Hey, everyone!
Today's topic is one of the hottest debates in the dog world at the moment, and it tends to be an "all or nothing" type of situation. Feel free to share your opinions and experiences in the comments below, but keep it civil.
First, a few facts
Traditional neutering is the most heavily pushed agendas you'll encounter in your journey with your dog, and it is usually stressed to be done at or before six months of age. The term "neutering" is correct for both males and females, though it is generally used for males. Spaying applies only to females, as a whole.
Traditional spaying is the removal of the ovaries and uterus, and traditional castration is the removal of the testes.
Pediatric altering occurs between the ages of 6 and 16 weeks of age, and is most commonly done on rescue or shelter dogs. For most pet owners who have not bought from a shelter, vets typically recommending altering between the ages of 6 and 8 months. Spays and neuters are one of the most routine surgeries preformed in vet practices today, and -as far as surgeries go - are quite safe for healthy dogs, and generally have a short recovery period of 10 to 20 days.
I am not anti-altering
A lot of owners can't, or don't want to, handle an intact dog. It does take some dedication and a watchful eye, and some people don't want to deal with it. And that's okay! Be honest with yourself, and do what works for your situation.
Nola and Pike are altered; Nola was spayed at 7 months and Pike was neutered a week shy of 6 months. I don't exactly regret it, but I would stop and question if I could turn back time.
That said, I do like having altered pets. Any future dogs will also be altered, just later in life. It's hard to beat the convince of an altered pet, and let's face it: heats are disgusting and dog balls are hilarious.
The Risks and Benefits of Early Altering - The Physical
There have been a lot of studies lately on the affect of early altering, and they're definitely worth checking out.
Here's one done by UC-Davis, published in 2013 and spanning from 2000 to 2009, done on 759 Golden Retrievers from the ages of 1 to 8 years. The study examined both intact and altered dogs, and the findings are interesting.
The study showed that early-neutered males were twice as likely to develop hip dysplasia as their intact counterparts, at a rate of 10.3% for early altered males and 5.1% for intact males. Oddly enough, there was no increase difference between the early-altered, late-altered, or intact females.
There was no occurrence of CCL tears (what would be an ACL tear in humans) in intact males, intact females, and late-altered females. On the flip side, early-neutered males and females had a rate of 5.1% and 7.7%, respectively.
Lymphosarcoma, the third most common cancer in dogs, was observed to be nearly three times more frequent in early-neutered males than in intact or late-neutered males. This one seems to only be prevalent in males.
Hemangiosarcoma, another cancer that spreads rapidly and is more prevalent in certain breeds like German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers, was found to be nearly 4 times more likely in late-spayed bitches than in intact or early spayed bitches. A 7.4% rate for late-altered bitches, a 1.6% for intact, and a 1.8% for early-spayed were found. There was no apparent difference in males, intact or altered.
There are several other studies on the subject, and it's definitely both eye opening and confusing to read. In lots of cases, you're a bit "damned if you do, damned if you don't". You have to decide what's best for your own dog
In addition to the above,
this article by Chris Zink, DVM, highlights several other differences in early-altered, late-alrtered, and intact dogs. It's definitely worth looking at, especially in regards to the growth plates.
One study showed an 8% elevated risk of mammary cancer in females after the first heat, 26% risk after two heats, and increased risk with each heat thereafter. The study is often debated, and about 30% of mammary tumors are malignant. If caught early and treated accordingly, the prognosis is quite good. Early-spayed females (before 12 months of age) have almost 0 chance of developing mammary cancer.
Some benefits of spaying and neutering include:
- Reduced risk of mammary cancer
- No pyomentra, a secondary infection of the uterus that is incredibly dangerous and requires emergency spaying
- Eliminates or prevents false pregnancies
Sadly, few studies have been done on smaller breeds that mature more quickly. I'd be interesting in seeing the differences there. I firmly believe that it's safer to neuter a small breed earlier than you would a large one - a Chihuahua grows and develops much faster than a Great Dane.
Risks and Benefits of Altering - The Mental and Emotional
Anecdotally, a large number of people I've spoken with have seen increased aggression from their neutered males towards intact males, saying their intact boys are often the targets of snarking and fights started by neutered males. I've seen this one with Pike to some extent, but he's an asshole all around, so that may just be him.
There's also been some speculation on reactivity and aggression being affected by altering, but I'm not sure I buy that as much.
