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Originally Posted by pstinard  Here is a table from the article "Pros, Cons, and Techniques of Pediatric Neutering," by Margaret V. Root Kustritz. (Vet Clin Small Anim 44 (2014) 221–233). It assigns a numerical score to the pros and cons of neutering, based on ratings by veterinarians. Here is the description of the table from the article:
"One study asked veterinarians to rate morbidity and mortality of various disorders and multiplied this value by incidence to create an impact score, to help guide veterinarians as they educate clients or make decisions for stray animals in shelters (Table 2)." |
From this table, the biggest pro's are reduction of pyometra (score of +100) and mammary neoplasias (breast cancer; +24). The biggest cons are urinary incontinence (-66), surgical complications (-20), obesity (-14), and CCL rupture (-11). Surprisingly, the biggest negative effect was the chance of urinary incontinence. Based on the numerical scores, overall, the pro's outweigh the cons. Note that this table is for female dogs overall, and is not broken down by size or breed.