Spay and Neuter facts you may not know...

[SweetViolet]

Dogs do not get cancer from being fixed. The incidence of certain kinds of cancers, however, is HIGHER in fixed dogs as opposed to intact dogs.

What the article wants people to do is realize that if you are neutering your dog to protect her from mammary cancers, you are putting her at a higher risk for OTHER kinds of cancers. Only you can decide the risk you wish to subject your dog to.

In the case of my dog, she did not get hemangiosarcoma from being spayed. However, being spayed increased her chances of getting it...and she got it and it will kill her before the year is out.

What a pet owner "feels" or "believes" is not proof against facts. Fact is, if you neuter your male, you give him a 400% higher risk of prostate cancer than if you don't. You also increase his risk of bone and certain other cancers. These are facts and they hold true whether the owner believes them or not, or "feels" they are somehow magically exempt.

I posted the link for the simple reason of enlightening people that there are negative side effects from spaying/neutering and before you make the decision, you should be aware of them and include that information in your decision making. And if you DO decide to spay/neuter, once you know the risks to which you are subjecting your dog, then you have the knowledge to read up on the negative side effects, become aware of the symptoms of those risks, so that you can adequately monitor your pet's health.

Let me repeat: SPAYING and NEUTERING DO NOT GIVE DOGS CANCER. They merely increase the dog's risks of certain cancers and ailments.

[amandawash]

Sorry, but where is that information coming from? I choose not to believe everything I read, specifically if it does not come a researched, peer-reviewed, medical journal or text.

The Angel Weekly does not inspire great confidence. For anyone who may be considering NOT spaying or neutering, please do your own research.

[SweetViolet]

Originally Posted by amandawash

Sorry, but where is that information coming from? I choose not to believe everything I read, specifically if it does not come a researched, peer-reviewed, medical journal or text.

The Angel Weekly does not inspire great confidence. For anyone who may be considering NOT spaying or neutering, please do your own research.

The article has links at the bottom to source documents. One of the sources is a vet.

[amandawash]

Originally Posted by SweetViolet

The article has links at the bottom to source documents. One of the sources is a vet.

I understand I vet wrote it. All I am saying is that *for me* just because "a vet" writes something, does not mean it's gold. I want something that is from a medical journal, that has been researched, and found accurate. A vet's opinion just doesn't do it for me.

I just hope that people will take time to research and form opinions before running with something.

[Ellie May]

I agree that way too many vets are pro spay and neuter without talking about risks because there are plenty of them.

No one answer is right for all dogs.

I didn't spay Ellie to control population.
She is always supervised outside and that wasn't a concern.
I did it for medical reasons.
Besides being very concerned about pyometra, Ellie was getting mammary lumps. The vet suspected that they were benign and said the spay may take care of it and it did. Of course now I know there was activity there and I am watching for something more serious to come up. If she would've been spayed as a pup, I wouldn't have to worry now.

Osteosarcoma and hemangiosarcoma are very serious and should be considered when making the decision to alter a pet but they aren't that common. Yes, when they do happen there really is no hope but these don't appear to be common in smaller breeds. It seems that the dogs most likely to get these after spay or castration are those larger breeds who had the procedure before they were fully grown.

Neutering is a harder one in my opinion.
It may prevent testicular cancer but there is a whole list of things it can cause (because of lack of hormones).

In my opinion, to each there own and nobody should be forced or pressured into doing the surgery or not doing the surgery but they should be advised to research for themselves. In the case of spaying small dogs, I personally recommend it.

There is a good write up on a good vet website about mandatory spay/neuter and why it isn't a good idea. It talks about the cons of the procedures and I believe it is the most trustworthy article about this available online so far:
American College of Theriogenologists

[hugz4all4]

Originally Posted by Ellie May

I agree that way too many vets are pro spay and neuter without talking about risks because there are plenty of them.

No one answer is right for all dogs.

I didn't spay Ellie to control population.
She is always supervised outside and that wasn't a concern.
I did it for medical reasons.
Besides being very concerned about pyometra, Ellie was getting mammary lumps. The vet suspected that they were benign and said the spay may take care of it and it did. Of course now I know there was activity there and I am watching for something more serious to come up. If she would've been spayed as a pup, I wouldn't have to worry now.

Osteosarcoma and hemangiosarcoma are very serious and should be considered when making the decision to alter a pet but they aren't that common. Yes, when they do happen there really is no hope but these don't appear to be common in smaller breeds. It seems that the dogs most likely to get these after spay or castration are those larger breeds who had the procedure before they were fully grown.

Neutering is a harder one in my opinion.
It may prevent testicular cancer but there is a whole list of things it can cause (because of lack of hormones).

In my opinion, to each there own and nobody should be forced or pressured into doing the surgery or not doing the surgery but they should be advised to research for themselves. In the case of spaying small dogs, I personally recommend it.

There is a good write up on a good vet website about mandatory spay/neuter and why it isn't a good idea. It talks about the cons of the procedures and I believe it is the most trustworthy article about this available online so far:
American College of Theriogenologists

good post!!

[Krystee]

I just wanted to tell my story to give everyone something else to think of when making this decision.

