To spay or not to spay? To neuter or not to neuter? Such is the question hundreds of thousands of pet owners around the world ask themselves every day.
This blog is geared towards Bernese Mountain dogs, because, well, that is what we do. In general terms however, large, giant and XL breeds are recommended to be spayed / neutered after 18 months of age, or 24 to be on the safer side. All of our puppies are required to be spayed / neuter after 24 months of age.
But why, you may ask?
There are several medical reasons for this. The nutshell would be: increased risk of cancer, increased risk of joint and ligament degeneration / disease, which in turn gives a higher risk for dysplasias of all sorts.
The medical reason behind this, mainly resides in two funky little words known as: Growth plates. What are growth plates then? During our younger years, and our dogs young years (yes, humans have them as well), all of ours and their bones are basically made out of play-doh.
Think of it this way, growth plates are the home of very hard working cells that help bones grow and take shape during puppy hood. Growth plates are in essence cartilage, once their specialized cells have formed a bone structure, they close and the bone becomes “set” or matured.
In large breeds the process of growth is slow. It can take anywhere from 18 months all the way to 24 months (2 years) and in some cases even longer.
What does this have to do with spay / neuter then?
By removing reproductive organs, we also remove a large portion of sex hormones. Sex hormones are heavily involved in growth regulation. Once they have been removed, growth tends to get either stunted, or exaggerated. Pups tend to be small or too tall, depending on how their bodies react to the lack of growth aid.
Because growth is affected, studies have shown this impacts ligament and joint development. Berneses, as a large / giant breed, is genetically predisposed to dysplasias, and joint issues. Hence, in order to give them the best change at a life without such complications, studies have shown it is best to let them mature before being fixed.
The following is part of the study done and the results obtained from such a study:
Brace for medical jargon:
BERNESE MOUNTAIN DOG
The study population was 59 intact males, 74 neutered males, 37 intact females, and 65 spayed females for a total of 235 cases. The percentage of intact males with at least one joint disorder was 4 percent and for intact females, 11 percent. Neutering males any time prior to 2 years of age was associated with a significant increase in at least one joint disorder to 23–24%, about a 6-fold increase over intact males (p <0.01). Spaying females before 6 mo. increased the likelihood of a joint disorder to over 3-fold that of intact females, but this did not reach significance. The occurrence of one or more of the cancers followed was 9 percent for both intact males and intact females. There was no evident increase in cancer risk in males related to neutering, but with females, spaying at <6 mo. was associated with a 2-fold increase above that of intact females. There was no occurrence of MC in females, whether left intact or neutered at any age, and a 5 percent occurrence of PYO in intact females. There was no occurrence of UI in intact or spayed females. Reflecting the increased risk of joint disorders for males, the suggested guideline for neutering males is delaying neutering until well-beyond 2 years. Lacking a significant occurrence of increased joint disorders or cancers in neutered females, those wishing to neuter should decide on the appropriate age.
I don't do medical jargon, what does that mean?
Joint disease
Males: Neutering before 2 years of age sextuples (X6) the likelihood of developing at least one joint disorder.
Females: Spaying before 6 months of age appeared to triples the likelihood of developing a joint disorder.
Cancer:
Males: No increase observed with neutering
Females: Likelihood of cancer doubled in females spayed before 6 months of age.
