Friday, October 3, 2008

To Spay (or Neuter) or Not To Spay (or Neuter)...or Wait Until Maturity

Okay, here is a hot topic...Now that the puppies are approaching six months of age, the question arises as to when to spay and neuter the puppies who went to pet homes. It isn't as clear as some vets might say...that is, spay/neuter at 6 months and reduce the chances of female/male cancers. An article, "Early Spay-Neuter Considerations for the Canine Athlete, One Veterinarian's Opinion", by Chris Zink DVM, PhD, DACVP, was given to the new caregivers on this topic (the link to is article is listed below). Another good article is by Laura J. Sanborn, "Long Time Health Effects of Spay and Neuter In Dogs", see link below. Ms. Marks, the owner of the puppies' sire and a member of the West Highland Whiter Terrier Club of America, Health Committee, strongly believes that spaying and neutering should wait until after age one when the dog has matured. We advocate that spaying and neutering pet Westies should only be done after age one when the Westie has matured.

Here are links to two articles on this topic:

http://www2.dcn.org/orgs/ddtc/sfiles/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf

http://www.caninesports.com/SpayNeuter.html

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