My Rattie Jasmine did get Pyometra. My parents never got her spayed when I was a kid and then when I got old enough to take her on my own I was scared that she was too old to safely go under anesthesia. She had been losing a little weight and having a few other weird symptoms like peeing in the house a lot but was still eating and drinking fine. I though all of this was just old age setting in and thought maybe it was getting close to the end of her life - I mean, she's 15 years old! Then all of the sudden she started getting really bad within a matter of a couple of days. My husband and I rushed her to the vet but both of us had thought maybe her kidneys were shutting down and that they were going to have to put her to sleep so I prepared myself for that.

We got to the vet and even the vet thought he symptoms sounded like kidney failure so I took some blood and ran the tests but all of her levels were normal. We talked some more and she thought it sounded like pyometra and did the test for that. She went in to have an emergency spay. Of course I was scared to death because my sick 15 year old dog is going under anesthesia. She ended up going through the surgery like a champ and came home the next day

Since then, she has gotten back to her normal weight and her normal self. Soo, I will never have another female dog without getting her spayed because Jasmine shouldn't have had to go through that. I know it's scary to have your baby go under anesthesia but I have seen what can happened if you don't spay.

Just wanted to add my story for consideration

[Krystee]

Oh I forgot to add that the people at the vet's office were calling her the "miracle doggie" because not only did she come through the anesthesia so easily but if one more day had gone by we probably would have lost her so it was pretty serious.

[kalina82]

Originally Posted by Ellie May

I agree that way too many vets are pro spay and neuter without talking about risks because there are plenty of them.

No one answer is right for all dogs.

I didn't spay Ellie to control population.
She is always supervised outside and that wasn't a concern.
I did it for medical reasons.
Besides being very concerned about pyometra, Ellie was getting mammary lumps. The vet suspected that they were benign and said the spay may take care of it and it did. Of course now I know there was activity there and I am watching for something more serious to come up. If she would've been spayed as a pup, I wouldn't have to worry now.

Osteosarcoma and hemangiosarcoma are very serious and should be considered when making the decision to alter a pet but they aren't that common. Yes, when they do happen there really is no hope but these don't appear to be common in smaller breeds. It seems that the dogs most likely to get these after spay or castration are those larger breeds who had the procedure before they were fully grown.

Neutering is a harder one in my opinion.
It may prevent testicular cancer but there is a whole list of things it can cause (because of lack of hormones).

In my opinion, to each there own and nobody should be forced or pressured into doing the surgery or not doing the surgery but they should be advised to research for themselves. In the case of spaying small dogs, I personally recommend it.

There is a good write up on a good vet website about mandatory spay/neuter and why it isn't a good idea. It talks about the cons of the procedures and I believe it is the most trustworthy article about this available online so far:
American College of Theriogenologists

Nicely said. my original post had me all fired up so i deleted it. I agree that it should be on a dog to dog basis, but i am pro spay and neutering pets. Being a vet tech i've just seen the problems from not doing it way too much. its sad to see an animal suffering from something that could have been prevented. I personally will always spay and neuter my pets.

I just have to say something about osteosarcoma. can someone point me to a study or anything that truthfully shows this is linked to spaying and neutering? I just can't wrap my head around how these are related. I've seen plenty of Osteo in dogs and it usually occurs in larger dogs. I don't believe i've actuallly seen it in small dogs. Also when it does accur the animal is typically much older. The same with Hermangio.

[JoshieBoy]

Originally Posted by SweetViolet

Dogs do not get cancer from being fixed. The incidence of certain kinds of cancers, however, is HIGHER in fixed
What a pet owner "feels" or "believes" is not proof against facts. Fact is, if you neuter your male, you give him a 400% higher risk of prostate cancer than if you don't. You also increase his risk of bone and certain other cancers. These are facts and they hold true whether the owner believes them or not, or "feels" they are somehow magically exempt.

I posted the link for the simple reason of enlightening people that there are negative side effects from spaying/neutering and before you make the decision, you should be aware of them and include that information in your decision making. And if you DO decide to spay/neuter, once you know the risks to which you are subjecting your dog, then you have the knowledge to read up on the negative side effects, become aware of the symptoms of those risks, so that you can adequately monitor your pet's health.

Let me repeat: SPAYING and NEUTERING DO NOT GIVE DOGS CANCER. They merely increase the dog's risks of certain cancers and ailments.

I understand that you want the best for all animals. You wanted to share this information with all the members on Yorkie Talk to prevent dogs from dyeing because of neutering or spaying. I appreciate your concern. I read this article and decided to keep this information in mind. I believe in neutering and spaying. I know that everything that we do with our dogs affect their health and wellbeing. I like to see more research too before I decided not to fix my pets. I am not going to stop fixing my pets based on one article. I think that is acting too hasty. I believe fixing my pets make owning a dog easier. I do not have to worry about unexpected humping around guest, marking all over my house, aggressive male behavior around other dogs, unexpected pregnancies, and avoiding some cancer risk for my dogs. I especially hate seeing my dog go into heat and do not have a mate. I thoroughly think about every medical treatment before doing them. I know the pros for fixing dogs outweigh the cons. I do not live in a dreamland but in reality. I was trying to be nice when I answered your question. I took your advice, but I am going to do what is best for my dog. I know my dog will be OK. None of my dogs got sick from getting fixed, and I never heard of this happening before. Everything we do affects our dogs' health. For example, shots, foods, surgeries, and environment can affect our dogs' lives for the positive or negative. How do we know if those dogs would have died from those illnesses mention in the article even if they did not get fixed? I am happy with my choice to fix my pets, and I have no regrets. I think everybody will make the best decision about neutering or spaying their pets based on the pros and cons information on Yorkie Talk. Again, thank you for this information.

