Lacking a noticeable occurrence of increased joint disorders or cancers in neutered males, those wishing to neuter should decide on the appropriate age. In the data gathered in this study, through 11 years of age, the occurrence of MC in females left intact was rarely above 6 percent and frequently 2 percent or less. Dogs that have not been fixed are referred to as intact. In intact females, MC was diagnosed in just 2 percent and PYO in 6 percent. Historically, the rationale for neutering or spaying dogs seems evident: no unwanted litters, no indiscriminate breeding by ill-informed owners, no bitches coming into season, and reduced aggression and roaming tendencies in males. An example is seen when comparing Golden and Labrador Retrievers, using the data from this study, where in the Labrador, there was no increase in cancer risk above that of intact dogs with neutering, but in the female Golden, the risk of a cancer with neutering increased to 24 times that of the 5 percent level of intact females. Just 1 percent of spayed females were diagnosed with UI. You can learn more about the benefits of spaying and neutering here, Identify, Prevent, And Treat Separation Anxiety In Your Dog, Are Golden Retrievers Hypoallergenic? Division 14. vs. intact, in males, there was a 6-fold difference (18% vs. 3%) and in females 3-fold (25 vs. 8%). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. For any disease of interest that occurred before 12 months of age, the dog was removed from that disease analysis, but included in analyses of other diseases. The study population was 90 intact males, 103 neutered males, 69 intact females, and 91 spayed females for a total sample of 353 cases. Small-dog breeds seemed to have no increased risks of joint disorders associated with neutering, and in only two small breeds (Boston Terrier and Shih Tzu) was there a significant increase in cancers. ", Hart concludes, "We all want the best for our dogs. Neutering males at <6 mo. The occurrence of cancers was 9 percent for intact males and, in contrast, only about 1 percent for intact females. It often manifests in unhealthy skin and coat, lethargy, and weight gain. Joint disorders were basically absent in males and females, left intact or neutered. Your dog should only feel discomfort for a few days after a spaying or neutering operation, and shouldnt be showing symptoms of distress for more than a week. It could be that the wolf ancestor of the dog had one breeding season and that the bone structure of mature dogs was not as affected by seasonal fluctuations of gonadal hormones as with a permanent gonadal hormonal loss in humans. After your Golden Retriever is spayed, she will need to be allowed to rest for 5-7 days. Do you have a fixed golden retriever? Lacking a noticeable occurrence of increased joint disorders or cancers in neutered males or females, those wishing to neuter should decide on the appropriate age. For females, given the increased risks of joint disorders with spaying through 11 months of age, the suggested guideline is delaying spaying until beyond a year of age. For females, given the apparent risks of cancers with spaying at <6 mo. There was a 2 percent occurrence of joint disorders in both intact males and females. This preserves the hormonal "factory" while eliminating the possibility of pregnancy and the discharge associated with estrus. If you would like to learn more about us, and our team, click the button below! The suggested guideline for females is to delay spaying until the female is 2 years of age. For females, the suggested guideline, also based on limited data, given the risk of UI in early spayed females, and the possible increased risk of a joint disorder, is to consider delaying spaying until beyond 2 years of age. Do you have any advice for other golden parents? A recent study suggests this can decrease the risks of bone and joint abnormalities as your Golden grows.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'goldenretrieversociety_com-box-4','ezslot_3',604,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position!='undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-goldenretrieversociety_com-box-4-0')}; The information from this study came from the on-going Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, supported by the Morris Animal Foundation. Neutering is reported to be a risk factor for canine intervertebral disc herniation in Dachshunds (4). Lacking a noticeable occurrence of increased joint disorders or cancers in neutered males or females, those wishing to neuter should decide on the appropriate age. or earlier, is neutering beyond a year of age. Both spaying and neutering are when you fix your dog so they are no longer able to reproduce. In fact, it decreases the risk of your dog developing uterine and ovarian cancer as well. raised the incidence to 15 percent for males and to 18 percent for females, which did