The practice of spay and neutering dogs has become almost second nature in our current culture.  The advantages of doing so in terms of controlling population and preventing the problems associated with unwanted and homeless animals is obvious.  Another facet of the practice are the purported health benefits for the individual animals as a result of having gone through spay or neutering.  On the other hand, as the practice has become entrenched and almost a foregone conclusion for anything other than pure bred animals used in breeding, the rush to spay or neuter has been promoted earlier and earlier in the pet’s life.  It is not uncommon veterinary and shelter practice to spay/neuter as young as 6-8weeks old.  

While there are unquestionable benefits both social and health related to the spay and neutering, in recent years more and more questions have begun to arise concerning the potential health risks associated with the practice and whether they outweigh the potential benefits.  Below is a link to an article written by Laura J. Sanborn, M.S.  Ms. Sanborn has compiled the material presented after an in depth review of the research and literature documenting both the benefits and risks associated with spay and neutering.  She has presented the material in as objective a manner as possible and reveals that the long-term health benefits and risks are much more complex than we are often lead to believe.  

At The Critters & Me we believe that education is vital to a pet owner’s ability to provide for and nurture their pet’s health.  When it comes to spay/neutering of dogs each individual has to make the decision for themselves.  Hopefully this article will help you to ask more informed questions about the risks and benefits as well as the timing and even the necessity to spay or neuter and make the best decision for your pet.  

Please click on the link below to read the complete article: http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf