[pstinard]

I'm crossposting this from another thread because it is relevant to this discussion:

Originally Posted by pstinard

UC Davis will be releasing the results of a new study on the effects of spay/neutering of 30 breeds of dogs on June 26. I do not know if Yorkies are included, but I'll give an update if I can find the information.

Here is my update on the UC Davis conference. The link to the talk abstracts is here: 2017 International Society for Anthrozoology Conference | Continuing Education

Of particular interest is this talk by Ben Hart: http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/ce/loc...tract_hart.pdf .

The abstract says:

Giving the Owner Data-base Guidelines on When & If to Spay or Neuter a Dog

Benjamin L Hart, DVM, PhD, DACVB and Lynette A. Hart, PhD
School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California
-Davis, Davis, California

Abstract

A broad overview, representing over 30 breeds will be presented. In essence, some breeds, including the Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, and German Shepherd Dog, have an increased risk of a joint disorder with spay/neuter before 1 year (early), ranging from 2 to 4 times that of neutering later. In small breed dogs, there is no increased risk. The increased risk for cancers, especially with lymphoma, occurs in several breeds with early spay/neuter.

So to emphasize, for small breed dogs, there is no increased risk of joint disorders with spay/neutering.