plus years.

As well as excellent information about the structure of the dog and how aspects such as angulation can affect the balance and stability of the dog in performance events and it's function in life, she also had some interesting research of the effects of early spay and neutering.. I think they often perform these ops even earlier in the States than here, but it certainly proved thought provoking.

I'm not going to say whether it's right or wrong to neuter a dog, but it's certainly worth reading

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

Becky (aka Sportsmonki) I did sort of say hello on day one but then I wasn't 100% sure it was you as you were so far from home..  (and if it wasn't you - good job I didn't say more LOL)

Jenny - owned by Jasper, Ellie, Heidi, Louie & Charlie

Offline Helen

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Re: Research concerning early Spay/neutering
« Reply #1 on: April 20, 2012, 09:21:44 PM »
really fascinating - thanks Jenny!

Especially interesting to read about aggression being more prevalent (in this study) in neutered males over entire males (considering we are told that one of the reasons for neutering males is to reduce possible aggression  ph34r)
helen & jarvis x


Offline JaspersMum

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Re: Research concerning early Spay/neutering
« Reply #2 on: April 20, 2012, 09:37:42 PM »
It is Helen, I know it caused that problem with Louie.  He had been fine pre-neutering and we only had him done as we knew no better and the vets standard question when they hit 6 months seems to be "when are you getting them done?"

Afterwards he became quite fearful of other dogs and put into a situation where he was too up close and unable to get away from oncoming dogs or ones who got in his face, I couldn't guarentee he wouldn't have a pop at them.  It took a long time to reduce that anxiety and I'm sure it was the hormonal change reducing his testosterone that previously made him "brave" enough not to care about others.

Equally, I'm sure there are those with an overdose where it probably has the desired effect

Jenny - owned by Jasper, Ellie, Heidi, Louie & Charlie

Offline lindseyp

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Re: Research concerning early Spay/neutering
« Reply #3 on: April 20, 2012, 09:57:32 PM »
I'm going to a seminar early next year in ref to this subject - lot more to early spaying/neutering than meets the eye I feel & wanted to find out more for myself  ;)

http://www.holisticvet.co.uk/events.html

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Offline LottieLu

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Re: Research concerning early Spay/neutering
« Reply #4 on: April 20, 2012, 09:59:17 PM »
This is really interesting reading, thank you for posting it here.

Offline KellyT

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Re: Research concerning early Spay/neutering
« Reply #5 on: April 20, 2012, 10:09:47 PM »
This is really interesting reading, thank you for posting it here.

ditto - thank you :)
Kelly & the 3 muskaspaniels x

Offline elaine.e

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Re: Research concerning early Spay/neutering
« Reply #6 on: April 20, 2012, 10:17:40 PM »
Very interesting reading. William was castrated at 15 months because he had an undescended testicle and therefore an increased risk of testicular cancer. I left him until 15 months partly in case the testicle decided to appear, but mainly because I wanted to give him time to mature physically. Louis is almost 3 years old and entire. I have no plans to have him castrated, especially as he's fearful of other dogs and I believe that castration could increase his fearfulness.

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Re: Research concerning early Spay/neutering
« Reply #7 on: April 20, 2012, 10:25:51 PM »
Very interesting. Thanks for posting.

Offline bluegirl

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Re: Research concerning early Spay/neutering
« Reply #8 on: April 21, 2012, 08:04:04 AM »
It's very interesting, I think it was spanielcrazy from USA who posted this or something like this about a year ago now and I thought it made for very interesting reading. 
Karen, Penny, Logan, Phoebe and Bronte.


"Life is a series of dogs".    George Carlin

I was going to take over the world but got distracted by something sparkly.

