The Damaging Effects of Spaying and Neutering on Dogs

Story at-a-glance . . .

• A new study of German Shepherd Dogs adds to a growing body of research on the damaging effects of spaying and neutering on dogs
• Earlier studies on other breeds, including Rottweilers, Golden Retrievers, and Vizslas, suggest that desexing can dramatically increase the risk for serious diseases and behavioral disorders in these dogs
• When dealing with 100 percent responsible pet owners, my preference is to leave dogs intact whenever possible to avoid unnecessary risks of anesthesia. When pets must undergo a sterilization procedure, I advocate an alternative procedure to a full spay or neuter that spares the gonads and ovaries, which produce hormones essential to good health
• Ovary sparing spays are equally as effective as traditional spays at preventing unwanted litters, but they are less invasive and eliminate the risk of endocrine damage
• Veterinary schools need to teach less damaging sterilization methods to students, as research shows our current surgical approach to controlling unwanted pregnancies can permanently affect dogs in negative ways. In addition, the surgical technique used by high volume spay clinics and shelters to sterilize very young dogs could easily be updated to a less damaging technique, while still accomplishing the goal of preventing unwanted litters

Read the entire link:  https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2016/07/27/neutering-spaying-effects.aspx?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=facebookpets_ranart&utm_campaign=20170617_neutering-spaying-effects