TO NEUTER OR NOT TO NEUTER, THAT IS THE QUESTION…

In the UK neutering our pet cats and dogs has become the norm. Rehoming charities and vets recommend neutering for population control and health benefits but the internet abounds with websites warning owners against neutering so once again our vet Vicky Payne tries to cut through the hype from both sides and present a balanced view…

NEUTERING CATS

We’ll start with cats as the evidence is clearly in favour of neutering cats not intended for breeding. Female cats come into season for the first time around 6months and then be in season for about 3 days every 3 weeks! Female cats become very vocal while in season and some owners even think they have been in road accidents due to their horrible calls and odd posture. Female cats will try very hard to find males while in season and due to artificial heating and lighting seasons may continue through the winter months. Cats can become pregnant on their first season, when they are still kittens themselves and can become pregnant while still feeding a litter putting an enormous strain on them. Female cats which cycle but are not bred are at risk of pyometra (womb infection) and mammary tumours.

Male cats become sexually active from around 6 months too. They are more likely to roam and fight leaving them at higher risk of road accidents, abscesses and the cat viruses FIV and FeLV. Cats Protection has data suggesting the life expectancy of a free roaming entire male cat is less than 4 years. Entire male cast develop lovely big round faces….but they also develop very pungent urine, and a tendency to spray it on any vertical surface.

Cats have been neutered at 6months for a very long time and few concerns have been raised about the effect of neutering at this age. Some charities now recommend neutering at 3-4months, but it is as yet unclear if this carries any long term risks. Both male and female cats are at higher risk of obesity after neutering, but this can be avoided by active feeding of an appropriate diet.

NEUTERING MALE DOGS

Male dog become fertile from around 6months and many owners find their cute puppy turns into a horrible teenager during his adolescence. Castration can help with some behavioural issues, but can make others worse so in most cases it is better to work through adolescence then consider neutering.

Neutering males removes the risk of testicular tumours and unwanted litters and reduces the risk of perianal tumours and perineal hernias. It increases the risk of obesity (but as with cats, this can be managed) and possibly some joint problems; though it is hard to tease out whether this is a direct effect or castration or secondary to obesity. Some uncommon cancers may be more common in castrated dogs but even doubling the risk of a really rare cancer still makes it really rare. The biggest concern is that neutering can increase the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer) in breeds prone to it (e.g. Irish Wolfhounds, Rottweilers)by 50-100%! Properly trained and managed entire male dogs need not become aggressive towards dogs or humans but if you live in an area with lots of entire bitches your dog may become noisy and distracted when bitches are in season.

If, after discussion with your vet, you feel neutering is the best thing for you and your male dog the next question is when to do it. Most vets offer neutering for males from 6months old, just before puberty. This has few behavioural or health affects on small and toy dogs but large, active or working dogs may be better left until they have been through puberty and their bones have stopped growing (9-18months depending on size/breed). There is some evidence that large breeds neutered before their bones are fully grown can have altered ratios of length of bone. How this affects them is unknown but it may leave them more at risk of injuries. It is common in America and Australia for puppies to be neutered at 12-16weeks. This is not common in the UK and the risks/benefits are not clear. It is important when reading internet posts about ‘early’ neutering to know if they mean 3-4months or 6-7months (pre-puberty) as the effects could be quite different.

NEUTERING FEMALE DOGS

Female dogs usually come into season for the first time between 6 and 18months and then every 6-12months. They have a bloody discharge from their vulva and will be attractive to dogs for 3-4weeks (and most fertile at around 14days). Having a bitch in season can be messy and it can be difficult to manage exercise if you have to walk in areas where dog are off the lead. After her season your bitch may suffer from a false pregnancy as she will have the same hormone changes whether mated or not (weird, huh). In most bitches this just means she gets a little soppy and her mammary glands swell but others can become very upset with painful swollen mammary glands and behavioural changes. Neutering removes the risk of unwanted pregnancies, pyometra (life threatening womb infection) and tumours of the womb and ovaries and reduces the risk of mammary tumours. As in males it increases the risk of obesity and of osteosarcoma in high risk breeds. Coat changes can be seen in long coated dogs (of either sex), but these can be managed through stripping or clipping. In most cases there are more benefits to neutering females if you don’t plan to breed, or in neutering her after her breeding career is over.

If you decide that neutering is the best option for your bitch when should you have it done? As with males many practices offer neutering at 6months, just before puberty. Again this is most suitable for small and toy breeds, but may be the best option for any bitch if her owners don’t have the facilities to cope with a bitch in season. The traditional time for neutering bitches is 3months after her first season when she will be physically and mentally more mature. Neutering before 2years of age causes the greatest reduction in mammary tumour removal risk. If bitches are kept entire for showing or breeding it is advisable to consider neutering at 7-8years old; the mammary tumour risk won’t be reduced but pyometra is increasingly common in bitches of this age and can be life threatening. As with males, a few vets offer neutering at 12-16weeks so when doing research make sure you understand what is meant in the article by ‘early’ neutering.

SO, TO NEUTER OR NOT?

The decision to neuter should be an individual one and the recommendations will vary with every dog and owner combination. Some vets can seem ‘gung-ho’ in their approach, booking pets in as soon as they have completed their vaccination course, but if you have concerns about neutering your vet will be happy to discuss them.