It’s a well-known fact that spaying and neutering your pet is very important for their health, but the big question I am always asked, is WHEN is the best time to have the surgery completed. There are many variables to consider, and that is often my approach when discussing this with families. I’ll provide the information on the pro’s and con’s – but ultimately you are the dog parent, and you need to decide.
Impact on Joint Health?
There is ongoing research regarding the implications of spaying and neutering medium-large breed dogs prior to reaching their full growth potential, and how this impacts hip and joint development.
A recent research paper reviewing around 1500 dogs per group, specifically Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers, assessed the incidence of orthopedic diseases including hip and elbow dysplasia and ACL (Cruciate) injuries as well as several forms of cancer. The results show a significant increase in the risk for orthopedic problems in both breeds referenced, if neutered before sexual maturity. The cause of this increased risk is thought to be due to the effect that hormones have on long bone growth. The rise in estroge
n/progesterone and testosterone with puberty in dogs induces closure of the growth plates in the long bones. Dogs neutered before puberty don’t experience this rise in hormones, and their long bones generally continue to grow for a longer time, thus resulting in greater height when growth does cease. This increased height changes the mechanism of joint function and seems to cause some instability in developing joints, thus leading to an increased incidence of orthopedic problems.
Large breed dogs finish growing at around 18 months of age, so it is ideal to wait to spay or neuter until after this point. Below is a graphic showing the age at which each different joint is fused, which is the biggest reason why we recommend spay/neuter at 1.5-2 years old. The dog is still growing until that time frame, and there is a lot of research indicating hormones aid in joint development.
Risks of delayed spay/neuter 1. Unwanted Pregnancy This is the obvious one – unwanted pregnancy is a definite risk when you have unaltered pets. You need to be a diligent pet owner and always monitor your dog when they are outside of the home (including in fenced yards!). Many breeders sell their pups/dogs on non-breeding contracts to deter families from allowing this type of situation to ever occur – but the reality is…accidents can, and do happen. 2. Safety of the male dog Male dogs can smell a female in heat from up to 3 miles away – this is a huge distance! Male dogs honestly go “crazy” when a female is in heat; their behaviour completely changes, they can urinate in the house, become destructive or aggressive, and will often flee to find the female they can smell. Diesel was the most obedient dog, but he jumped out of the upstairs window in our home to go and find the lovely golden retrievers at the next farm over – I told you, the boys go crazy! (My windows are now NEVER open) Not only did that large jump initiate a lot of the arthritis in his shoulders, there was also the risk of him running the countryside, getting injured – or worse – in a fight with another male dog. In fact, that is how one of my childhood dogs passed…fighting over a girl. Monitoring your male dogs at all times is so important, and yes…I speak from experience.
I mentioned briefly about marking in the house, and aggression when a female is in heat. Male dogs will often “mark” their territory to make it seem like they are the “big boy” – this is not ideal, and can make for a lot of cleaning. We use belly bands at home when the boys are feeling the need to mark. This certainly curbs the behaviour, but also contains urine if they do decide the mark – then that belly band can just go into the washing machine! 3. Female dog health & Pyometra risk Having a female dog in heat does come with some mess; though most gals will clean up after themselves and you would hardly know anything was going on. Not to mention, and mess can be easily cleaned with a mop. I often use doggy "Pooch Pants" diapers to contain some mess – especially if they are on the furniture. Pyometra is an infection of the uterus, and it can be fatal. It is a secondary infection caused by hormonal changes in a female's reproductive tract. Following a heat cycle, the progesterone levels remain elevated for several weeks, causing the uterine lining to thicken in preparation for pregnancy. If pregnancy does not occur, the lining increases in thickness until cysts form in the uterus. The thickened cystic lining secretes fluids, creating an ideal environment where bacteria can grow. Pyometra generally happens to older dogs after they have had a heat cycle a few times, and the uterine lining has become rather thick – however it is possible for this to happen in any young dog. In fact, my sweet Charger got pyometra when she was 8 months old, and had emergency surgery to save her life. Luckily, I caught early enough that she recovered well.
When all is said and done, you now have the facts to make an informed decision for yourself. It is my belief, that if you are a diligent pet owner, vow to monitor your dog that is in heat, or your male dog that may be on the lookout for females, then waiting until ~18 months of age to spay/neuter is beneficial for their overall health. Joint health is paramount, as that will last them a lifetime. As such, it is my general recommendation that dog parents consider delaying spaying and neutering of large breed dogs (60 – 100 lbs at maturity) until 18 months of age.
It is important to note that the cost of the spay and neuter surgery for a mature large breed dog will be slightly higher than the cost of that for an immature dog. The reason for the increased price is due to the slightly longer anesthetic and surgery time, given more development and vascularity of the reproductive organs post heat.
References: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0102241
https://vcacanada.com/know-your-pet/pyometra-in-dogs