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Originally Posted by paolaRN  Sorry for my ignorance, but what is the growth plate? And how is his neutering affected by it? I have never heard of this. Been doing tug games, we do it everyday and they don't budge  |
The growth plate is in the legs. If a dog is neutered too early, before the growth plates close, the leg bones will keep on growing, causing them to be more fragile or unbalanced, resulting in leg and joint problems at later ages in some dogs. Once the growth plates are closed, the leg bones stop growing, and it's safe to neuter. In Yorkies, growth plates typically close by 8 months, but a vet can do an x-ray to tell for sure. Not all vets are concerned about whether or not growth plates are closed before neutering--it's still controversial--but the safest thing to do is wait.