Is early sterilization an option?
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I had a casual discussion on the pros and cons of early sterilization the other day and as there are so many unanswered questions, I decided to do some research into this subject. If we look at the huge amount of unwanted litters, it is clear that we need to do something about this situation. My personal opinion is that not only is early sterilization something necessary, a law should be passed to ensure that all pups, unless purchased for breeding and breeder is KUSA registered , should be sterilized before they go to their forever homes. It appears I am not the only one that wants to know more, as writings that discuss canine castration date back as far as 284BC!
Many years back it was recommended by vets that a bitch was only sterilized after the first heat as it appeared to make her more mature. Males, however did not produce babies, so were left alone. If they were around a bitch on heat, it was the bitch that was locked away or sent to kennels. The idea that the male should be left intact still seems to be the thinking of many owners today, especially the male of our species! It seems that neutering a male only became an option once aggression came into play. In fact, neutering a pre-pubertal dog is likely to prevent reactive behaviour The same reactive behaviour can be abolished by neutering an adult dog, however behavioural modifications will have to be implemented in addition to sterilization. In short, the chances and intensity of reactive behaviour is greatly reduced if the sterilization is done when the dog is pre-pubertal.
It was then discovered with further scientific research that if the bitch was spayed before her first heat the incidence of mammary tumours was eliminated entirely, so the ‘norm’ became to spay just before the first heat which is around 6 - 8 months of age. This is not always ideal given that some bitches come into heat before the estimated age and accidental litters can and do occur.
Then there appeared to be an explosion of dog owners and shelters and rescue centres were inundated with unwanted pups and kittens. This is understandable if we realize that a female dog, bred every time she is in estrus and throughout her breeding life, can produce between 20,000-40,000 pups, and that’s only one female - think about her female offspring reproducing if not sterilized! Early sterilization then takes on a new importance when we realize that some 56% of dogs and pups entering shelters are killed. So to help to eliminate the flood of unwanted litters, the new way of thinking became that both sexes were sterilized at 4-8 months of age.
Early sterilization in shelters started in about 1984, with the pup being between 8 – 12 weeks of age, and some as young as 6 weeks of age. The reason for this is to avoid any unwanted litters whatsoever, as not all adopting owners are bringing the dogs and cats back for sterilization as promised.
In further research I undertook, there appears to be some breeders in the USA that are also adopting the policy to make sure that pups sold by them are never accidently bred. This also guarantees that any undesirable genes will not affect future generations. Early spay/neutering is endorsed by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Humane Society of the US, the American Kennel Club and many other associations.
As long as a pup weighs more than a kilo and is 8 weeks old, he or she can be neutered or spayed. Some of the many benefits of early sterilization I read about included a faster healing and recovery time, and less chance of developing a number of future serious diseases and disorders.
If we look at other species of animals such as male calves, pigs and sheep, they are castrated within a few weeks of being born without any apparent ill, or side effects. In many other articles it was stated that early neutering is a safe procedure as long as one recognizes certain physiologic differences between adults and neonates and the chief concern for the early neutering are focused on the non-adult physiology of the young pup or kitten, or as cited below:-
“The chief concerns for these procedures are focused on the non-adult physiology of the young patient:
In another article I came across, both Dr. Aronsohn and anaesthesiologist Dr. Alicia Faggella have “neutered several hundred puppies and kittens with no appartent ill effects.” When Dr. Aronsohn was question about the anesthetic and hypoglycaemia concerns, he replied that “anesthetic protocols have been worked out, and are as safe in the younger puppies as they are in the ones five to eight months old. We previously thought that hypolycemia was going to be a problem, but is has turned out not to be.
‘Also of significance is the fact that the seven-week-old puppies in this study tolerated anesthesia well. Surgeons actually found that spaying the younger puppies was easier than spaying bitches at the traditional age due to the smaller amount of fat, within the abdomen and the relative lack of vasculature. Surgical time and risk of hemorrhage were greatly reduced.’