not reach significance for either. For cancers in female Goldens, the figures were 26 vs. 14%. The occurrence of MC in intact females was 5 percent and for those spayed at 28 years, 6 percent. This is a learned behavior. She estimates that among her clients with large breeds, about 75 percent of male dogs are neutered after 1 year of age and 50 percent of bitches after their first heat. The reverse rule of thumb was used with cancers where the first test examined was the Wilcoxon test, since the risk of cancer is expected to be higher in older dogs. increased the likelihood of a joint disorder to over 3-fold that of intact females, but this did not reach significance. They get these concerns all the time and can help you make the best decisions for your dog. Funding. The reason to wait until your Golden is at least 18 months old prior to spaying or neutering is to ensure they have a chance to fully go through their version of puberty. However, for Golden Retrievers, this recommendation has now changed to 18 months. The fact that you are reading this article shows that you care about the health and well being of your dog. For males, there is some concern that neutering beyond puberty will increase the likelihood of a problem behavior such as aggression. In recent years, however, this picture has begun to change. through 1 year of age (p <0.050.01). The comprehensive questionnaire gathered information from club members via mailed surveys, with the results posted on the parent club website (www.grca.org). As mentioned in Appendix 1, the Maltese and Chihuahua vie for the smallest breeds and the Great Dane and Irish Wolfhound for the largest, but all four breeds share a low predisposition to joint disorders. If you are interested in contributing to the research helping to understand the development of cancer and other health conditions in Golden Retrievers, you can voluntarily participate in this study with your dog. Comparing data on disease incidence and a dog's reproductive status, the researchers have documented correlations that go beyond behavioral changes. UI was not reported in any females. But in golden retrievers, this is very marked, with the likelihood of developing the condition going up by 80%. None of the spayed females developed UI. The suggested guidelines for males given the increased occurrence of cancers around at ages 12 years, is neutering beyond 2 years. There was no evident increase in this measure with neutering of males or females. Spaying is the process for female dogs and involves an operation that removes their reproductive organs. The increase was particularly seen with dogs neutered by 6 months of age. As noted in the results section, the mean date of last entry per patient in the hospital record ranged from about 4.5 to 5.5 years, which means the data especially represent rather early-occurring joint disorders and cancers. Lacking a noticeable occurrence of increased joint disorders or cancers in neutered females, those wishing to neuter should decide on the appropriate age. Thus, the low occurrence of MC in intact females (typically under 6 percent) cannot be expected to represent the actual incidence over a female's lifetime. Now this can be listed on both the Pro and Con list depending on your plans for the futureso we left it off the list. In intact females, the occurrence of MC was 1 percent as was the occurrence with spaying at 28 years. The percentage of intact males with at least one joint disorder was 2 percent and 0 percent for intact females. and 611 mo. In intact females, MC was diagnosed in 6 percent, and for those spayed at 28 years, 15 percent. Neutering your male dog will prevent them from developing testicular cancer. In Dachshunds and Corgis, where intervertebral disc disorders (IDD) is a concern, the diagnosis included herniation, rupture, extrusion, protrusion, fracture, compression, stenosis, or spinal cord injury. Lacking a noticeable occurrence of increased joint disorders or cancers in neutered females, those wishing to neuter should decide on the appropriate age. No UI was reported in any of the intact or spayed females. There was no indication of cancer increase related to neutering in either sex. GUID:A06FBEBB-F06B-4AE4-BC63-37992777E11C, GUID:9F6DF452-700E-4801-A990-75A81CF4798D, elbow dysplasia, hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate tear, lymphoma, mast cell tumor, hemangiosarcoma, osteosarcoma, Epidemiology of surgical castration of dogs and cats in the United States. Lacking a noticeable occurrence of increased joint disorders or cancers in neutered males those wishing to neuter should decide on the appropriate age. Ollie Dog Food Review for Golden Retrievers, Golden retrievers are one of the breeds that certainly should not be fixed before six months of age, and it is. For Labs, there is good news in one respect. Shelters often perform the procedure to help reduce the number of