Okay everyone, today I am going outside the realm of politically correct. You will see me do this from time to time, and some readers are not going to like it. Sorry, but I want to present information, and I don’t care if it is not PC if it saves lives.
As a vet, I am trained to promote spaying and neutering so dogs in shelters are not euthanized (killed) before they find homes. This is sensible wisdom, and I agree. But guess what… whenever we intervene with a surgery, medication, or a supplement, there are effects on our dogs. And some of these effects are called “side effects”, because we don’t like them.
A little background first: Osteosarcoma is a brutal, aggressive cancer of the bone, common in large dogs such as Rotts, Wolfhounds, Goldens are more.
Here is some information that has been more or less kept under wraps, or has not been spread in the veterinary community for whatever reason:
If a male Rott is neutered before a year of age, his rate of osteosarcoma ALMOST QUADRUPLES.
If a female Rott is spayed before a year of age, her rate of osteosarcoma MORE THAN TRIPLES.
If a purebred dog is spayed or neutered before a year of age, his or her rate of osteosarcoma MORE THAN DOUBLES.
This information has massive ramifications, especially among owners of Rotts.
These figures were taken from an article in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention, Nov. 2002.
To be sure, spaying and neutering saves lives, especially those of dogs in shelters and those in need of homes. But we must not be rigid in our thinking, because the “facts” of today are not those of tomorrow.
It’s my viewpoint that Rotts should be spayed and neutered after a year of age. Just my two cents, friends.
Best,
Dr Dressler
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I am so glad I found this info. I had a male rottie growing up and he died of bone cancer. I now have an 11 month old rottie and want to get him neutered. I wasn’t sure what age would be best. I didn’t want to do it too early and keep him from filling out, but didn’t want to wait to long and have him get aggressive. I didn’t even know that age would be a factor in his chances of getting cancer. I am definitely going to wait now. Is there an ideal age for neutering to assure maximum growth potential?
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