When should you spay/neuter your hunting dog (or should you at all)?
Generally speaking, most working dogs benefit from reaching full physical and mental maturity prior to spaying and neutering. For the majority of sporting breeds, this threshold is achieved by reaching a minimum of 20 to 24 months of age.
For decades, veterinarians have uniformly promoted early spay and neuter as a straightforward solution to managing the domestic canine population. While this strategy has been effective at controlling unwanted pregnancies and preventing some reproductive diseases, it’s far from a perfect solution for every dog in every situation. Like most complex decisions, choosing if or when to spay and neuter is about weighing a large set of potential pros and cons and settling on a plan that fits your specific needs. For many of my sporting dog clients, conforming to a blanket recommendation fails to take into consideration the full picture of a sporting dog’s health and wellness. It’s one of the many reasons the hunting dog community continually searches for veterinarians that can help them understand the full picture of what’s involved in sterilization.
First, let me air a pet peeve: Referring to spaying and neutering as “fixing” is a shortsighted label, as dogs are far from broken in their natural state. Reproductive hormones originating in the testes and ovaries serve many important functions in the body beyond puppy-making, and their removal brings its own set of consequences as a result of disrupting this system. We mostly spay and neuter dogs for our convenience, not theirs, whether it’s to curb pregnancy or prevent messy heat cycles, reduce marking, or nip in the bud natural dog other behaviors contributed to libido or bravado.
Secondly, let’s forgive the veterinary community for the Bob Barker-esque spay-and-neuter message. When you look at the unwanted pet population across the globe, we’re in the midst of an epidemic. There are still places on this planet where feral dogs spread deadly diseases to humans (and some of them are close to home).
Prepubertal (early) spay and neuter is a reasonable solution to what is a burgeoning global problem, and by oath veterinarians are obligated to make recommendations to combat it. That said, it’s rarely the sporting dog community that contributes to this problem (just look at what’s in our shelters), and a good sporting dog vet will make recommendations with our unique community in mind. Most of us are responsible and hands-on enough to prevent unwanted pregnancies in our hunting dogs if we feel postponing or foregoing their sterilization is what’s best for their long-term health.
Hormones help promote physical development
Generally speaking, most working dogs benefit from reaching full physical and mental maturity prior to spaying and neutering. For the majority of sporting breeds, this threshold is achieved by reaching a minimum of 20 to 24 months of age. In terms of physical development, growth plates have closed in long bones and muscular development has peaked by this benchmark, thanks in large part to hormonal signaling from estrogen and testosterone. Joints and ligaments, the latter of which utilize reproductive hormones in their development, have also solidified by around the second year of life.
“Reproductive hormones originating in the testes and ovaries serve many important functions in the body beyond puppy-making, and their removal brings its own set of consequences as a result of disrupting this system.”
With neither hard proof nor a full explanation of how this occurs, we have seen a strong correlation with severe orthopedic injuries, such as blown cruciate injuries in hunting breeds with a history of early spay or neuter. While traumatic injuries can occur regardless of reproductive status, delaying a hunting dog’s sterilization surgery may reduce the likelihood of a serious sports injury potentially set in motion by removing these hormones too early.
Early spay and neuter may affect mental development
Don’t discount mental maturity as another appropriate landmark at which most hunting dogs should arrive before spaying and neutering. Personality development is partly driven by reproductive hormones. Professional trainers have long touted this fact, as many have commented that huntings dogs that have been altered early in life often lack confidence, drive and focus compared to their intact counterparts. While these personal anecdotes are far from scientific theory, there has been some peer-reviewed research linking behavioral problems to early spay and neuter. A retrospective study in vizslas demonstrated a strong association between excessive fear and anxiety-based behaviors and timing of alteration.
Increases and Decreases in Certain Diseases
Much propaganda exists about cancers and sex hormones, ranging from old wives’ tales to peer reviewed research. There are some breeds that appear to demonstrate an increased risk of certain types of tumors (such as lymphoma and golden retrievers) with early spay and neuter. Other breeds may show an increased risk of certain bone, cartilage or blood-borne cancers following prepubertal sterilization. With the gonads removed, testicular, ovarian and uterine cancers are essentially zero, while there is a decreased risk in malignant mammary tumors when spayed before the first heat cycle. For males, testosterone generated in the testes can contribute to perianal adenomas, testicular tumors and enlarged prostate in older dogs, although I often consult with my clients that these issues can be addressed relatively safely with castration if they arise down the road.
Perhaps the most common issue I’ve seen in practice related to early spay and neuter—and one side effect of surgery that’s rarely discussed with owners—is urinary incontinence. Early spayed females have a significant risk of developing estrogen-dependent urinary incontinence later in life. The severity of symptoms varies considerably, but in almost all these cases lifelong, daily medication will be required to manage the disease.
While it may be convenient and tempting to spay females during heat, my personal experience in the clinic is that the surgery is quicker, cleaner and easier to recover from when performed in between heat cycles.
Increased Risk of Obesity
It’s important to remember that sex hormones play many important roles in the endocrine system, not the least among which is their ability to help regulate metabolism. In fact, the single biggest postoperative complication with spaying and neutering–one that is rarely discussed with dog owners–is their pet’s increased risk of obesity. An altered pet will require fewer calories in their diet overall than an intact dog, despite a similar active lifestyle.
Timing of the surgery
With sharp instruments, living tissue and general anesthesia involved, no surgical procedure is without risk. Fortunately, most neuters and spays are routine and minimally invasive with a few caveats. Set your hunting dog up for a smooth experience under the knife by being conscientious in scheduling their surgery. While it may be convenient and tempting to spay females during heat, my personal experience in the clinic is that the surgery is quicker, cleaner and easier to recover from when performed in between heat cycles. For both males and females, try to conduct the surgery in the offseason to avoid any disruption to their time in the field. If they’ve lost some body condition over the course of a long hunting season, it may also be a good idea to allow them some recovery time over late winter or early spring before scheduling.
In Conclusion
As satisfying as it would be to offer up an easy answer here, understand there’s no one-size-fits-all approach when deciding when or if to spay or neuter your hunting dog. It’s up to you and your dog’s veterinarian to discuss the risks and benefits of delayed sterilization so you can move forward with a plan that best fits your lifestyle.
