Bladder and prostate cancer: neutering male dogs increases risk
Dr. Demian Dressler is internationally recognized as “the dog cancer vet” because of his innovations in the field of dog cancer management, and the popularity of his blog here at Dog Cancer Blog. The owner of South Shore Veterinary Care, a full-service veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Dressler studied Animal Physiology and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis before earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. After practicing at Killewald Animal Hospital in Amherst, New York, he returned to his home state, Hawaii, to practice at the East Honolulu Pet Hospital before heading home to Maui to open his own hospital. Dr. Dressler consults both dog lovers and veterinary professionals, and is sought after as a speaker on topics ranging from the links between lifestyle choices and disease, nutrition and cancer, and animal ethics. His television appearances include “Ask the Vet” segments on local news programs. He is the author of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Avian Veterinarians, the National Animal Supplement Council and CORE (Comparative Orthopedic Research Evaluation). He is also an advisory board member for Pacific Primate Sanctuary.
Updated: June 5th, 2019
Oh man. This is going to make a lot of people in my field angry. Apologies to classmates and veterinarian friends!
I came upon this study from the August, 2007 journal Prostate. Probably not what a lot of us would be reading in our spare time, but I am busy with upcoming info products for dog cancer owners and I dig through lots of publications.
Here is the study abstract. The short story is the following:
Data was gathered from North American Veterinary Hospitals on male dogs that had been neutered (testicles surgically removed, or castrated), to evaluate the trend that had been noted in some older articles that neutering increased prostate cancer.
Because, if this were the case (and this is my comment, not the authors’), it would seem ethics demand that owners of male dogs were advised of this before consenting to neutering surgery.
Here is what they found. Hold your hats, folks:
1. Castration of dogs increases total malignant prostate cancer by over 3 times for some prostate cancers (prostate adenocarcinoma). So the answer is yes, castration does increase prostate cancer in dogs (which goes against what I was taught).
2. Castration of dogs increases the most common type of bladder cancer (transitional cell carcinoma) by eight times. This is huge!! Major, major, industry-shaking information, or it should be.
So what does this mean to you are considering castration of your dog (or he is castrated)?
Here are some overall statistics: Roughly 1 in 3 dogs will be affected with some form of cancer, and approximately half of those will die of it, at least based on the treatments that have been available up to this point (I believe we can do a lot better with what I call Full Spectrum Care). Anyway, 1-2% of all cancers are bladder cancers, the most being transitional cell carcinomas (there are rarely other types of cancer that affects the bladder). So if we put all these above stats together and average them out, we are looking at a bladder cancer risk in castrated dogs of 2 percent.
For more helpful information and tools, get a copy of the Dog Cancer Survival Guide
Two percent is not a lot, but I neuter hundreds of dogs, and I see bladder cancer. Two percent happens! And the worst kind of cancer for your dog to get is…the one your dog gets, if you know what I mean.
Here is some information on bladder cancer in dogs.
Okay, the pundit gallery will argue.. but castration helps control the unwanted dog population, helps unwanted behaviors like aggression and territorial urination in undesirable locations, etc. Yes, yes, all true.
But, we must start informing owners of this, to use Al Gore’s phrase, inconvenient truth before they opt for castration of male dogs.
And that is one of the purposes of this blog!
Best to all,
Dr Dressler
Dr. Demian Dressler is internationally recognized as “the dog cancer vet” because of his innovations in the field of dog cancer management, and the popularity of his blog here at Dog Cancer Blog. The owner of South Shore Veterinary Care, a full-service veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Dressler studied Animal Physiology and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis before earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. After practicing at Killewald Animal Hospital in Amherst, New York, he returned to his home state, Hawaii, to practice at the East Honolulu Pet Hospital before heading home to Maui to open his own hospital. Dr. Dressler consults both dog lovers and veterinary professionals, and is sought after as a speaker on topics ranging from the links between lifestyle choices and disease, nutrition and cancer, and animal ethics. His television appearances include “Ask the Vet” segments on local news programs. He is the author of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Avian Veterinarians, the National Animal Supplement Council and CORE (Comparative Orthopedic Research Evaluation). He is also an advisory board member for Pacific Primate Sanctuary.
SINCE WHEN HAS NEUTERING INCREASED THE CHANCES OF CANCER WHEN I HAVE HEARD ALL OF MY LIFE, AND IM 51 YEARS OLD, THAT NEUTERING IS WHAT YOU WANT TO DO AS A PREVENTION.OMG, WHAT NOW??
I WAS PUSHED INTO NEUTERING MY NINE YEAR OLD BULL DOG/AMERICAN BULL MIX BECAUSE OF SWELLING OF THE PROSTATE, AND BLOOD AS A RESULT OF THE SWELLING IN HIS URINE. THEY XRAYED HIM, THAT LOOKED GREAT, THE VET SAW NOTHING BUT INFLAMMATION, SO SHE PUT HIM ON CIPROFLOXACIN FOR QUITE A WHILE BECAUSE AFTER HE WAS NEUTERED, WHICH WAS THREE WEEKS AGO, AND HE IS STILL ON THEM, AFTER THREE WEEKS OF BEING NEUTERED. IM PRAYING THAT HE ONLY NEEDS THE RIGHT MEDS.
