Wouldn’t it be nice if science, research, veterinarians, lawmakers, rescue organizations and dog owners could all get on the same page when it comes to canine concerns? The same page? Heck, they’re not even in the same book! It all goes back to the matter of spaying and neutering. For many decades, the general public was brainwashed on the subject. Dog owners were told this was the way to prevent overpopulation of unwanted dogs and besides, the operation would thwart health problems such as mammary tumors. Just to emphasize the point, many municipalities put punitive pricing in effect for licenses – a low price for neutered dogs and a much higher price tag for intact canines.
Eventually, some sharp people became curious and began exploring some of these claims about the benefits of spay/neuter. One of the first facts they unearthed regarded the mammary tumor myth. It seems the research was based on a ridiculously meager number of bitches and without regard for age or breed. Definitely insufficient to back up any claims. Another fact that came to light was the statistic that 20 per cent (or one of five) of spayed bitches will become incontinent. It’s not something most vets share with their customers.
After that, there was an abundance of tests, surveys and intense studies. Shelters were leaning toward early neutering, being reluctant to place intact pups and trusting the owners to have them neutered at a later date. So much research not only compared neutered vs intact but also took in the aspect of early vs later neutering. A 2012 study of 759 Golden Retrievers (1-8 years) at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California–Davis, revealed early neutered dogs had three times the occurrence of lymphosarcoma as intact males. In Golden females, mast cell tumors were found in 2.3 per cent of early neutered bitches and 5.7 per cent of late neutered. No cases of mast cell tumors were found in intact females.
A multi-breed study of osteosarcoma (bone cancer) was followed with a study of the problem in Rottweilers which have a relatively high risk of the cancer. Rotties spayed or neutered before one year of age were 3.8 (males) and 3.1 (bitches) more likely to develop osteosarcoma than intact Rottweilers. Another study of interest concerns cranial cruciate ligament tears. If bones are still growing in young dogs, early spay/neuter delays the closure of growth plates. This may cause some bones to end up longer than those in intact dogs. Growth plates may close at different times on various bones and if a pup is neutered before all growth plates have closed, the dog may be left with unnatural proportions. The result could be joints under stress which might cause cranial cruciate ligament tears along with other structural abnormalities.
Without perusing further details, studies have shown early spay/neuter in particular increases the risk of osteosarcoma, cardiac hermangiosarcoma, hypothyroidism, progress geriatric cognitive impairment, obesity, orthopedic disorders, adverse reactions to vaccinations, urinary incontinence in females, urinary tract infections and vaginitis (in bitches). So maybe spaying and neutering is not a healthy option for the family dog. Nevertheless, those who make the rules, cite the perils of overpopulation and shelters bulging at the seams with unwanted dogs. But if that’s the case, why do charities and retail rescue groups find it necessary to bring in dogs from other countries? A few years ago, New York’s North Shore Animal League gathered up some 200 dogs from the streets of Puerto Rico and had them shipped north for their major ‘adoptathon.’ In spite of their plans, the dogs were held in Florida until they could complete the trip and it was there some of the canines were found to be seriously ill. End of the line.
Last year, the Humane Society of the U.S. proudly presented a video of their staff pulling dogs from an Asian dog meat market, saving them from becoming some body’s dinner. But wait! Someone asked one of the workers if the dogs could be adopted there. The worker replied, “ No, they’re all being shipped to the U.S. and will be spread out for adoption over U.S. shelters.” Please note: HSUS does not have a single shelter of their own. These so-called charities which tell the public not to buy from breeders until every shelter dog has a home, are busy making certain the shelters are never empty.
But they’re not the only ones. Shelters which have run short of more popular small breeds are having them trucked across the country from humane societies with a surplus. As for instance, not all the illegal immigrants are two-legged. When the breed became popular thanks to a movie, Chihuahuas from Mexico flooded the California market. Consequently, many of the little dogs ended up in shelters which then off-loaded them to the east coast. Just a case of supply and demand.
Remember the epidemic in 2017 when a dangerous influenza raged through the dog world? Dog shows and trials were canceled, training classes called off and most canine activities came to a screeching halt. No one wanted to expose their dogs to this frightening disease. It had spread quickly through some dog shows and animal rights terrorists were quick to blame the shows. But its origin was finally traced to a couple of Asian rescue dogs brought into this country.
So there you have it. Politicians and lawmakers want dogs spayed /neutered. But researchers tell us that neutering may shorten your dog’s life span and make it more susceptible to any number of health problems. The gullible public is encouraged to “Adopt, don’t shop” because shelters are overcrowded and innocent dogs are being put to death. But then some of these same people are helping to fill up those shelters by bringing in dogs from foreign countries and perhaps endangering American dogs with unknown diseases. Perhaps such rescue efforts would be better served by establishing shelters in those countries instead of offloading the unfortunate canines on American shelters. But don’t expect all the people concerned to agree. It’s too complex and there’s too much money involved.
— alice bixler, Summerfield, Florida, Bearded Collie Club of America.
