Spay/Neuter Health Risks

[marielle]

Last week, I got a new female puppy--the breeder called her the "brindle bitch" :bigsmile:
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Yesterday, while I was getting her puppy shots, the vet *really* twisted my arm about spaying her. She tried to convince me that I need to do it early or else the puppy is at risk of mammary cancer, etc...she never mentioned that there could be some risks involved.

Since I have learned the hard way that my quality of life is significantly diminished without estrogen (Please see my thread here):

http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?84620-Is-There-an-Anti-Estrogen-Conspiracy

I wondered if spaying my little girl would have some negative long-term effects on her health. I found the following article and video by Dr. Karen Becker, a holistic veterinarian.

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/09/30/neutering-health-risks.aspx

Story at a glance:


Once a huge advocate of spaying or neutering every dog early in life, after being in private practice for a few years, Dr. Becker noticed many of her canine patients were developing endocrine-related disorders. After a conversation with an expert in the field of veterinary endocrinology, Dr. Becker realized her practice of insisting on early spays or neuters for every dog patient had left many of them with serious health problems.

Dr. Becker quickly changed her recommendation for her patients from automatic spays or neuters, and the younger the better, to a more holistic approach in which surgeries, including sterilization and desexing, should only be performed when there’s a medical necessity. She also believes shelter pets should be sterilized rather than desexed (spayed or neutered) in order to preserve their sex hormones.

Scientific evidence is mounting that gonad removal can deliver serious consequences to a dog’s future health. Among those consequences: shortened lifespan, atypical Cushing’s disease, cardiac tumors, bone cancer, abnormal bone growth and development, CCL ruptures, and hip dysplasia.

Options to traditional full spays and neuters are hard to come by both in the U.S. and Canada, because veterinary schools don’t teach alternative sterilization procedures. Fortunately, we’re slowly waking up to the fact that spaying and neutering – especially in very young animals -- are creating health problems that are non-existent or significantly less prevalent in intact pets.

Ownership of an intact dog, male or female, is not for everyone. It takes time, effort, vigilance, and often, a thick skin. Dr. Becker discusses the ins and outs of owning an intact male or female dog and the steps necessary to prevent pregnancy.

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Needless to say, I will not get my little girl spayed.

[conk]

Not sure how anyone could be a proponent of hormonal disruption. And why do they castrate males, rather than a simple vasectomy?

[GrnEggsNHam]

Not sure how anyone could be a proponent of hormonal disruption. And why do they castrate males, rather than a simple vasectomy?

*I have absolutely no knowledge on this other than what I've been told by a veterinarian*

The idea at least with male canines is that it reduces their aggression and territorial instincts(marking) with less testosterone in their systems. I really didn't want to neuter my good friend Jack however my spouse eventually won that battle as he was marking the same areas daily in the abode. He doesn't mark indoors anymore(he still marks new territory with urine) so I guess it did achieve what she wanted.

[AriG]

The above is anthropomorphizing the animal experience relating to spay/neuter. Animals who are "fixed" have a much better quality of life and make much better pets. I have many animals (dogs, big and small, cats, goats, sheep, birds) one of which is a small toy dog. I chose not to spay her. This past April, she had to undergo extreme surgery to repair a prolapsed uterus. She also had a number of small mammary tumors. She is 12. Since her spaying surgery, she has lost weight, gained energy and has been a much more engaged pet. Almost puppy like. Regarding male animals, it is best to wait until their urethra has fully formed to prevent infections and kidney stones.

Animals live for one thing, ok, well maybe two. To please you and to eat! They are only driven by their sex hormones when in the presence of a female in estrus. Purely chemical. There mere concept of a vasectomy for Fido is hilarious! Dogs do not have nor do they want recreational sex. Same with livestock- I have wethered bucks and intact does. The does cycle approximately every 28 days (aseasonal breeders). This lasts about 24 hours, during which the wethered bucks exhibit rutting behavior. When the does estrus ends, the bucks couldn't care less.

There is no evidence to suggest that not spaying or neutering extends life span and improves health. To the contrary. Infections, whelping, the misery of "heat", and cancer are all by products of excessive hormone production in animals who are not mating. Cushings disease is the excess production of Cortisol and adrenal failure. More common in dogs who are not spayed/neutered. This is often caused by vets who overuse hydrocortisone or prednisone for allergies, etc. in conjunction with excess hormone load in the animal.

Edit to add: No animal should ever be spayed/neutered before 18 months of age. They do require full hormonal development first.

[Pam]

Animals live for one thing, ok, well maybe two. To please you and to eat!

This kind of thinking has gotten us to where we are today. Where did you develop this kind of thinking?

So every magnificent animal on this planet is here to be subject to the whims and desires of humans? Why is that so? Kind of like the bully on the block gets to have everything his way, one way or another...... No, they are not here for humans. They are here because they are here.

Their life has every bit as much value as yours or mine. They deserve respect because they are living creatures. They deserve to be treated like we would like to be treated.

[AriG]

Animals live for one thing, ok, well maybe two. To please you and to eat!

This kind of thinking has gotten us to where we are today. Where did you develop this kind of thinking?

So every magnificent animal on this planet is here to be subject to the whims and desires of humans? Why is that so? Kind of like the bully on the block gets to have everything his way, one way or another...... No, they are not here for humans. They are here because they are here.

Their life has every bit as much value as yours or mine. They deserve respect because they are living creatures. They deserve to be treated like we would like to be treated.

How many animals do you have?

I never suggested that that is how I feel about them. That is how they feel about life! As domesticated animals. I was not referring to wild animals. Dogs, cats, domesticated livestock all desire nothing more than to please us. And to eat!

FYI - I run a small farm and a portion of that is a farm animal sanctuary. I NEVER said they were here for us. I said that they live to please us. And they do. Its how it is when an animal is domesticated! Its a dependency based relationship yes and is it fair? Not sure. That said, you just assassinated my character without asking for clarification. Small minds jump to conclusions so quickly. Good day!