homeless dogs. Another recent report from the Golden Retriever Lifetime Project is that neutering at <6 months increases the risk of cranial cruciate ligament injury (10). Hart and his team found no correlation between spaying or neutering and increased risk of cancers, regardless of when the procedures are performed. Suggested Guidelines by Breed for Age of Neutering. We bring you the highest quality content.We hope you enjoy your visit and find us useful. And what of the conventional wisdom that spaying sharply reduces the risk of mammary cancer? If the Wilcoxon test did not show significance but the log-rank test did for cancers, the log-rank test result was reported with significance level and an asterisk. It will make it look like they were not actually neutered and as if they still have testicles. The breeds chosen were the most popular, and with the largest dataset in our records, or were included to sample the largest range of breed sizes as was feasible. We started with popular breeds well-represented in the database, initially with the Golden Retriever (11, 12), Labrador Retriever (12) and German Shepherd Dog (13). The data for these three breeds were expanded through 11 years of age, to provide continuity among breeds and diseases. The next step could be to refer to summary paragraphs in the Results section, which present the major findings with a suggested guideline for neutering age. The theory is that sex hormones play a crucial role in the development of healthy joints, and therefore cutting off access too soon can undermine healthy development. As is clearly evident in the breed-specific data presented, one cannot make a generalization for all dogs about age of neutering guidelines. There was just one case of MC in females left intact, and 7 percent with PYO. UI was a significant risk in females spayed at any age up to 2 years, ranging from 25 percent in the females spayed at <6 mo. An official website of the United States government. Neutering at the various ages was not associated with any evident increased risk in the cancers. The suggested guideline for females, based on the increased occurrence of cancers at all spaying ages, is leaving the female intact or spaying at one year and remaining vigilant for the cancers. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version. Spaying your Golden will not change her personality or behavior in any meaningful way. There was no diagnosis of UI in spayed females. Lacking a noticeable occurrence of increased joint disorders or cancers in neutered males or females, those wishing to neuter should decide on the appropriate age. While there was no evident increase in joint disorders with neutering males, in females spayed at <6 mo., joint disorders increased to a significant 100 percent (p <0.01). In previous studies on the Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever and German Shepherd Dog, neutering before a year of age was associated with increased risks of one or more joint disorders, 24 times that of intact dogs. PMC legacy view Neutering at the various ages was not associated with any appreciable increased risk in cancers followed. In other words, making them incapable of reproducing and having puppies. Her mother, Terri Hartung, D.V.M., DABVP, who practices at the Redmond-Fall City Animal Hospital in Redmond, Wash., says, "I remember when people allowed a bitch to have one heat before spaying her. The study population was 109 intact males, 91 neutered males, 53 intact females, and 108 spayed females, for a sample size of 358 cases. The study population was 41 intact males, 60 neutered males, 30 intact females, and 69 spayed females for a total sample of 199 cases. However, spaying females at 611 mo. The goal of the present study was to expand and use the same data collection and analyses to cover an additional 29 breeds, plus three varieties of Poodles. The suggested guideline for neutering, given the significant risk of cancers, is holding off neutering of both sexes until beyond a year of age. The study population was 29 intact males, 26 neutered males, 24 intact females, and 37 spayed females, for a sample size of 116 cases. The occurrence of MC in intact females was 1 percent and for those spayed at 28 years, 2 percent. Of intact females, 6 percent developed PYO. Traditional advice has always been that dogs should be spayed or neutered before six months of age to diminish the chances of them developing uterine infections. While both spaying and neutering are common operations, they are considered major, and therefore, your dog is put under with a general anesthesia. The study, which was funded by the AKC Canine Health Foundation, tapped into disease epidemiology data from the national parent breed clubs and the Foundation. Golden retrievers are one of the breeds that certainly should not be fixed before six months of age, and it is recommended to wait until they are at