Current perspectives on the optimal age to spay/castrate dogs and cats

Lisa M HoweDepartment of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USAAbstract: Spaying and castrating of dogs and cats has been considered for decades to be a routine standard of practice in veterinary...

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Autor principal:	Howe LM
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Dove Medical Press 2015
Materias:	Veterinary medicine SF600-1100
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/4c74e95908164ec2ab2a81b46b78dbef
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:4c74e95908164ec2ab2a81b46b78dbef2021-12-02T08:43:23ZCurrent perspectives on the optimal age to spay/castrate dogs and cats2230-2034https://doaj.org/article/4c74e95908164ec2ab2a81b46b78dbef2015-05-01T00:00:00Zhttp://www.dovepress.com/current-perspectives-on-the-optimal-age-to-spaycastrate-dogs-and-cats-peer-reviewed-article-VMRRhttps://doaj.org/toc/2230-2034Lisa M HoweDepartment of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USAAbstract: Spaying and castrating of dogs and cats has been considered for decades to be a routine standard of practice in veterinary medicine in the US for the prevention of numerous undesirable behaviors, medical conditions, and diseases. Additionally, the procedures have been promoted as a method of curbing the severe pet-overpopulation problem in the US. Recently, however, this routine practice has come under scrutiny and become a very controversial topic. The general wisdom and safety of the procedures have been questioned by those who are concerned that the procedures may have some unintended consequences that are only recently being recognized. The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the scientific literature regarding elective spay/castration procedures and present both risks and benefits of elective gonadectomy. After the literature is examined, it becomes clear that there may not be a single absolute optimal age to spay or castrate all dogs and cats, but that the optimal age may be dependent upon several factors, including species, breed, body size, and breed-specific diseases, among others. Determining the optimal age to perform elective gonadectomy is much clearer in cats, and the literature demonstrates that the procedures can typically be safely performed at any age after 6–8 weeks of age. The optimal age to spay or castrate dogs of certain breeds (rottweiler, golden retriever, Labrador retriever, and vizsla) is becoming less clear as studies are being conducted as to the health benefits and risks in those breeds. This review will examine these controversies and make recommendations as to the optimal age to spay/castrate dogs based upon the scientific literature.Keywords: gonadectomy (neuter), ovariohysterectomy (spay), castration, neoplasia, longevity, orthopedic disordersHowe LMDove Medical PressarticleVeterinary medicineSF600-1100ENVeterinary Medicine: Research and Reports, Vol 2015, Iss default, Pp 171-180 (2015)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Veterinary medicine SF600-1100
spellingShingle	Veterinary medicine SF600-1100 Howe LM Current perspectives on the optimal age to spay/castrate dogs and cats
description	Lisa M HoweDepartment of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USAAbstract: Spaying and castrating of dogs and cats has been considered for decades to be a routine standard of practice in veterinary medicine in the US for the prevention of numerous undesirable behaviors, medical conditions, and diseases. Additionally, the procedures have been promoted as a method of curbing the severe pet-overpopulation problem in the US. Recently, however, this routine practice has come under scrutiny and become a very controversial topic. The general wisdom and safety of the procedures have been questioned by those who are concerned that the procedures may have some unintended consequences that are only recently being recognized. The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the scientific literature regarding elective spay/castration procedures and present both risks and benefits of elective gonadectomy. After the literature is examined, it becomes clear that there may not be a single absolute optimal age to spay or castrate all dogs and cats, but that the optimal age may be dependent upon several factors, including species, breed, body size, and breed-specific diseases, among others. Determining the optimal age to perform elective gonadectomy is much clearer in cats, and the literature demonstrates that the procedures can typically be safely performed at any age after 6–8 weeks of age. The optimal age to spay or castrate dogs of certain breeds (rottweiler, golden retriever, Labrador retriever, and vizsla) is becoming less clear as studies are being conducted as to the health benefits and risks in those breeds. This review will examine these controversies and make recommendations as to the optimal age to spay/castrate dogs based upon the scientific literature.Keywords: gonadectomy (neuter), ovariohysterectomy (spay), castration, neoplasia, longevity, orthopedic disorders
format	article
author	Howe LM
author_facet	Howe LM
author_sort	Howe LM
title	Current perspectives on the optimal age to spay/castrate dogs and cats
title_short	Current perspectives on the optimal age to spay/castrate dogs and cats
title_full	Current perspectives on the optimal age to spay/castrate dogs and cats
title_fullStr	Current perspectives on the optimal age to spay/castrate dogs and cats
title_full_unstemmed	Current perspectives on the optimal age to spay/castrate dogs and cats
title_sort	current perspectives on the optimal age to spay/castrate dogs and cats
publisher	Dove Medical Press
publishDate	2015
url	https://doaj.org/article/4c74e95908164ec2ab2a81b46b78dbef
work_keys_str_mv	AT howelm currentperspectivesontheoptimalagetospaycastratedogsandcats
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Current perspectives on the optimal age to spay/castrate dogs and cats

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