You have often heard that spaying or neutering your dog is absolutely necessary. The reasons supporting spaying or neutering your dog are compelling, including reducing overpopulation, minimizing health issues, and combating behavioral issues. However, as more people are beginning to realize, not all treatments suit every dog.
Before you make an irreversible decision for your dog, you need to be aware of some potential side effects that spaying or neutering may induce in your dog. Once you have all the information for and against this procedure, you can decide what is best for your dog.
The 10 Reasons Not to Spay or Neuter Your Dog
1. It Can Cause Weight Gain
Spaying or neutering your dog leads to lower hormone levels. These hormones are often instrumental to your dog’s metabolic rate, and once they decrease, so does your dog’s metabolism. This leads to a decrease in energy.
If you overfeed or under-exercise your dog, there is a much higher chance that your dog will gain extra weight. In fact, spayed or neutered pets can be almost twice as likely to struggle with obesity. Additionally, post-surgery dogs may have an increased appetite, making it much easier to put on weight.
2. There May Be Higher Chances of Torn Ligaments
Torn ligaments are painful and difficult injuries to recover from. If your dog tears a ligament in their leg, they will likely be unable to walk for more than a month after surgery.
Spaying or neutering your dog can increase the risk of these types of injuries. According to the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, spayed females are at the highest risk of suffering a torn ligament, while neutered males follow in second.1 Intact male dogs are at the lowest risk.
3. It Can Increase the Chances of Hip Dysplasia
If a dog is spayed or neutered too early, the risk of developing hip dysplasia increases. Hip dysplasia is a complication that results in the loosening and displacement of the hip joint. This leads to pain and dysfunction, such as limping, lameness, bunny-hopping, difficulty moving, and sitting awkwardly.
A study found that dogs castrated before a year of age were two times more likely to suffer from hip dysplasia.2
Certain dog breeds are at a higher risk of developing hip dysplasia, such as large breed dogs. If your dog is among these high-risk breeds, you may reconsider spaying or neutering.
4. It May Cause Urinary Incontinence
A risk related to spaying and neutering is urinary incontinence, meaning you may need to anticipate more urinary accidents in the house than before. It has been shown that early spaying of females can increase the chances of urinary incontinence.
5. Your Dog May Develop Hypothyroidism
Since the procedure of spaying or neutering removes your dog’s gonads, your dog’s endocrine organs might also be affected.
According to the Cornell Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center, hypothyroidism may be more prevalent in spayed females and neutered males.3 This is a condition in which your dog does not produce enough thyroid hormones. Clinical signs associated with hypothyroidism include weight gain, lethargy, and chronic infections.
6. Chances of Developing Cancer May Increase
It may be scary to hear this, but there is a chance that spaying or neutering your dog may increase their odds of developing certain cancers. Spaying and neutering your dog can reduce certain types of cancers related to the reproductive system; however, the same procedure may introduce a higher risk of developing other cancers. For instance, spaying your female dog can make her five times more likely to develop cancer in her heart.
7. They Might Become More Likely to Suffer Anxiety
Studies have shown that neutering may be linked to higher levels of fear and anxiety in dogs. Common fearful behaviors in dogs include undesired urination or bowel movements, panting, pacing, destruction, and excessive vocalization.
8. Your Dog May Develop Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is a condition in which the pancreas is inflamed. This can lead to significant issues, such as appetite loss, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, lethargy, dehydration, and even irreversible damage to your dog’s digestive organs. According to a study published by the American Veterinary Medical Association, being spayed or neutered was one of the factors that increased the odds of pancreatitis in dogs.
9. Aggression Issues May Become Worse
Although it is often stated that neutering helps to quell aggressive behaviors, there has been conflicting evidence to the contrary in recent years. Some studies have indicated that neutering male dogs too early may lead to increased aggression.
Aggression is a serious issue. More than one million people are bitten by a dog each year. Likely, that number is much higher due to the number of unreported cases.
10. It May Impact Your Dog’s Lifespan
It is frightening to think that spaying or neutering could negatively impact your dog’s lifespan, but there is some evidence to support the notion. One study performed on Rottweilers found that females who were spayed during the first 4 years of life had a reduced life expectancy. On the other hand, castrated dogs are more likely to live a longer life relative to their reproductively intact counterparts.
Alternatives to Spaying and Neutering
After reading through some possible side-effects of spaying or neutering, you may be feeling hesitant about putting your dog through this procedure, even if you do not want them to be able to reproduce. Thankfully, there is an alternative option to spaying and neutering.
An ovariectomy is an alternative to spaying. In spaying, the ovaries and the uterus are removed, but an ovariectomy only removes the ovaries. On the other hand, a vasectomy is an alternative to neutering. These options offer you the ability to sterilize your dog with fewer effects on the production of hormones.
Conclusion
Which procedure is best for your dog: spaying and neutering or ovariectomies and vasectomies? In truth, it is unclear which methods are best for your dog at this moment. Spaying and neutering may work well for some dogs, while alternatives may be necessary for others. In the end, your veterinarian can help you determine which surgery is ideal for your pet.
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