Pediatric Spaying/neutering

[EGAR]

Dogs at 6 weeks?

 

 

Discuss

[Lainey]

SIX WEEKS!!!

I suppose i can't really comment cos i'm not qualified to give a 'for' or 'against' in terms of benefits or associated risk for long term complications, but from the top of my 'laymans' head i can't imagine any possible reason to do it so young.

[KathyM]

One of our cats was spayed at 10 weeks, would've been 8 (as is routine with the rescue) but she had to have eye surgery that week. No problems.

 

Read into it a little while ago and it seems that the risks/disadvantages are basically on a par with the more commonly accepted 5-6 month neutering, so in that respect I think it's an incredibly useful tool for rescues. However, recently my feeling has changed slightly about when the "best" time to neuter a male dog is (especially giant breeds), so that would effect whether I would do it personally (although I'm not 100% swayed against it to be honest, but it wouldn't be necessary with me, it may be with a rescue). I say male as the downsides are outweighed by the benefits in females for me personally.

[Jacobean]

Most definitely not.

[celeste]

No from me, but I can see why a rescue would do it, tho' I don't agree with it.

 

I think there is still an awful lot that has to be learnt about the effects of neutering before you start whapping out animals reproductive organs willy nilly, for instance there is some research now that suggests early neutering can in fact increase the risk of some cancers Save our dogs from what I can remember the original research that was done with bitches and mammary cancer was only done on 30 or so dogs, which is now being questioned as to whether that was enough, another site canine athlete, but at the end of the day you can't argue with the fact that it stops pregnancies and that is the top most priority of rescues. Any male dogs I have had have been done at 3 yrs, bitches at about a year, but I've always managed it so that I didn't have an un-neutered dog and bitch at the same time.

[Red Rotties]

I had a similar argument with someone in rescue recently. My argument was with findings in the U.S.A. where they had been doing research into childhood cancers which led into research into the high amount of bone cancer in rottweilers. The findings in that research found that rottweilers that were spayed/neutered before maturity ie 2 years where at much higher risk of developing cancers than dogs done at maturity. Now to me it isn't rocket science, if you own a breed that is predisposed to these conditions if someone is producing these results and no one is publishing results to contridict these results you are going to want to wait before spaying/neutering.

 

I was told that in years of routinly doing these ops on the said breed they hadnt found that. My argument is that 4 years on would someone get in touch with the rescue to tell them they had lost their dog to cancer, and would you even think that maybe there was a link?

 

I think unless someone does indepth sudies into dogs that have been spayed/neutered at such an early age we are not going to know whether it was detrimental to the health of these dogs in the long term.

 

A wise man once said "with knowledge becomes responsibilty"

 

So no I dont think it should be done at such an early age

[K9Fran]

http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHea...euterInDogs.pdf - This gives a very balanced view of the neutering or speying of any dog, regardless of age - there are veterinary pros and againsts. Ofcourse, not account is taken of the behavioural effects of neutering and speying at such an early age, I wish somebody would do some research on that!

[EGAR]

I have huge issues with spaying/neutering at such an early age and I alway recommend to have it done according to breed/xbreed ie size, development etc. I forever rue the day I had my Pit Bull Bogey neutered at 5 months, although it did curb his humping it also resulted in a dog which is now 6 1/2 years old but in his head he is still 5 months. And he isn't the only case I have experienced.

[Pingu]

just to echo what leslie said (in fact it may well have been leslie that pointed me to this originally)

 

in male rotts it has been shown that there is an increased risk of a type of bone sarcoma if a dog is neutered early.

 

for me 6 weeks is too early. I would like to let the dog develop a bit first. Cant comment on the emdical side as I amnot qualified to do so but neutering does sometimes have a behavioural impact and to neuter so early hasnt allowed time for the dog to develop enough. IMO

[blackmagic]

Many years ago I read that USA started early neutering because people were discarding older dogs to get a puppy because the older dog was 'no longer fun'. Pups neutered at such a young age would retain their puppy ways, which is what the average dog owner wants.

 

They reckoned by neutering early, they would stop people discarding dogs because they had matured.

 

Recently someone wrote an article in one of the dog magazines that he wondered if early neutering was the reason we are now having problems with dog running up and bouncing all over other dogs. These fully grown dogs are behaving like puppies.

 

I do know my friend had both her gsd's ( a dog and a bitch) neutered as soon as they were six months old and both dogs were immature mentally.

 

 

My dalmatian has suffered from crystals blocking his urethra (forming uric acid crystals is a breed related problem) . The vet commented that they were very small crystals, which, fortunately,they were able to flush back into the bladder.

 

He was neutered at nine months, but I have since read on the dal forum that dals should not be castrated until they are older so that the p**** develops fully. The juvenile p**** is more likely to cause blockage problems.

 

I have always let my bitches have at least one season and waited until my young dog was 18 months old before getting him neutered.

[KathyM]

Many years ago I read that USA started early neutering because people were discarding older dogs to get a puppy because the older dog was 'no longer fun'. Pups neutered at such a young age would retain their puppy ways, which is what the average dog owner wants.

 

I would be interested to read that? I think it's more likely that it started there because of the huge dog overpopulation/stray problem. It would be interesting to know how many people are against paediatric neutering but are all for neutering at 5-6 months too.

[mooandboo]

Absolutely no real knowledge of the subject but for me spaying/neutering before sexual maturity seems completely and utterly wrong.

[redditchlady]

6 Weeks IMHO is far too young.

 

I waited until Nelson was 18 months old to have him Neutered. He was a Landseer Newfie. He died at 21 months.

 

I had a Post Mortem done and it was Sepsis that killed him. If I could turn back the clock maybe I wouldn't have gone down the same route. Who knows.

 

I was told huge breeds like Newfies are better left longer to Neuter. I followed the book. Still went belly up. That is why I won't "buy" a dog ever again. It broke my heart.

 

I stick to rescue doglets these days. Sorry put another slant on Sarah's question. Sorry Sarah.

 

Kazz xx

[celeste]

What I can't understand is why anyone would want a permenantly immature dog what a pain in the butt that would be, don't get me wrong, I love having puppies and love the nonsense that they get up to but I don't know if i'd want it for the rest of the dogs life.

[emma_pen]

The only cases in which we neuter younger than 5 months is in feral colonies TNR schemes.