Disadvantages of dog neutering

Urinary incontinence

Neutered female dogs are more likely to have urinary incontinence. Cats do not seem to have this problem, at least it is rare. Neutered female dogs with urinary incontinence will improve with female hormone therapy. This hormone is the missing link after sterilization.

Urinary tract problems

Neutered female dogs are more likely to develop urinary tract infections. Whether the reason is due to obesity caused by sterilization or the sterilization itself still needs to be considered

Obesity

There is no doubt that neutered pets are more likely to gain weight. Especially spaying before the first heat can increase the chance of obesity after neutering.

Hypothyroidism

Cough, please note that it is hypothyroidism, not hyperthyroidism. Dogs are more likely to have this problem than cats. Neutered dogs are more likely to develop hypothyroidism than unneutered dogs.

Diabetes

There is a clear trend of obesity in animals after sterilization. In cats, obesity greatly increases the risk of diabetes.

Bone Cancer

Osteosarcoma is more common in large dogs whose bones have overgrown, making them more susceptible to osteosarcoma. Spaying before one year of age significantly increases the chance of developing osteosarcoma.

Abnormal bone structure

Premature neutering of pets can cause a series of problems, one of which is bone. As animals grow, hormones secreted by the reproductive system help determine the length and shape of bones. When sterilization is performed too early, the body's sudden loss of these hormones will cause bone growth to become out of control, resulting in a longer growth cycle and imbalanced proportions. In turn, the pet becomes abnormally taller and the shape of its bones becomes abnormal.

Neutering a dog will not lead to a longer life

According to my colleagues and I, the pet sterilization rate in Europe is much lower than in the United States. However, there is no evidence that the average life span of European pets is shorter than that of North American pets.

Ironically, despite strong claims that sterilized pets live longer, scientific research has failed. In a 2009 study, female Rottweilers who were neutered before the age of four had a 30% shorter lifespan than female Rottweilers who were not neutered.

Neuter advocates like to use statistical charts to tell you, "Look, these sterilized animals live longer" - as I said before, how do you know whether it is sterilization that has an impact, or whether it is the raising methods between owners and medical treatment? What about differences caused by differences in levels of care? Statistical data can be collected selectively, and it is particularly convenient for human manipulation and misinterpretation. This is beneficial to both sides.Likewise, don’t accept the other person’s statement completely after looking at a few icons. No university is willing to do this kind of long-term follow-up research because it is expensive and has low profits. Most of the units that conduct this type of research are pet insurance companies, but some insurance companies have stated after research that "whether a pet is sterilized or not has little to do with its potential lifespan."

In 2016, multiple studies were released, showing that neutering pets before one year old (or before their first heat) has serious negative effects.

Neuter at the right time and for the right reasons

After the female dog has completely gone through the first heat, it will take another 3-6 months. Just before the second estrus, sterilization is more feasible at this time. Female hormones have a non-negligible impact on all parts of the body, not just the reproductive tract. Don’t ignore blind early sterilization—many people who advocate early sterilization don’t understand what they are advocating at all.

If you really plan to neuter the male dog, do so in his second year of life. Some dogs are recommended to be neutered as soon as possible due to medical treatment or misbehavior. Then you must try a method that you will regret taking. For example, use injection drugs that block male hormones. If blocking male hormones still has no effect, then surgery Still of no use. The difference is that after the operation, the egg is gone, and there is no point in regretting it.