In a shelter in Oregon, a study of eight thousand pups and kittens neutered between 8 – 12 weeks of age also reported no ill effects and this shelter did their own research and sent out 200 random questionnaires to owners of dogs aged between 3-14 years that had early sterilization to determine if there were any behavioural or physical drawbacks. Identical questionnaires were also sent to 200 owners whose dogs had been neutered at the 6 month age period. The overall results were positive with regard to early sterilization and to view the full article and to see the results and charts visit charmaine pse insert direct link to page below
http://www.petresource.com/Articles%20of%20Interest/new_views_on_neutering.htm
Apart from the above and that early neutering seems to affect the growth period in dogs which results in longer bones and bigger dogs as adults, and that neutering prior to puberty can result in the sexual organs being smaller (which really shouldn’t affect them!), the only adverse affect that I could source was that there was an elevated risk of incontinence in female dogs spayed prior to 3 months. In many articles I read, the vets reported that they had not come across any negative results at all and that many of the owners of these early sterilization pups report them to be the best pup/dog they have ever had – perhaps this is due to the pup never experiencing the higher levels of testosterone and progesterone which appear to influence behaviour. Due to the shorter period of early sterilization taking place (since 1984), there appears to be a lack of long term study available and more adverse effects may come to light in years to come.
The majority of vets in private practice still adhere to the 6-8 months time line as few vets have accumulated a significant amount of experience in anesthetizing of very young puppies on a regular basis, as unless involved in rescue work where early sterilization is used; there is very little need for it. One may think that an eight week old pup is just a smaller version of an eight month old puppy, but there are major differences between the two examples such as respiratory and cardiovascular physiology, thermoregulation and drug metabolism. Additionally, it is believed that sterilizing at the 6-8 months age period, allows the immune system to develop completely.
From my point of view, and I am sure from the viewpoint of shelters, the main advantage is that there is no way at all that accidental litters can occur and this is one sure fire way to keep the already huge population of unwanted dogs and puppies down.
By Scotty Valadao
References and Reviews
Aronsohn MG, Faggella AM: Surgical techniques for neutering 6-14-week-old kittens. J Am Vet Med Assoc 202:53, 1993.
ASPCA, HSUS
Bloomberg MS: Surgical neutering and nonsurgical alternatives. J Am Vet Med Assoc 208:317, 1996.
Dr. Dick Rosebrock
Early neutering of the dog and cat by Stubbs, Salmeri and Bloomberg. 1995.In: Bonagura (ed), Kirk's Current Veterinary Therapy, XII, WB Saunders & Co., Phila., pp.1037-1040.)
Hart BL. Effects of neutering and spaying on the behavior of dogs and cats: Questionsand answers about practical concerns. JAVMA 1991;198:1204-1205.
Howe LM, Slater MR, Boothe HW, etc: Long-term outcome of gonadectomy performed at an early age or traditional age in cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc 217:1661, 2000.
http://www.animalsheltering.org/resource_library/search_results.html?librarytopic=pediatric_sterilization
http://www.pacificpets.ca/spay&neuter.htm
http://www.rallyobedience.com/early.htm
http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/reprod/petpop/early.html
http://www.winnfelinehealth.org/reports/early-neuter.html
l. Kellington E, Hannawalt EH. Study of the effects of early spaying and neutering. Medford, Oregon SPCA Rep. May 1985.
Leo L. Lieberman, D.V.M., in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association on September 1, 1987.
Lieberman LL: A case for neutering pups and kittens at two months of age. J Am Vet Med Assoc 191:518, 1987.
Robin Tierney
ronsohn MG, Faggella AM: Surgical techniques for neutering 6-14-week-old kittens. J Am Vet Med Assoc 202:53, 1993.
Salmeri KR, Bloomberg MS, Scrugs SL, Shille VS: Gonadectomy in immature dogs: effects on skeletal, physical, and behavioral development. J Am Vet Med Assoc 198:1193, 1991.
Salmeri KR, Olson PN, Bloomberg MS: Elective gonadectomy in dogs: a review. J Am Vet Med Assoc 198:1183, 1991.
Sharp, 1993
Spain CV, Scarlett JM, Houpt KA: Long-term risks and benefits of early-age gonadectomy in cats. J Am Med Assoc 224:372, 2004.
