Study Reveals Neutering Too Soon Can Cause Health Problems In Some Breeds

Having your dog neutered or spayed is a big decision that many of us have been through at some point during our canine companion’s lives.

The choice to spay to stop unwanted breeding and curb the population of dogs is responsible and up to each and every one of us. Did you know that neutering and spaying can, unfortunately, bring on certain diseases and illnesses in our furry-faced friends too if done within the first year of life? This observation has been noted by researchers and scientists at the University of California, Davis.

A new ten-year study has shown that the risk of developing disorders such as joint disorders, including hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament tears, and elbow dysplasia. Cancers are also a risk and these include lymphoma, hemangiosarcoma, or cancer of the blood vessel walls, mast cell tumors, and bone cancer. But before we start panicking, the scientists have more to say. The risks associated with joint disorders do not seem to affect smaller breeds, and in some instances, neutering and spaying had nothing to do with it.

This includes cancer. Cancers found in smaller dogs had no relationship to whether the dogs were sterilized or not. Gender, however, did sometimes make a difference. Boston terrier females with disorders had no relationship to sterilization, but males that had been neutered before 6 months had shown joint disorders and cancer risks. What this study tells us is that it is important to sterilize your dog to prevent a rise in dog population and shelter loads, but it is also important to consider neutering or spaying after the first year of life. Interesting, isn’t it?

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