This week Facebook has been covered in posts about when or if to spay/neuter your pet. Five days ago the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) released their new Guidelines for the Control of Reproduction in Dogs and Cats. In this guideline they established benefits and risks, and made the recommendation that responsible pet owners hold off on spay/neuter procedures. This contradicts what we’ve all been brainwashed to do by Bob Barker. Bob Barker ended every episode of The Price is Right from 1979 – 2007 with his “have your pets spayed and neutered” tagline.
So What’s Changed?
Over the last decade, studies have focused on the long-term effects of pet sterilization surgeries. New techniques have also been analyzed to find safer, cheaper, and faster alternatives. The focus of many of these studies have been on stray pet populations and the means to control them. The stray animal population continues to rise despite the push for pet sterilization. Just this morning Biscuit, Bleu, and I were on our usual 6:30am walk and saw two 6-8 week old kittens playing on the path. A few months ago there were 5 kittens that are now adults and reproducing.
The New Recommendation
WSAVA is now recommending that responsible pet owners hold off on sterilization. Quoting their executive summary, “For clients who are responsible pet owners (RPOs), it may be advisable to leave dogs intact, particularly in breeds prone to health detriments associated with gonadectomy.” What does this mean? Animal rescues and shelters have no choice other than to spay/neuter as quickly as possible. Most pet owners consider themselves responsible. Does this mean 90% of pet owners shouldn’t spay/neuter? How do you know what’s right for your pet? How do you choose what age to spay/neuter?
I will tell you that even the “responsible” pet owner isn’t responsible. Veterinary hospitals are constantly answering calls from clients stating “I don’t know what to do, I think my cat/dog is pregnant.” I once had a client bring in their 3 year old unspayed golden retriever claiming their dog was very sick and needed hospitalization. They stated they thought their dog was just getting fat but now she’s not eating much. After an exam, the veterinarian informed the owner the dog was likely pregnant. The owner was incredibly offended claiming their dog is NEVER in contact with an unneutered male dog and this simply wasn’t possible. A FAST scan ultrasound confirmed the dog was pregnant and due any day. When the ultrasound results came back, the owner finally admitted that her friend brings their dog over to play all the time. He’s an unaltered male.
The Studies
Your veterinarian is probably still recommending you spay/neuter “at 6 months of age or older”. So many pet parents interpret this as “6 months of age”. Studies have shown that sterilization of cats and small dogs at 6 months of age is safe and seemingly has no long-term effects. The previous recommendation of 6 months was changed for giant breed dogs. Veterinarians began to recommend waiting until giant breed dogs were 1-2 years old prior to sterilization to ensure their growth plates have closed. Early sterilization of giant breed dogs has been proven to lead to cancer and joint disease later in life.
In 2020, this recommendation to hold off on spay/neuter was expanded to include large and medium sized dogs. A decade long study was published, studying 35 different dog breeds, comparing altered and unaltered males and females. This study found that many dog breeds that were spayed/neutered early had a significantly higher rate of arthritis and cancer compared to unaltered dogs. New recommendations always take several years to catch on, which is why it’s taken 4 years for one veterinary organization to recognize this research. Now we have to wait for all of the other veterinary organizations to catch on and maybe changes will finally be made within your local veterinary hospitals.
Based on the 2020 study, the following recommendations were made:
Safe to sterilize at 6 months old but not sooner: Boston Terrier, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua, Corgi, Dachshund, Maltese, Pomeranian, Poodle-Toy, Pug, Shih Tzu, Yorkshire Terrier, Australian Cattle Dog, Australian Shephard, Bulldog, Jack Russell, Miniature Schnauzer,
Recommended to wait until 12 months old or older: Beagle, Border Collie, Collie, Doberman, English Springer Spaniel, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Miniature Poodle, Rottweiler, West Highland Terrier,
Recommended to wait until 1.5-2 years old: Bernese Mountain Dog, Boxer, Cocker Spaniel, German Shephard, Great Dane, Irish Wolfhound, Standard Poodle, Saint Bernard, Shetland Sheepdog
Be sure to check in on Wednesday, we’ll discuss the benefits and risks of leaving your pets intact.
If you are interested in the statistics or reading more about the new guidelines and new sterilization techniques, click the links below.