Offline 7733lily

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Re: Research concerning early Spay/neutering
« Reply #9 on: April 21, 2012, 08:39:52 AM »
This is very interesting.
my three boys are all entire and I have no intention of having them neutered despite the vets quizzing me everytime I go since they were 6 months (now 4yrs, 3yrs and 18months)
I may be setting myself up here, but all three get on great together, don't stray and although the oldest one can get a Little "challenging" with other males, they are also usually intact and are also challenging.  He has got a lot better as he has got older.
My parents have a 9 year old beagle who was spayed at 3yrs because he was becoming a handful, and he is the first to notice and act if a bitch is in season and will chase any dog out of the park if he takes a dislike to it  :huh:

Offline Ninasmum

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Re: Research concerning early Spay/neutering
« Reply #10 on: April 21, 2012, 08:56:20 AM »
Thanks for posting Jenny....it is a very interesting subject  :shades:

When i was at the vets yesterday i overheard the receptionist telling someone on the phone that they would spay a 6 mth old bitch & i wanted to scream 'No don't do it'  ph34r >:(


Nina, Jo Jo, Georgia & Alfie

Offline JaspersMum

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Re: Research concerning early Spay/neutering
« Reply #11 on: April 21, 2012, 08:59:24 AM »
Thanks for posting Jenny....it is a very interesting subject  :shades:

When i was at the vets yesterday i overheard the receptionist telling someone on the phone that they would spay a 6 mth old bitch & i wanted to scream 'No don't do it'  ph34r >:(


I know, my friend has just had her very gangly immature lab done (he's 12 months just) BUT, he has stopped humping everything and does seem to have calmed down so it has achieved what she wanted.  I just worry that he was so bodily immature  :-\  I've had to eeek each of those extra months out of her to stop him being done even sooner.

Jenny - owned by Jasper, Ellie, Heidi, Louie & Charlie

Offline Petepreston

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Re: Research concerning early Spay/neutering
« Reply #12 on: April 21, 2012, 11:46:08 AM »
Interesting reading.

The one thing that seems as inevitable as death and taxes is that scientists will always find a way of contradicting each other or overturning previous "consensus".

We had Posie done because it was/is commonly held to be the right thing to do to reduce the risk of female reproductive organ cancers. That conclusion has been supported by statistical studies.

We can rarely be certain what will affect our pups and we make the decisions regarding their health based on the best information/advice available at the time. Posie may still develop ovarian cancer despite the (possibly?) lowered risk because shes been "done", or she may be hit by a bus, but much as I always want the best for her, I don't like the idea of finding out that I may have actually increased her risk.

That's the nature of these studies though, and for each finding of increased/decreased risk of one illness, there is usually a counter argument for another illness.

Fascinating study though, and I will probably still keep an eye on it. Maybe.

Additional: I reread the article after posting this comment and realised that there wasn't much in the way of actual numbers. Stating a "fivefold increase" sounds worrying, but without knowing what the base figure was leaves us with less useable statements. If the base incidence of bone cancer is 1%, then a fivefold increase is still 'only' 5%. If there is still a 60% reduction of another cancer (I think that's the figure used for mammary and/or ovarian cancer) then I'll take the increased bone cancer risk with my beloved pooch. It's the choice I would make for my own health - if we ignore my lack of ovaries.

Offline JaspersMum

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Re: Research concerning early Spay/neutering
« Reply #13 on: April 21, 2012, 12:14:27 PM »
It was interesting that the 2 studies that have lead us all into the early neutering were based on a very small collection of dogs in the test group and no control group at all. 

I to will follow the studies with interest.

Jenny - owned by Jasper, Ellie, Heidi, Louie & Charlie

Offline phoenix

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Re: Research concerning early Spay/neutering
« Reply #14 on: April 22, 2012, 09:18:59 PM »
Fascinating, and supports my own thoughts.  my vet advised me NOT to get Bob neutered (juvenile fear problems).  So he has grown into a chunky,handsome broad-faced lad with short legs. All the other cockers I know are narrower in body and head, and much leggier.  He's not a humper, and has perfect manners with both sexes of dogs.
If the same op was done on pre-pubertal boys, there would be an outcry!



RIP Marti  the EPI springer age 12,  and beloved black cocker Bobby, 8 yrs old, too soon, from PLN.
Now owned by TInker, tiny hairy grey poodle/terrier rescue from Greece and Jack, local rescue,   scruffy ginger terrier mutt.