WE HAVE A FOLLOW UP APPOINTMENT TOMORROW WITH HIS PERSONAL VET, WHO IS WONDERFUL.
I ONLY HOPE THAT THERE ARE MEDS THEY CAN GIVE HIM TO REMEDY HIS ISSUES, HE IS ONLY 9, AND I HAVE FOUGHT TOOTH AND NAIL, DONE EVERYTHING I POSSIBLY COULD, READING EVERYTHING I COULD READ, SOAKING UP EVERY PIECE OF INFORMATION THAT I COULD SOAK UP TO KEEP HIM HEALTHY, DIET, EXERCISE, ETC.
NOW IM PUTTING THIS MATTER INTO GODS HANDS AND I’LL KEEP PRAYING. GOD IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST DR THERE IS.
I also have a well behaved loving mixed breed dog that is medium sized & 7 1/2 years old. I rescued him a few months ago & he has bonded beautifully with the children. He looks sum pit bull/plott hound mix probably.
Vet says yes – prostrate is a bit enlarged & we should think about nuetering him for his health. I am concerned it will change his personality – which is perfect – and /or there will be negative consequences.
Please advise. I am feeling very uncomfortable with nuetering him at his adult age.
What about the fact that a male’s prostate may increase in size with age, if not neutered?? I am having that issue with my 9 year old dog, right now. My vet says neutering helps this to not happen and with my dog, may still help. He has a hard time urinating and has to urinate a lot! So, what is your opinion on what I should do. I’ve also heard that at an older age, the anesthesia could be a problem.
Thank you for an honest opinion about the neutered dogs. I have a 5 yr old shihtzu mix and have missed the ideal age to get him fixed. Everyone pushed him to get fixed but I am a very protective momma so I wanted to know every single risk and benefit. For us, the risks are greater than the benefit so we will not be doing it.
Gosh – reading this blog/article has been refreshing. I have a 11 year old dog that acts like a puppy unless he needs to go. Has been neutured since 10 mos. He has a definite prostate infection (just discovered this after 2 years of him having painful poops) and bladder stones. I know he is 11, but if it wasn’t for this he has all signs of really great health, so not sure what to do. He still cant wait to run agility. Why are dogs so stoic?
Dear Donna,
Good question.
I am sure you are going to get your dog’s medical needs taken care of, right?? Here is a post that helps to answer your question.
https://www.dogcancerblog.com/blog/signs-of-dog-cancer-and-decompensation/
Please don’t wait.
I hope this helps
Dr D
Dr.Dressler,
I really need some advise. My male boxer Speeru 10 years old had prostrate gland and when I took him to the Vet, I was advised to castrate my pet. But after castrating him within a fortnight he started developing a lump in his front right leg and limps. The Vet did a fine needle aspirate and tells me he has malignant cancer.
Is this possible due to neutering? Awaiting your quick response.
Dear Sharath,
it is not likely that the surgery actually caused the tumor by itself. As you will read in the Guide, cancers are what is called “multifactorial”, which means a lot of things add up in sequence to bring it on. Yes, it is conceivable that the procedure tipped the scales and brought a developing tumor into existence faster, but I am positive that this was brewing long before hand, just not visible to the naked eye.
Please be sure to arm yourself with all the tools you need for this cancer.
All my best
D
Hello,
My 2 year old dobe has been leaking blood over last day or two and we have a vet appt this moring. After reading this blog, i am very concerned. He hadn’t shown any signs of being ill.He was neutured when he was 7 months at vets advice. I’m hoping it’s just an infection. Have had the worst week, my 7 month old dobe lyla had a horrific accident whilst out walking on wednesday and broke her neck trying to jump a ditch and had to be put to sleep, couldn’t cope with more bad news!!!
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This doesnt prove that neutering increases chances of cancer. This is correlation, not causation. Unless they actually do an experiment, causation isn’t proven.
Dr. Dressler, I really need some advice. My male Shih-tzu of 7 years old has never been neutered, he’s healthy and the best dog I’ve ever known. I never thought to get him fixed because there was never a worry of him impregnating and females…but recently many people have been telling me to get him fixed to prevent prostate cancer, even me Vet recommends it but I’m not sure what the right thing to do is. Please advise me ASAP what you think is the best thing to do as I made an appt. for him to get fixed for this Friday and I would gladly cancel if you think it best. Thank You
Dear Kasandra,
neutering male dogs does not decrease the risk of prostate cancer. This is incorrect.
However, there are advantages to it, such as improving other prostate diseases like enlarged prostate (benign but can interfere with urination and passing stool and can be a problem), prostatits, and prostatic abcess.
The decision to neuter is not a right or wrong one and needs to take into account behavior, anesthetic risk, pet overpopulation, and other health benefits or consequences of neutering. If there is signs of prostate enlargement or infection, I would for sure do it. If not, it honestly is personal preference unless there is clear health benefit or the dog is out there contributing overpopulation or has behavioral issues that need to be addressed.
Best,
D
If you factor in the fact that intact males are more likely to escape and roam in search of females in heat, exposing them to things like traffic, I’d bet it lowers the death rate to neuter them. Also, it entirely eliminates the chance of testicle cancer.