[chachi]

Originally Posted by amandawash

I understand I vet wrote it. All I am saying is that *for me* just because "a vet" writes something, does not mean it's gold. I want something that is from a medical journal, that has been researched, and found accurate. A vet's opinion just doesn't do it for me.

I just hope that people will take time to research and form opinions before running with something.

I agree! I would have to see alot more than one vets opinion for it to be factual to me. My yorkies are going on 5, both spay and neuter and have never had a medical problem because of the proceedure

[Ellie May]

Originally Posted by kalina82

Nicely said. my original post had me all fired up so i deleted it. I agree that it should be on a dog to dog basis, but i am pro spay and neutering pets. Being a vet tech i've just seen the problems from not doing it way too much. its sad to see an animal suffering from something that could have been prevented. I personally will always spay and neuter my pets.

I just have to say something about osteosarcoma. can someone point me to a study or anything that truthfully shows this is linked to spaying and neutering? I just can't wrap my head around how these are related. I've seen plenty of Osteo in dogs and it usually occurs in larger dogs. I don't believe i've actuallly seen it in small dogs. Also when it does accur the animal is typically much older. The same with Hermangio.

The article in the site I posted states that there is a decreased risk of osteo in intact dogs. I had read in at least one spot that this usually happens in larger breeds that are altered early..

I think it may have to do with the bone plates and the same thing that causes "legginess" in dogs that are altered young. Could be wrong though.

[SweetViolet]

Originally Posted by amandawash

I understand I vet wrote it. All I am saying is that *for me* just because "a vet" writes something, does not mean it's gold. I want something that is from a medical journal, that has been researched, and found accurate. A vet's opinion just doesn't do it for me.

I just hope that people will take time to research and form opinions before running with something.

I didn't say a vet wrote it. I said one of the sources was a vet. Perhaps you should click the link to the vet's article and see if she references any journals? Personally, I do freelance internet research for a medical professional, so I am very familiar with PubMed and peer-reviewed journals.

Bottom line, there are people right here on YT who are/were unaware that spaying/neutering has a downside, that it has its own risks, among them an INCREASE in the dog's chances of contracting certain cancers. Whether they read the article or do their own research (which is rather like reinventing the wheel, since research was done for the article) is immaterial...what is important is that they become aware of negative information that has, historically, been ignored, discounted, or simply swept under the rug and have the opportunity to make an informed decision regarding the issue.

[SweetViolet]

Originally Posted by kalina82

I just have to say something about osteosarcoma. can someone point me to a study or anything that truthfully shows this is linked to spaying and neutering? I just can't wrap my head around how these are related. I've seen plenty of Osteo in dogs and it usually occurs in larger dogs. I don't believe i've actuallly seen it in small dogs. Also when it does accur the animal is typically much older. The same with Hermangio.

Fox terriers are not a large breed. At best, they are medium sized. My Foxy has hemangiosarcoma and if you are a vet tech, you know what she is going through, with three surgeries in 9 months. She almost died after the second one. She is an older dog...don't we all hope our puppies will live to be older dogs? I refuse to do something unnecessary to my puppy that puts her at higher risk for deadly diseases in her old age.

As far as osteo being linked to spay/neuter: there is a link between hormones and bone health. That is why post-menopausal women are at a higher risk of osteoporosis. I haven't researched the connection, but perhaps, being a veterinary professional, you could research the topic (in peer-reviewed journals, of course) and let us know what you find. Until then, I'm going to take the information seriously and not fall prey to the Pollyanna attitude that spay/neutering is a panacea that cures what ails our doggie friends and has no downside.

[Nancy1999]

I hate to see articles such as this posted as fact. We have a huge overpopulation of unwanted dogs, and too many are being killed each year. One unsprayed dog can be responsible for as many as 600 offspring. I can't tell you how many "opps" threads, I've read on YT alone, about accidental pregnancies, people who for 5 years kept their little darlings protected, and then in a flash of an eye, she's pregnant. What so many of you are forgetting is that pregnancy itself is not without risks, and the number one cause of unneutered male dogs is death to due to injuries caused by car accidents.

The majority of studies say neutered and spayed dogs live healthier longer lives, don't let one bit of isolated research sway your opinion. Questions, you want to ask yourself, is who is doing this research, is it truly unbiased? Many breeding lobbyists are fighting the spaying laws in different states, and they think if they can get the average citizen in an uproar about spaying their dogs, then they will have a better chance at fighting this legislation. Responsible pet owners spay and neuter, don't be manipulated by the commercial breeders lobbyist propaganda.