Importance of personalized decision-making in sterilization highlighted in study updateJune 14, 2024Researchers at the University of California (UC) Davis have added new information to their guidelines—a line of research that started in 2013—on neutering dog varieties based on breed and sex
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Do routine, elective gonadectomies really increase dogs' lifespan?April 11, 2023Many studies have reported a consistent association between canines being gonadectomized and longer average lifespan—several months to two years longer in females, and none to over a year longer in males. However, the methodology of these studies should be carefully assessed before accepting that the association between being gonadectomized and lifespan reflects a causal relationship.
Neutering: The risks and benefits in the context of breed, sex, and ageDecember 29, 2020A perennial subject of debate and controversy in veterinary medicine is the age at which dogs and cats should be neutered, or even if they should be neutered at all.
Delay neutering of large mixed-breed dogs, study saysAugust 14, 2020Heavier mixed-breed dogs are at greater risk of health complications if neutered or spayed early.
Early or delayed neutering? What to tell clientsMarch 27, 2020A frequently asked question small animal general practitioners often discuss with their clients is if and when pets should be neutered. Despite a very large body of relevant research evidence, there is still no definitive, universally accepted answer.
Spaying and neutering large-breed dogs might increase risk of obesityJuly 23, 2019The advantages of the long-supported practice of spaying or neutering dogs are being questioned, thanks to new research based on data analyzed from the Morris Animal Foundation’s Golden Retriever Lifetime Study.
Surgical sterilization, neutering options for male cats, dogsNovember 21, 2017Strong support exists for the view that gonadectomy has a net health benefit for female dogs and cats, but it is less clear that neutering benefits individual males. The risks of some diseases occurring are reduced or eliminated by neutering (for example, testicular neoplasia, benign prostatic hypertrophy), but other disease appear to be more common in neutered males, though risk varies by breed and age at neutering (e.g., cranial cruciate ligament disease, feline interstitial cystitis).
Pros, cons of surgical sterilization, neutering options for femalesSeptember 14, 2017Among the most common surgical procedures in small animal practice are those for sterilization and neutering. The goal of these procedures is both to prevent reproduction and to provide a net health benefit for the patient that may include avoiding the risks of reproduction, reducing the incidence of those disease that are more common in intact animals, and reducing behaviors associated with intact status that can lead to relinquishment.
Study: Early neutering poses health risks for German shepherdsMay 27, 2016German shepherd dogs are often the preferred breed for police and military work, as well as popular service dogs and family pets. But as most handlers, breeders and veterinarians are aware, joint disorders are a big concern in these animals.
