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Should people neuter/spay their dogs?

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37K views 224 replies 53 participants last post by  Splashstorm  
#1 ·
This isn't a question about advice for me, it's just about opinions in general. I searched, but could not find a thread on this already.

I've had intact pets and I've had neutered/spayed pets. I don't really have a preference. However, awhile ago when I was doing research for a report I came across something about neutering and how spaying/neutering your pets can cause more diseases than it supposedly "fixes".

Now, whether or not that is true is up for debate. I've had perfectly healthy neutered pets and I've had neutered animals with neuter-related health problems that cost me thousands of dollars.

I spoke to my vet about this, and the vet said that there's no reason to neuter your animal unless there are health concerns that are related to spaying/neutering. She doesn't condone it at all unless it's absolutely necessary. On the flip side, the people from the shelter I spoke to said that people who don't neuter/spay their animals are "fools" and are just asking for their pets to get cancer, pregnant, and be aggressive.

I spoke to another vet at my facility, and they had a more in-between approach. He said that he did not believe in neutering purebreds unless there was a medical reason, but that rescue animals should be.

Interesting articles on the matter:
http://leerburg.com/pdf/neutering.pdf
Spaying / Neutering
http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/longtermhealtheffectsofspayneuterindogs.pdf
AVMA: Mandatory spay/neuter a bad idea
BAD EFFECTS OF SPAY-NEUTER,IGNORED BY AR EXTREMISTS | Pet Defense


What is your opinion on the matter?

Do you spay/neuter your pets? Why or why not?
 
#2 ·
I think you have to decide the circumstances and what is best for you and your dog as a unit. There are going to be pros and cons. I've found while searching for a new dog that a lot of people give a lot of absolutes, and some of those "experts" have proved to be wrong. I am getting a papered dog spayed, because I don't want puppies, I don't want to deal with heat and she is a small specimen for her breed anyway. I've had two neutered German Shepherds whose lives exceeded their usual life expectancy. In a world where millions of dogs are euthanized each year because there are too many of them, unless I planned to breed a specific line, I personally would spay or neuter. But that's me.
 
#3 ·
I think the main reason to speuter is population control. (Although it does help some with behaviors like marking if done early enough in my (very limited) experience.) My pets are all spayed/neutered because I don't have any business breeding them and I do not want the chance of them reproducing. (Though I may with future pets, after finding a mentor and all.)
I think it should stay the way it is--people can speuter if they want, or not. I encourage people informing themselves and making their own decisions. Maybe a bit more public education on the matter, though?

I do not think it's a good idea to speuter a puppy younger than six months. (Older for large breeds.) If it's a rescue dog and part of the shelter/rescue's policy, fine. If not, I'd hold off on it.
 
#4 ·
I spoke to my vet about this, and the vet said that there's no reason to neuter your animal unless there are health concerns that are related to spaying/neutering. She doesn't condone it at all unless it's absolutely necessary. On the flip side, the people from the shelter I spoke to said that people who don't neuter/spay their animals are "fools" and are just asking for their pets to get cancer, pregnant, and be aggressive.

I spoke to another vet at my facility, and they had a more in-between approach. He said that he did not believe in neutering purebreds unless there was a medical reason, but that rescue animals should be.


What is your opinion on the matter?

Do you spay/neuter your pets? Why or why not?
Largely the opinion that all dogs should be S/N comes from years and years of Animal Rights movement propaganda, which has become common knowledge. By common knowledge, I mean most people don't consider where this view came from but most know you should S/N if you want to be good owner. Part of AR's agenda is to have a "No Birth Nation", meaning no further generations of domestic animals. While that sounds far fetched, their use of propaganda over years has drastically altered the public's opinion about animals and breeding. And in that time, we've seen more and more restrictive laws concerning animals: mandatory S/N laws, BSL, limit laws, anti-tethering laws, laws concerning where and how animals can be bought/sold, stricter and stricter laws concerning breeding, etc. And the change in thinking has had a very negative impact on lower number breeds. Since it's also common knowledge that "all good breeder sell pet puppies on S/N contracts and limited registration", the number of litters of low number breeds is on a steady decline. Quality dogs in these breeds are S/N because their owners don't have an interest in showing and no one wants to be the breeder who doesn't sell pet puppies on a S/N contract and limited registration.