The Association of Shelter Veterinarians
Theran P: Early-age neutering of dogs and cats. J Amer Vet Med Assoc 202:914, 1993.
veterinary medical care guidelines
Many years back it was recommended by vets that a bitch was only sterilized after the first heat as it appeared to make her more mature. Males, however did not produce babies, so were left alone. If they were around a bitch on heat, it was the bitch that was locked away or sent to kennels. The idea that the male should be left intact still seems to be the thinking of many owners today, especially the male of our species! It seems that neutering a male only became an option once aggression came into play. In fact, neutering a pre-pubertal dog is likely to prevent reactive behaviour The same reactive behaviour can be abolished by neutering an adult dog, however behavioural modifications will have to be implemented in addition to sterilization. In short, the chances and intensity of reactive behaviour is greatly reduced if the sterilization is done when the dog is pre-pubertal.
It was then discovered with further scientific research that if the bitch was spayed before her first heat the incidence of mammary tumours was eliminated entirely, so the ‘norm’ became to spay just before the first heat which is around 6 - 8 months of age. This is not always ideal given that some bitches come into heat before the estimated age and accidental litters can and do occur.
Then there appeared to be an explosion of dog owners and shelters and rescue centres were inundated with unwanted pups and kittens. This is understandable if we realize that a female dog, bred every time she is in estrus and throughout her breeding life, can produce between 20,000-40,000 pups, and that’s only one female - think about her female offspring reproducing if not sterilized! Early sterilization then takes on a new importance when we realize that some 56% of dogs and pups entering shelters are killed. So to help to eliminate the flood of unwanted litters, the new way of thinking became that both sexes were sterilized at 4-8 months of age.
Early sterilization in shelters started in about 1984, with the pup being between 8 – 12 weeks of age, and some as young as 6 weeks of age. The reason for this is to avoid any unwanted litters whatsoever, as not all adopting owners are bringing the dogs and cats back for sterilization as promised.
In further research I undertook, there appears to be some breeders in the USA that are also adopting the policy to make sure that pups sold by them are never accidently bred. This also guarantees that any undesirable genes will not affect future generations. Early spay/neutering is endorsed by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Humane Society of the US, the American Kennel Club and many other associations.
As long as a pup weighs more than a kilo and is 8 weeks old, he or she can be neutered or spayed. Some of the many benefits of early sterilization I read about included a faster healing and recovery time, and less chance of developing a number of future serious diseases and disorders.
If we look at other species of animals such as male calves, pigs and sheep, they are castrated within a few weeks of being born without any apparent ill, or side effects. In many other articles it was stated that early neutering is a safe procedure as long as one recognizes certain physiologic differences between adults and neonates and the chief concern for the early neutering are focused on the non-adult physiology of the young pup or kitten, or as cited below:-
“The chief concerns for these procedures are focused on the non-adult physiology of the young patient:
- They have an immature ability to maintain body temperature, a larger relative body surface area and less fat, which predisposes to hypothermia under anesthesia. This can be alleviated by maintaining the animal on a heating pad or similar device during surgery and recovery.
- Neonates are more sensitive than adults to hypoglycemia. It is advisable to withhold feed for only 4-6 hours prior to surgery, and some veterinarians advocate presurgical supplementation with sugar syrup or the administration of glucose during surgery.
In another article I came across, both Dr. Aronsohn and anaesthesiologist Dr. Alicia Faggella have “neutered several hundred puppies and kittens with no appartent ill effects.” When Dr. Aronsohn was question about the anesthetic and hypoglycaemia concerns, he replied that “anesthetic protocols have been worked out, and are as safe in the younger puppies as they are in the ones five to eight months old. We previously thought that hypolycemia was going to be a problem, but is has turned out not to be.
‘Also of significance is the fact that the seven-week-old puppies in this study tolerated anesthesia well. Surgeons actually found that spaying the younger puppies was easier than spaying bitches at the traditional age due to the smaller amount of fat, within the abdomen and the relative lack of vasculature. Surgical time and risk of hemorrhage were greatly reduced.’