I will say that intact girls can be just vicious with other dogs while they're in heat, especially other females. There's a reason people say the most serious fights tend to be between two girls - they're called bitches for a reason. I had to be very careful with Nola and Olivia during Liv's heats, and the two of them get along perfectly otherwise.
Some behavioral benefits of altering include:
- A lessening of roaming behaviors in males
- Removing the crankiness or aggression some females experience during heat
- Lessing the "oh my god, pussy!!!" mentality of intact dogs around in heat bitches. There is nothing more annoying than an intact dog around an in heat bitch.
- Less moodiness in bitches
- Can help with certain types of anxiety and generally unease
"But...overpopulation!"
We do not have a national overpopulation problem, we have a regional overpopulation problem (southern shelters transporting to up north locations just to fill the demand there, for example....importing dogs from other countries, for another...). That said, responsible dog owners - and breeders, for that matter - do not contribute to the "over"population.
Take a look at most of Europe; they don't have nearly the rate of altered dogs that the U.S. does (it's even illegal in Norway to alter your dog without medical reason). Based on that alone, who do you think has the higher rate of homeless animals, behavioral problems, and unwanted or unplanned pregnancies?
Hint: It's not Europe.
I think Europeans are years ahead of us as far as pet ownership goes (for the most part), and they take responsibility for their dogs. That's something the vast majority of American owners don't do, and that is why we have a surplus of animals. It's not because our dogs are neutered or not.
Contrary to popular belief, it's entirely possible to have an intact dog and not breed. It takes management and vigilance, but it can be done responsibly and safely. Your intact dog is not going to become pregnant or impregnate just for having all their sex organs. It's the owner's job to manage it.
It's also not my job to alter my dog because it makes others uncomfortable. #MindYourOwnDamnBusiness.
Management of The Intact Dog
I've never really dealt with an intact male, and Olivia is my only female to have had a heat (she just had her second and will be spayed soon). However, my mother has had several, and I asked for her input on the subject.
I think an intact bitch is much easier to "deal with" than an intact dog. With a bitch, you get a twice yearly or yearly (usually) stretch of about a month total where you have to be vigilant, and deal with mess for part of that time.
Some bitches are fastidious about keeping themselves clean, and some...aren't. It gets messy, especially if your dog has a longer coat. Unless you want your floors, rugs, furniture, clothes, yourself, and your walls covered in little spots of red (when a girl in heat shakes...it splatters.), you need to keep panties on her.
Leashed walks only, preferably in your fenced in yard. If you can't do that, keep as close to home as possible and carry a stick to fend off any males from your girl. In and out to potty, and that's it. Don't take your bitch anywhere during this time; not only is it incredibly risky, it's quite rude.
As I mentioned above, you may have to be very careful if you have multiple dogs, and could need to crate and rotate for the duration of her heat.
For males, it's more of a constant supervision. Nothing will deter most males from a girl in heat, even if she's three blocks over. All he needs is to catch the scent, and all other thoughts turn off. I've heard some horror stories from breeders or intact owners about males scaling fences, chewing through doors, destroying crates and walls in order to get to a girl.
That's not to say your boy will be girl crazy all the time. Not at all. An intact male not around a bitch can be just like a neutered dog, just with those obnoxiously swaying jewels they love to display by doing a full back sprawl.
Personally, I find intact males to have a slight and distinct smell that females and neutered males don't have. My nose is insanely sensitive though, and I haven't heard this from others.
The Visual
Intact and late-altered dogs tend to be more well developed looking, with broader bodies and less gangly legs. Males' heads and necks tend to be wider, slightly coarser in appearance, and more recognizable as male than an early neutered boy.
In conclusion
I do not agree with pediatric altering, but I am all for altering in dogs 6 months or older as the owner sees fit. I have two altered and one intact (soon to be spayed). I will alter all future dogs between the ages of 12 months and 24 months, or after 1-2 heats in a bitch. Personally, I see no reason to keep a bitch intact long term, especially as they tend to be less effected by altering than males.
You also have to factor in your dog's future - a rising agility star is going to put a lot more stress on their body than a laid-back house pet, and that effects your decision in spaying or neutering. There's also vasectomies and ovary sparing spays that you can look into if you wish to remove the risk of reproducing, but keep some of the hormones.
What about you? Where do you stand on this?
- Dachshund Mommy