Re-rethinking Spaying and Neutering

While we've been busy with our website and communications redesign these past few weeks, it's been impossible to keep up with the blog. But that doesn't mean we can't let you know what other people are writing about, and use that as a jumping-off point for our own quick tangents...

Re-rethinking Spaying and Neutering

KC Dog Blog has done a fabulous job outlining some of the major ideas and issues that will be tackled in Ted Kerasote's upcoming book Why Dogs Die Young. Of course, the most provocative is the notion that spaying and neutering (particularly when performed upon juvenile dogs) isn't always the bowl of rainbows and ice cream as it's made out to be -- that a lack of natural hormones might even be unhealthy for your pet.

While this flies in the face of virtually everything we are told by veterinarians, rescues, shelters, responsible hobby breeders, pet stores, pet websites, and Mickey Rourke, it actually isn't a new idea. Hundreds of years ago, it was noted that castrati often grew unusually long limbs and rib bones and suffered health problems, so it was known that there were side effects (though at the time, castrati ailments were often written off as a normal part of their "diva nature;" hypogonadism and the effects of testosterone upon bone growth were not yet understood). More recently, working and agility dog trainers/breeders -- particularly of larger breeds -- have taken note of issues such as ACL injuries and bone cancer, and a recent study even points to a correlation between retaining ovaries and exceptional longevity*. It is also worth pointing out that one of the articles that gets the most hits on our site is on the long term health effects of spaying and neutering dogs.

So it is clearly an issue that is very much on some people's minds... but I'm fairly certain it is only on the minds of people who are really, really into dogs -- in other words: it's esoteric and unknown outside of a few fanatical dog circles. Move beyond that, and the current wisdom is that the only way you can have a healthy, well-adjusted pet is to have it fixed as soon as possible -- and if you have a problem with that, Cesar Millan will set you straight. Tsst!

I can remember a few old-school veterinarians in the late 1970s who refused to get aboard the spay train**, but since then, even gentle suggestions that spay/neuter might not be the cure-all it is cracked up to be have been few and far between. Kerasote's book will be the first time in recent memory I can think of where a widely-read, mainstream voice suggests that we should stop and rethink this issue (actually, it may be the first time, period). Watching the reaction to this revelation will be... interesting, to say the least.

Anyone want to bet we see an increase in veterinary schools teaching vasectomy/tubal ligation techniques within the next decade?

 

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^{* The author of this groundbreaking study, Dr. David Waters,will be making a presentation on this issue at our 2011 National Conference. You can sign up to attend it here!}

** They would still perform the surgery, of course -- they just didn't recommend it for every dog.

Comments

[Jan Dykema]

will be interesting to see how this book meshes with Kerasotes glowing praise for "The Bond".. by his new best friend Wayne Pacelle

[Flughafen]

What in the world is wrong with simple ABSTINENCE????

[Francesca Cristina]

I am looking forward to reading the book. I have always recomended my puppies that are sold to pet home should be spayed or neutered after a year old.i had no evidence to prove otherwise but felt the dogs should be allowed to have hormone flow until at least a year old to reach full growth I have noticed standard poodle males neuterd very young are sometimes very slight as adults.We are only begining to understand the critical importance of hormones on all facets of human health why not dog health??/

[Karel Minor]

While the Spay/Neuter mantra has been used on the animal welfare side as solution to every problem facing man and beast, sowing doubt on S/N based on "potential" shortening of life is silly. The extra animals which as young adult mixed breeds are vastly more likely to be euthanized when entering shelters as strays certainly face a more acute "shortening of life".

Responsible breeders are disingenuous to act as if the fact that THEY don't have accidental or "just one for the kids" litters, the vast majority of pet owners won't. Balancing a very real euthanasia likelihood for those mixed breed litters when they enter shelters in 18 months as young adults rather than cute puppies against a suspected shortening of life or postential health concerns is a red herring. It would be like a gun owner with military training advocating for everyone to have automatic weapons because he or she knows how to use them safely. There must be a balance between the potential rsik and the real risk.

Shelter euthanasia due to strays and surrender pose the single biggest direct threat to the lives of animals. A combination of smart animal control laws and keeping only responsible (real) breeders from breeding- which, BTW, would drive of the market value and price of dogs which they should like- might have an impact. Running around claiming someone's dog might live a year less or hurt a knee in the face of shelter euthanasia doesn't do anything but confuse the real problems.

Lastly, I'm unaware of the great crisis of mandatory sterilization facing pet owners. While lots of shelter folks spout S/N Now, they aren't getting it very far. Isn't this a argument in search of a crisis?