To Neuter or Not to Neuter, and When?

Recently, I had a lengthy conversation with a well-educated, well-informed and most concerned pet parent.  The conversation hopped around from the need to vaccinate, to what vaccines to use, neutering, to why and when we should neuter dogs.  During the conversation, he brought up the conversation with an emergency veterinary specialist who was educated in Europe, and mentioned that our train of thought here in the United States is more of a "shelter medicine" thought where we focus on population control.  I paused, thought about it, and then agreed with that statement.  The reason this emergency veterinary specialist made that observation is because he is an outsider looking into our society and because animal population control is not a big issue in most European countries.  On a side note, I know and have been mentored by this specialist, so I know his credentials, knowledge and expertise are trust- and noteworthy. 

Well, even more recently a UC Davis article* has been published and has gained a lot of attention as it found an association between certain diseases and the age when Golden Retrievers are neutered.  This was a retrospective study, looking back at records of Golden Retriever patients that had certain diseases and the age range when they had been neutered.  Having looked at certain factors, but not all, the results indicated an positive association with early castration and the diagnosis of certain diseases later in life for Golden Retrievers.  This, like many other studies in veterinary medicine, sheds some light of knowledge into a dark abyss of lack of understanding, and should be interpreted with its strengths and well as its weaknesses.

Until this point, for the most part, it has been recommended to neuter pets earlier rather than later to reduce the incidence of some reproductive cancers, help with temperament and reduce unwanted reproduction.  With this new article, we can conclude that there are certain increased risks for the development of other diseases if Golden Retrievers are neutered under a year of age.  However, we cannot necessarily generalize these results by applying it to other pure breeds or mixed breed dogs, or even to Golden Retrievers exclusively.

And the question arises, "when should your dog be neutered?"  In my opinion, and this is the same resolution and recommendation from the author of this mentioned article (i.e. Dr. Ben Hart), each neuter case should be a discussion between the veterinarian and the pet parent to discuss risks and benefits, and to make the most educated decision in benefit of the owners and pets.  I'll end with what he said, "... the time has come to talk over options with owners of puppies about when and if to neuter or spay, and let them [the owners] make decisions that can impact the long-term health of their canine family companions."  Having this conversation will help the veterinarian and pet owner to decide on the best time to neuter a pet, and it should be tailored for each individual's needs.  Dr. Sam Pet Hospital is happy to provide insight and information for the decision of when to neuter your pet, and the risks and benefits of this procedure.

*Hutchins, Brian. "New scrutiny on early neutering after UC Davis study on goldens." Veterinary Practice News, Volume 25, Number 5, May,2013.