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Originally Posted by SophieandZiggy  I didn't know this. Bear is scheduled to be neutered on the 23rd. Now,Ii'm thinking I should hold off. Do you think vets are pushing spay/neuter because of the pet population? I'm really thinking I shouls wait now.  |
Speak with your vet; I don't think vets are "pushing" spay/neuter per say; in North America this has become standard practice.
There should be a discussion with your vet about your particular dog when to neuter or even if to neuter. There are breed specific health issues, as well as individual health issues that will push the decision one way or the other.
For males for example an undescended testicle is a very very good reason to neuter as there is a high incidence of cancer in this circumstance.
Testicular cancer in older intact male dogs has a reported incident rate of 7% How-ever the prognosis for treating testicular cancer is very good owing to a low rate of metastasis, so testicular cancer is an uncommon cause of death in intact dogs.
The high cure rate of testicular tumors combined with their frequency suggests that fewer than 1% of intact male dogs will die of testicular cancer.
Source: Early Spay Neuter Considerations for the Canine Athlete. Chris Zink DVM,PhD, DACVP