So, basically the widespread opinion that most dogs should be S/N is a political one. Yes certain health problems can be prevented by altering but other health problems can be caused by it. There's plenty of S/N aggressive dog. IMO behavior isn't a strong reason to S/N, unless you have intermale aggression involving an intact male (which may be solved by neutering or may not be). Spaying can actually make some forms of same sex aggression worse in females. There are good reasons for some people to alter their animals for sure but there's also good reasons for others not to. I have some altered dogs and some are intact. If they develop a health issue requiring altering I would have it done but I see no compelling reason to neuter male dogs otherwise. My girls will all likely remain intact until they are at least middle aged.

Here's another two-part article for you to read, not directly relating to S/N pros/cons but very much related to the issue:

http://breedingbetterdogs.com/pdfFiles/articles/a_gathering_storm_pt_1.pdf

http://breedingbetterdogs.com/pdfFiles/articles/a_gathering_storm_pt_2.pdf
 
#5 ·
I used to spay/neuter my dogs but don't anymore. I just don't feel the need to risk their lives to MAYBE prevent a health issue sometime down the road. (Unless it were medically necessary of course.)

I've had intact dogs of both genders and never had any litters, nor have any of my males ever bred a female that belonged to someone else.

I also live alone and don't have a husband nor children that can accidentally (or intentionally.) leave intact dogs together when a female is in heat.
 
#7 ·
Should people? Only if they feel it is the best idea for themselves and their dogs.

I have 2 spayed older females, 3 intact females and an intact male. I am thinking about spaying Vala since I won't breed her again and pyometritis scares me, but then again I am fighting with myself about whether to do it. Donovan won't be done unless it becomes necessary for medical reasons.
 
#8 ·
You have some time to really think about it. OF those people who do a large proportion of them advocate waiting until the animal has had a chance to complete all skeletal growth. I would probably still spay a female after 2-3 years of age just because I keep intact males but it will be 5-6 years before I get a female so plenty of time to rethink it all. My male puppy will be left intact. I did neuter my current male at 8 due to enlarged prostate --
 
#9 ·
I agree it's a personal choice and what you feel is a good idea for you.

Me personally, I do not want to deal with intact females, I just don't, so all my females have been spayed. My males eventually ended up being neutered but some weren't until they were aound 3-4 years old.
 
#10 · (Edited)
My opinion is to leave them and not interfere with the hormonal systems that nature provided them. Behavioral issues are due to leadership, genetics and training, they can be handled with training, management, and containment. Unwanted pregnancy is a management/containment issue. As for cancer, there seems to be a higher incidents of cancers that often take dogs younger and have a terrible prognosis in animals spayed or neutered young. Mammary cancer in females is a risk, just like pyometra, but so is osteosarcoma and hemangiosarcoma. By reducing the risk of mammary and testicular, you increase the risk of osteosarcoma and hemangiosarcoma -- one needs to weigh the risks and make the decision they feel is best.

Other negatives to early spay/neuter is interfering with the growth of the dog, possible complications of surgery such as problems with anesthetic up to and including death, and poor surgical practices causing infections and incontinence.

Positives is the elimination of the heat cycle twice yearly which many people would rather not deal with, training and titling the dog can be affected by untimely heats, boarding facilities sometimes do not want to take an animal in heat. Occasionally other types of dog-related businesses are closed to intact animals.

In the end, it is a personal decision. A person who chooses to keep their animals intact is no more or less responsible than the person who chooses to spay or neuter.
 
#11 · (Edited)
For most of the population I think spay/neuter before sexual maturity is a good thing. They should probably alter their pets too.

:tongue:

But seriously, if the question is about the general population at large, yes I think they should. Most people don't keep their dog in the house and only let him outside under supervision. Most people don't know when their bitch is in heat or bother to appropriately contain their male.

If the question is about most of the members on this forum, who do keep their dogs in the house or in secure kennels and who are adept at preventing canine pregnancy, I think it's completely up to the owner.

I will be neutering my dog, but it will be after maturity, probably between 18 months and two years.
 
#13 ·
I don't think he meant you need to neuter during that time frame, I think he meant that neutering during that time frame is the only time that will have an effect on dominance issues. However, most that are raised and trained correctly will not have dominance aggression issues anyway, neutered or not. Personally I've never owned a dog that had dominance issues and only had 2 fosters (out of nearly 30) that did.

At a guess, I think he's saying that because 6-9 months is the time when the dog is developing his social "personality"? It's kind of the first transition to adulthood, so neutering then will keep them in more of a juvenile state? But I don't know why he thinks neutering at, say, 3 or 4 months wouldn't have the same effect.
 
