The Well Dog Place

Dr. Ken Tudor Holistic Veterinarian

Dog being spayed. New research suggests that standard approaches to age for dog altering may have adverse consequences.

Holistic Puppy Care 02 | When Should I Spay or Neuter My Dog?

Your vet may suggest that you spay (female) or neuter (male) your dog at 4-6 months of age or before her first “heat cycle.” Shelter and rescue organizations sterilize or “fix” puppies and kittens at 4-6 weeks of age. New research suggests neither of these approaches are the best for the long term good health of dogs.

Since giant breeds like Great Danes, Mastiffs, Irish Wolfhounds, St. Bernards, and Newfoundlands mature slower, especially skeletal maturation, this research may imply that these breeds be neutered even later.

What Problems Does Early Neutering Cause?

In a recent study in German Shepherds and an earlier study in Golden Retrievers, sexual alteration before 1 year was associated with a higher risk of:(abnormal hipjoint development)

Elbow dysplasia (abnormal elbow joint development
Cranial cruciate ligament rupture(knee)
Lymphosarcoma (cancer of the lymph nodes), Hemangiosarcoma (cancer of the spleen) and Osteosacoma (cancer of the bones)
Mast cell tumor (a blood cell tumor)
Urinary incontinence in female dogs (leaking urine)

Spaying or neutering after 1 year can, however, increase the risk of:

Aggressive behavior in male dogs
Mammary cancer in female dogs

Confused?

Want more information about spaying or neutering your dog? Call us for a wellness consultation appointment.

Author

Ken Tudor DVM

Dr. Ken Tudor, Holistic Veterinarian

Dr. Ken Tudor is a recognized expert and leader in the field of pet nutrition and fitness. He has developed a pet weight management program and served on the American Animal Hospital Association task force to develop their Weight Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats. He is also a frequent guest on the Pet World Insider radio show and a popular guest on the televised Pet Ex Talks-Pet Experts Empowering Pet Parents show.

Holistic Puppy Care 02 | When Should I Spay or Neuter My Dog?

Holistic Puppy Care

At THE WELL DOG PLACE Whenever you "Refer a Friend" you get $20 off AND they get $20 off their first exam. Call for an appointment:
(909) 929-0778

NEW - If you don't live close enough to visit our office...

If you are too far away to see Dr. Tudor in person, but still wish to make your own balanced dog food at home using Dr. Tudor's exclusive nutrient powder, omega 3 oil and recipes, we now offer two options for you:

Healthier Homemade for Dogs

When you need or want custom recipes that are personalized for your fur family, our sister site Healthier Homemade can help you out. Because this service is remote, we are unable to give medical advice or diagnosis, so we work with your veterinarian to make sure your fur family is well cared for.

At Healthier Homemade, we offer Medical Recipe Programs for 14 different conditions. See them in detail here.

There are an assortment of recipe formulations for dogs with diagnosed Food Allergies. They include, High Protein, Instant, and Economy options.

If you have all Normal Adult Dogs in your fur family and wish to have more control over the formulations of your recipes, we offer Economy, Instant, High Protein, and Ultra-High Protein (including a few all meat options).

With all of our custom recipes you may include up to 4 dogs (with the same health profile) and you may choose cooking frequency from every day to once a week. We do all the math, we even calculate serving size for each dog! We also have detailed tutorials for each step of cooking, mixing, and storing.

Hearthstone Homemade for Dogs

If you are an experienced cook, like flexibility, have a normal adult dog, and just need general guidelines, Hearthstone may be right for you. Before purchasing a Starter Kit, you can see a complete list of ingredient options that can be used.

Our EZ Meal Planner gives you a great starting point. You still get to pick out wholesome ingredients at the grocery store and you still get "The Well Dog Nutrient Powder" to make sure your dogs' meals are balanced.

The Getting Started page gives you a great road map for what you need to equip your kitchen, preparation, transitioning to a new food, and more.