least a year old. The occurrence of cancers followed was 8 percent and 6 percent, respectively, for intact males and females. As mentioned earlier, spaying decreases the risk of your female dog developing mammary cancer. After researching the topic, Hovan wrote a reference-supported article, titled "Deciding Whether and When to Neuter a Golden Retriever," which she shares with puppy buyers and suggests that they share with their veterinarians. The study population was 315 intact males, 152 neutered males, 143 intact females, and 239 spayed females for a total sample of 854 cases. Following the guidance of her mother, a board-certified canine and feline practitioner with a large number of Golden Retriever clients, Bultman presented her concerns to Hovan. In conformity with the campus policy, faculty of the University of California-Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, are allowed use of the record system for research purposes. UI was reported in just 1 percent of early-spayed females. A balance needs to be established about what is best for an individual dog.". It is nothing to worry about. However, in females, the occurrence of cancers for those spayed at 6-11 mo. BH, LH, AT, and NW: drafted and edited manuscript. and at 611 mo., was associated with increases in cancers to 11 and 17 percent, respectively (p <0.05, when combined) and spaying at 1 year and at 28 years was associated with increased risks of 14 percent (p <0.01, when combined). Post-hoc comparisons among the subgroups were based on least squares means of the hazard within each subgroup. So it is very important for you to provide your dog with regular exercise and the proper portion of food. Hovan notes that while waiting past 6 months of age to spay or neuter a pet puppy may be contrary to recommendations by many pet welfare organizations, it works best for her and her Faera Golden Retrievers sold to families as pets. Summary of spaying and neutering guidelines based on findings regarding increased risk of joint disorders and cancers. Research suggests that fixing any dog before the age of six months can lead to serious joint issues. The occurrence of the joint disorders and the cancers followed is reported for the intact and neutered dogs, and the increase in the two disease types over that of the intact dogs, if significant, is reported. Survival analyses were not done on IDD occurrence because the condition represented so many different disease diagnoses. The age at neutering was sometimes not included in the hospital records, so telephone calls to the referring veterinarians were made to obtain the neutering dates or ages. What they discovered was surprising. The study population was 35 intact males, 33 neutered males, 28 intact females, and 46 spayed females for a total sample of 142 cases. You should always speak to your vet to decide whether spaying or neutering is the right choice for you and your dog. Tracking cancers through 11 years of age would be presumably sufficient to catch most cases of MC if the case record had information extending to that age. The short answer to this question is that you shouldnt have your Golden fixed before they are one year old. Also included in the breed summary information is a suggested guideline for neutering age for males and females to avoid increasing the risks of a disease under consideration. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. PYO was reported in 7 percent of intact females. The term choice means there was no increased risk for any age. In this article we explain the difference between a Flat Coated Retriever vs Golden Retriever. The hope is that our research will help to extend the working lives of Labs and goldens and promote their basic comfort. The possible health effects of early spaying and neutering is a topic Hovan, the research facilitator for the Golden Retriever Club of America, holds close to her heart. In early-spayed females, no UI was reported. Studies have shown that spaying your dog prior to their first heat cycle can drastically decrease the risk of them developing mammary cancer later in life. The study population was 30 intact males, 19 neutered males, 21 intact females, and 16 spayed females for a total of 86 cases. Mammary cancer is a late occurring cancer with the median age of diagnosis being 10.1 years in one study (14). Bethesda, MD 20894, Web Policies However, most case records did not extend to that age. However, because of differences in size, the varieties of Poodles are dealt with separately here. In an attempt to address the absence of breed-specific information on joint disorders and cancers associated with neutering, we undertook a project focusing on various specific breeds using data collection and analyses with our extensive veterinary hospital database where the same diagnostic criteria could be applied to all breeds. 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