#16 ·
Dominance issues probably won't rear their heads until beyond the 6-9 month stage. Beyond that point, neutering will probably not prevent issues or remedy issues. So if you have a real dominant issue rearing his ugly head at say 15 months old, nicking his nads will not cool his jets. I think though that true dominance, aggressive behavior is not that prevalent, and practicing good leadership, training, and mental and physical exercise should prevent much of that from ever being any kind of issue.
 
#18 ·
Dominance issues probably won't rear their heads until beyond the 6-9 month stage. Beyond that point, neutering will probably not prevent issues or remedy issues. So if you have a real dominant issue rearing his ugly head at say 15 months old, nicking his nads will not cool his jets. I think though that true dominance, aggressive behavior is not that prevalent, and practicing good leadership, training, and mental and physical exercise should prevent much of that from ever being any kind of issue.
That said, it probably wouldn't hurt and take hormones out of the equation as well.
I think all pet (not showing or working) animals ought to be altered.

They castrate horses and cattle (non breeding "bulls") and almost all other farm animals to make them less aggressive and more biddable and safer to work with.

Our intact male goat turns into an ass (well not literally but you get the point) in the fall, when he goes into "rut". It's just disgusting. But he produces very pretty babies so we keep him intact...all the other boys are neutered so they aren't a problem.
 
#17 ·
I only ever have one dog at a time, I live in an apartment, my dog is never off leash outside. never needed to neuter. Cats on the other hand i would and will neuter my male. I hate the marking and i will not breed. Never owned a female cat so I don't know about that.

Put here the general mentality is no speutering pure breeds only mixed and mutts.
 
#60 ·
I had a female cat. They go in heat more often than dogs and mine would cry all during her heat cycle, try to to get loose. We eventually got sick of it and had her spayed.
 
#19 ·
I've had perfectly healthy neutered pets and I've had neutered animals with neuter-related health problems that cost me thousands of dollars.
What "neuter-related health problems" did you experience, and how did you determine that they were "neuter-related"?

I spoke to another vet at my facility, and they had a more in-between approach. He said that he did not believe in neutering purebreds unless there was a medical reason, but that rescue animals should be.
That seems really odd... why is it that you should neuter rescue animals but not purebreds? There are only a small percentage of purebreds that should be bred, so why should the remainder stay intact just because they are purebred? Is there some neuter-related health concern that strikes only purebreds and not rescues?

All my dogs have been spayed/neutered. I just don't care to deal with females going through heat cycles and the worry of accidental pregnancy. Intact males can be total booger-heads at times, and if they're not going to be bred, I don't personally see a benefit for them to remain intact after physical maturity (or even before). I have grit my teeth and waited to spay my females until around 18 months to 2 years of age, which usually means I have to endure a heat cycle or two, and it's not something I recommend to the average pet owner.

I've worked professionally with animals for over 20 years, and in my experience, I have noticed that intact males tend to be more aggressive, stubborn and uncooperative, and more concerned with establishing social dominance, than neutered males. Females left intact by the average pet owner are almost always accidentally bred at some point in their lives. None of those things are a benefit for the average dog owner in the general public.

The average pet owner that I see aren't expert trainers, in fact, few even have basic knowledge of dog psychology and behavior. And few are responsible and diligent enough to prevent an intact female from getting pregnant.

For that reason, and in light of the fact that shelters and rescues are full of unwanted dogs, I think spay/neuter ought to be the default for most pet owners. It's just easier and safer for everyone involved.

Now, if the owner has a bit more experience, knowledge, and understanding of dogs, and can be responsible enough to prevent unwanted pregnancies and deal with hormone-related issues, the decision to spay/neuter is a personal one.

My main issue with spay/neuter is about population control, because having worked with shelters and rescues, I have an up-close perspective on the unwanted pet situation in this country. But I must say, as a groomer, I definitely prefer to work with spayed/neutered animals. They are generally a bit more tractable and easygoing than their intact counterparts, and I HATE grooming females in season. Yuck. So in that sense I have a selfish preference for spay/neuter. :)
 
#32 ·
What "neuter-related health problems" did you experience, and how did you determine that they were "neuter-related"?
Immediately after we brought him (he was a cat) home he had a bladder problems and just kept rubbing his butt on the carpet. It seemed... weird but we didn't know any better at the time so it took months to take him in. Turns out he'd gotten a bladder stone. This was directly related to the neutering, as said by the vet. It's not a common occurrence but it does happen. He got several more stones and had to have them surgically removed. One almost killed him because his system got so backed up. We had to feed him special food for the rest of his life. He's still alive almost 10 years later and going well, though.


