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The Negative Aspects of Neutering Your Pet
I know it is very important for pet owners to spay/neuter their
pets, especially if they can not keep them confined to their homes and yard properly (grrrrrrrr) or if they only think in
dollar signs (boy are they wrong!) but I have been doing some research lately and have also come upon the following
information that I wanted to share with a few of you that I know are responsible dog owners just as food for thought.
Here is the information I have gathered on the ill-effects of desexing
through direct observation, substantial anecdotal evidence from reliable sources (breeders/trainers/veterinarians, and
affirmed published medical reports.
Altered Females:
- Increased aggression in altered females. (recent study)
- Increased occurrence of urinary calculi.
-
Increased difficulty passing urinary calculi.
- Increased likelihood of vulvar pyoderma (urine scald)
- Increased likelihood
of urinary incontinence.
- Increased likelihood of adverse reaction to vaccinations (27-38%).
- Notable decrease of
activity/drive. (this is important to those whose animals aren't just pets but are trained to do work too)
- Increased
chance of "perpetual puppy syndrome" undesirable urination.
- Inhibited social adjustment if spayed prior to complete cognitive
development (usually a good time AFTER sexual maturity).
- Substantial likelihood of appreciable demeanor change after
spay (menopausal women know about hormone drop.. it's not fun)
- Increased likelihood of cognitive disorders if spayed
before sexual maturity.
- Increased likelihood of, or speeded progress of, degenerative osteological disorders.
- Notable
decrease in muscle mass (again, not all dogs are lawn ornaments or carpet speedbumps)
- Generally live 2 (or greater) years
shorter than unaltered littermates in controlled studies.
Altered males:
- Increased occurrence of urinary calculi.
- Increased difficulty passing urinary calculi.
- Increased chance
of urinary obstruction.
- Increased likelihood of urinary incontinence.
- Increased likelihood of adverse reaction to
vaccinations (27-38%).
- Notable decrease in activity/drive. (same as above in female list)
- Increased chance of "perpetual
puppy syndrome" undesirable urination.
- Inhibited social adjustment if castrated prior to sexual maturity.
- Substantial
likelihood of appreciable demeanor change after castration (same concept as above in female list... reproductive hormones
affect more than just reproduction).
- Increased likelihood of cognitive disorders if castrated before complete cognitive
development (usually a good time AFTER sexual maturity).
- Notable decrease in muscle mass (yep, same as above)
- Generally
live 2 (or greater) years shorter than unaltered littermates in controlled studies
Here is a link to an article on
the increased likelihood of adverse reactions:
Jeannie Thomason
The Whole Dog
The Whole Dog News
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My Comment:
Great work, Jeannie! This is an awesome summary of what we have recently come to understand about the drawbacks
of neutering, especially when done early (before 14 months). The amazing thing is that the average person, including most
breeders and veterinarians, believe just the opposite.
When I was awakened to the importance of this issue (partly driven by studying women's health and the potentially devastating
effects of menopause), I started sharing this on Internet pet forums. One woman posted a response asking me what I had
been smoking, that "everyone knew neutered pets were healthier".
The sad fact is that is what we think, not what we know. And I used to parrot back this misinformation
with the best of them. But the truth here is very different from the common thought, just as the truth concerning the food
issues about which I am so passionate is so poorly understood by the masses. But, all of this is changing. Halleluiah!
Dogtor J.
I hope you enjoyed your time here and got something important from your stay. It is
my goal to help all of mankind navigate through the jungle of medical information now available on the Internet and find the
truth about the origins of what we call "disease" as well as discover the natural solutions for these conditions.
We do have our health's destiny in our own hands more than we've ever
imagined, certainly more than most have ever been told. Think naturally and the answer will come.
Dogtor J
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