When should you spay or neuter your Bulldog?
New research raising questions
First I want to say I am all in favor of spaying and neutering. Bulldog rescue and animal
shelters everywhere are overflowing ! This article is not about whether you should spay
or neuter but WHEN you should do it.
For years veterinarians wanted to spay or neuter dogs around 6 months old ( some
animal shelters and rescues will even do it on puppies younger than 6 months old )
Within the last several years, several studies have been done on the effects of early
spaying and neutering. The results were very surprising ! The study found that dogs
that were spayed and neutered at a young age had a higher incidence of cancer.
3.5 times higher incidence of mass cell tumors
9 times higher incidence of hemangiosarcoma
4.3 times higher incidence of lymphatic cancer
It was found that the younger the dog was when they were spayed or neutered the
younger the dog was when cancer was diagnosed.
It was also found that early spaying or neutering doubled the chance of hip dysplasia,
and rupture of the ligament around the knee.
So what does this mean ?
For everyone who thinks that one size fits all spaying and neutering at 6 months old
should be done, you may want to rethink this notion. Clearly more research needs to
be done, but having a one on one discussion with your veterinarian about the risks
and benefits of early spaying and neutering versus waiting until the dog is older and
more mature is a discussion worth having.