That seems really odd... why is it that you should neuter rescue animals but not purebreds? There are only a small percentage of purebreds that should be bred, so why should the remainder stay intact just because they are purebred? Is there some neuter-related health concern that strikes only purebreds and not rescues?
He didn't explain it like that, but to be honest, I didn't agree with him which is why I didn't go into it further. His reasoning didn't make much sense to me. It was just another opinion to provide.

If I had to guess, it would have something to do with how easy it apparently can be to adopt. An intact animal in the wrong hands can go badly, badly wrong. Most people I know who are looking into breeders or got their pets from breeders have done enough research on animals to know what behavior to expect. That's not to say that people who adopt don't do research, though. They do as well.
 
#23 ·
IMO (as an ACO turned rescuer) s/n is always best. And that's for purebreds as well as mutts. LOL I mean does that vet think quality purebreds get sold at petstores? They have faux registries that will register Shih-Poos and Peke-a-Poms. That they have papers makes them breed(ing) worthy?
I'm glad people who research and come to forums are responsible but the general public just isn't...which is why shelters remain overcrowded and mass euthanasia is so common across the country. For those who don't think there's even a pet overpopulation problem, add to today's totals for alive pets, the total of pets euthanized over the past year and then ask yourself, where will we put them all??
 
#24 ·
There have actually been numerous threads on speutering, it's a popular and much debated topic on the board. Here's a sticky thread in Polls: http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru....com/forum/take-poll/168968-when-do-you-spay-neuter-do-you-not-spay-neuter.html

And you can also find some in the Basic Care forum too. For me, I'm convinced that there are good reasons for delaying spays/neuters, but it's still something that I'm going to do. Keefer was neutered at 15 months old, Halo was spayed at 13 months old.
 
#25 ·
Msvette,

But most intact male dogs don't go after the owner or handler just because they CAN. And dogs are less likely to kill you than a stallion or a bull if they get nasty. I have/had both. (Stallions and bulls.) An intact male canine is a piece of cake compared too most bucking bulls and a lot of stallions!!! :)
 
#27 ·
I do agree that it's best if the "national default" is to spay/neuter. However, for the thoughtful, conscientious dog owner (the type who is likely to read several multi-page scholarly articles on the subject) the prevention of unwanted litters becomes less and less of an issue. People who have these kinds of debates aren't the people who's dogs are out mating in the streets. If I can't supervise my dogs, they're in the house with doors and windows locked.

Reading the article you posted, many of Dr. Howe's rebuttals to Dr. Zink come down to the fact that while Dr. Zink found adverse effects of spay/neuter, he didn't know the age at which the dogs were altered, so it can't be taken as an indictment of pediatric speuter. She also showed that Dr. Zink's findings of detrimental effects were over-inflated, but the detrimental effects were there.

I will admit I skimmed over the parts about spaying. I don't own a bitch and have no plans to acquire one, so I don't worry much about the effects of spaying.

After reading both articles, it still seems to me that the evidence is in favor of leaving males intact provided the owner is capable of dealing with an intact male and is committed to responsible containment, which of course may be a tall order over the course of 12-14 years.

I just can't find evidence that neuter is overwhelmingly advantageous to the male dog's health, behavioral and contraceptive issues aside.
 
#29 ·
It's a personal decision that should be discussed with your vet and your breeder. My two adult dogs are spayed and neutered and my 8 month old pup is getting spayed next week. I am not an experienced dog owner and my dogs are family pets rather then working dogs so neutering was the right decision for me.
 
#30 ·
What gets to me about the spay/neuter issue is that people cannot just have an opinion. Everyone is either right or wrong. If we all give our opinions, and some of those are different than other people's opinions, then that person MUST come on and reinforce their position, and say over and again their position.

It is a choice.

I will fight that it remain a choice.

What people choose depends on their situation, personality, etc.
 
#34 ·
What gets to me about the spay/neuter issue is that people cannot just have an opinion. Everyone is either right or wrong. If we all give our opinions, and some of those are different than other people's opinions, then that person MUST come on and reinforce their position, and say over and again their position.
Actually it appears to me that this thread (as most such threads on this board) is pretty civil about the matter, opinions given, but no absoutes. I don't think anyone here is saying right or wrong, black or white, there's a definite gray area especially for people who are knowledgable and responsible owners.
 
#33 ·
I spay/neuter my pets as I volunteer with an animal shelter and rescue. Also I just don't want to deal with a female in heat, and also neuter my males just to prevent any unwanted litters. I plan on owning more dogs or both sexes in the future. I will wait until the dog is fully mature.

But in the end its a personal decision.