Decision-Making on Recommended Age of Spay/Neuter for a Specific Dog: General Principles and Cultural Complexities

Lynette A Hart; Benjamin L Hart; Abigail P Thigpen

doi:10.1016/j.cvsm.2023.05.005

Decision-Making on Recommended Age of Spay/Neuter for a Specific Dog: General Principles and Cultural Complexities

Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2023 Sep;53(5):1209-1221. doi: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2023.05.005. Epub 2023 Jun 15.

Authors

Lynette A Hart¹, Benjamin L Hart², Abigail P Thigpen³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, 1079 Veterinary Medicine Drive, Davis, CA 95616, USA. Electronic address: lahart@ucdavis.edu.
² Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
³ Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, 1079 Veterinary Medicine Drive, Davis, CA 95616, USA.

PMID: 37330274
DOI: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2023.05.005

Abstract

Many dogs and cats were euthanized in US animal shelters through the 1940s, sharply declining in the 1980s. Early age neutering of young cats and dogs grew frequent in the 1990s; adoptions from shelters increased, leading to a decline in shelter euthanasia of dogs. Several publications, beginning in 2013, revealed heightened risks of joint disorders and some cancers for some dog breeds when neutered at young ages. These risks are breed-, gender-, and body-size specific and related to neutering age. Current guidelines suggest making a personalized decision for each dog's neutering age. Recommendations are presented for 40 breeds and mixed-breed weight classes.

Keywords: Aggression; Behavior; Body weight; Dog breed; Hysterectomy; Sex; Vasectomy.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Castration / veterinary
Cat Diseases*
Cats
Dog Diseases*
Dogs
Euthanasia, Animal