In a shelter in Oregon, a study of eight thousand pups and kittens neutered between 8 – 12 weeks of age also reported no ill effects and this shelter did their own research and sent out 200 random questionnaires to owners of dogs aged between 3-14 years that had early sterilization to determine if there were any behavioural or physical drawbacks. Identical questionnaires were also sent to 200 owners whose dogs had been neutered at the 6 month age period. The overall results were positive with regard to early sterilization and to view the full article and to see the results and charts visit charmaine pse insert direct link to page below
http://www.petresource.com/Articles%20of%20Interest/new_views_on_neutering.htm
Apart from the above and that early neutering seems to affect the growth period in dogs which results in longer bones and bigger dogs as adults, and that neutering prior to puberty can result in the sexual organs being smaller (which really shouldn’t affect them!), the only adverse affect that I could source was that there was an elevated risk of incontinence in female dogs spayed prior to 3 months. In many articles I read, the vets reported that they had not come across any negative results at all and that many of the owners of these early sterilization pups report them to be the best pup/dog they have ever had – perhaps this is due to the pup never experiencing the higher levels of testosterone and progesterone which appear to influence behaviour. Due to the shorter period of early sterilization taking place (since 1984), there appears to be a lack of long term study available and more adverse effects may come to light in years to come.
The majority of vets in private practice still adhere to the 6-8 months time line as few vets have accumulated a significant amount of experience in anesthetizing of very young puppies on a regular basis, as unless involved in rescue work where early sterilization is used; there is very little need for it. One may think that an eight week old pup is just a smaller version of an eight month old puppy, but there are major differences between the two examples such as respiratory and cardiovascular physiology, thermoregulation and drug metabolism. Additionally, it is believed that sterilizing at the 6-8 months age period, allows the immune system to develop completely.
From my point of view, and I am sure from the viewpoint of shelters, the main advantage is that there is no way at all that accidental litters can occur and this is one sure fire way to keep the already huge population of unwanted dogs and puppies down.
By Scotty Valadao
References and Reviews
Aronsohn MG, Faggella AM: Surgical techniques for neutering 6-14-week-old kittens. J Am Vet Med Assoc 202:53, 1993.
ASPCA, HSUS
Bloomberg MS: Surgical neutering and nonsurgical alternatives. J Am Vet Med Assoc 208:317, 1996.
Dr. Dick Rosebrock
Early neutering of the dog and cat by Stubbs, Salmeri and Bloomberg. 1995.In: Bonagura (ed), Kirk's Current Veterinary Therapy, XII, WB Saunders & Co., Phila., pp.1037-1040.)
Hart BL. Effects of neutering and spaying on the behavior of dogs and cats: Questionsand answers about practical concerns. JAVMA 1991;198:1204-1205.
Howe LM, Slater MR, Boothe HW, etc: Long-term outcome of gonadectomy performed at an early age or traditional age in cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc 217:1661, 2000.
http://www.animalsheltering.org/resource_library/search_results.html?librarytopic=pediatric_sterilization
http://www.pacificpets.ca/spay&neuter.htm
http://www.rallyobedience.com/early.htm
http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/reprod/petpop/early.html
http://www.winnfelinehealth.org/reports/early-neuter.html
l. Kellington E, Hannawalt EH. Study of the effects of early spaying and neutering. Medford, Oregon SPCA Rep. May 1985.
Leo L. Lieberman, D.V.M., in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association on September 1, 1987.
Lieberman LL: A case for neutering pups and kittens at two months of age. J Am Vet Med Assoc 191:518, 1987.
Robin Tierney
ronsohn MG, Faggella AM: Surgical techniques for neutering 6-14-week-old kittens. J Am Vet Med Assoc 202:53, 1993.
Salmeri KR, Bloomberg MS, Scrugs SL, Shille VS: Gonadectomy in immature dogs: effects on skeletal, physical, and behavioral development. J Am Vet Med Assoc 198:1193, 1991.
Salmeri KR, Olson PN, Bloomberg MS: Elective gonadectomy in dogs: a review. J Am Vet Med Assoc 198:1183, 1991.
Sharp, 1993
Spain CV, Scarlett JM, Houpt KA: Long-term risks and benefits of early-age gonadectomy in cats. J Am Med Assoc 224:372, 2004.
The Association of Shelter Veterinarians
Theran P: Early-age neutering of dogs and cats. J Amer Vet Med Assoc 202:914, 1993.
veterinary medical care guidelines