Understanding the Positive and Negative Health Effects of Spaying and Neutering:
An objective reading of the veterinary medical literature reveals a
complex situation with respect to the long-term health risks and benefits
associated with spay/neuter in dogs. The evidence shows that spay/neuter correlates with both positive AND adverse health
effects in dogs. It also suggests how much we really do not yet
understand about this subject.
On balance, it appears that no
compelling case can be made for neutering most male dogs, especially
immature male dogs, in order to prevent future health problems. The
number of health problems associated with neutering may exceed the
associated health benefits in most cases.
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Understanding the Health Effects In the German Shepherd Dog:
German Shepherd Dogs are important in police and military work, and are a popular family pet. The debilitating joint disorders of hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament tear (CCL) and elbow dysplasia can shorten a dog’s useful working life and impact its role as a family member. For this study, veterinary hospital records were examined over a 14.5-year period on 1170 intact and neutered (including spaying) German Shepherd Dogs for joint disorders and cancers previously associated with neutering. The diseases were followed through 8 years of age, with the exception of mammary cancer (MC) in females that was followed through 11 years. The cancers followed, apart from mammary, were osteosarcoma, lymphoma, hemangiosarcoma and mast cell tumor. In intact males, 7% were diagnosed with one or more joint disorders, while in males neutered prior to a year of age, a significantly higher 21% were diagnosed with one or more joint disorders.
In intact females, 5% were diagnosed with one or more joint disorders, while in females neutered prior to a year of age, this measure was significantly increased to 16%. The increased joint disorder incidence mostly associated with early neutering was CCL. MC was diagnosed in 4% of intact females compared with less than 1% in females neutered before 1 year. The occurrence of the other cancers followed through 8 years of age was not higher in the neutered than in the intact dogs. Urinary incontinence, not diagnosed in intact females, was diagnosed in 7% of females neutered before 1 year, a significant difference. These findings, profiling the increase in joint disorders associated with early neutering, should help guide the timing of neutering for this breed. Read More...
Neutering Causes Behavior Problems in Male Dogs:
"The beneficial effects of gonadectomy [neutering] are underpinned by the need to reduce the number of unwanted companion animals. Thousands of dogs are euthanized in shelters and pounds annually in many developed countries. However, shelters are inundated by dogs that are most commonly surrendered because they display undesirable behaviors. So the current findings present the paradox that castration may reduce the numbers of unwanted dogs but may also increase the likelihood of problem behaviors that reduce the appeal of the castrated dogs and make them more vulnerable to being surrendered." Read More...
Spaying and Neutering Causes Worse Behavior in Dogs:
"Data
has shown that the behavior of neutered dogs was significantly
different from that of intact dogs in ways that contradict the
prevailing view. Among the findings, neutered dogs were more aggressive,
fearful, excitable, and less trainable than intact dogs." Considering
the fact that one of the reasons recommended for spaying and neutering
dogs is to correct a range of canine behavior problems, Duffy and Serpell's conclusions expose this to be a myth when they say "For most
behaviors, spaying/neutering was associated with worse behavior,
contrary to conventional wisdom."
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“Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, quite unlike people who are incapable of pure love and always have to mix love and hate.”
— SIGMUND FREUD, Psychoanalyst