is it safer to neuter a dog before 2 years health wise?

Perhaps you can settle a dispute between my friend and I. She will talk like she knows everything about dogs and will never admit when someone else may be right. Truthfully she gets all her knowledge from dog magazines and not a bit from her vet herself. She believes that her newfoundland would be safer from risks, or as she calls it a gamble to neuter her dog before 2 years. Honestly, I thought that was the dumbest thing I've heard. She doesn't plan on using him for stud reasons and ignored the fact that I mentioned that waiting two years allows a lot of time for a mistake to happen and to impregnate a female with an unwanted litter. I have no idea what health risks she thinks neutering the dog at 6 months would create but the only thing she mentions is that because he's a larger dog, he develops more slowly and would be safe in waiting till two years. My dog had a litter of miniature dachshunds, we're keeping the male and getting him neutered at 6 months, along with his mother when the puppies are 8 weeks old. From what I understand it's healthier to neuter a dog earlier but I could be wrong.well I already sent something to her that states the dog's behavior un fixed is more negative than positive in waiting.

It can be sensible, If the dog is Wise enough. If it keeps having puppies, it is risking its life at such a young age

No, it doesn't matter what age you neuter or fix your dog. It's the same health risks at any age.Hope this helped.

I'm not a vet but i do a lot of volunteer work and work experience with my local vet. basically a dog can be neutered any time after it's testicles have dropped, but they normally say six months to be safe. So after six months it doesn't matter that much. But you'd have to consider these things aswel. Firstly younger dogs heal faster and there would be less long term scaring if she got it done straight away. And secondly the longer you leave it the more chance the dog has of developing testicular cancer. Also if you get it done when the dog is younger any behavioral changes caused by less testosterone in the dogs system will be less drastic.Overall it is better to get it done younger, but your friend could wait till 2 years if they really want to.Hope i helped.

it's only healthier o neuter/spay at young ages because pups bounce back from the surgery faster that adult dogs. waiting two years means she'll have to watch her dog like a hawk to make sure he doesn't accidentally knock up someone' dog. my dog was spayed at 10 weeks old and she's been fine ever since.

To be honest, with males I seriously doubt it's going to make any difference whether they are done young, or not, health-wise. The risks of things like male cancers, are very low as to be not worth bothering about. Provided she can make absolutely certain her male is properly housed so he has no chance of getting out and siring unwanted litters of course. I prefer not to castrate a male before he's 1 year, if only to wait and see whether castration is truly necessary, and to allow a male to mature a bit. Often when they are done early, they remain 'silly puppies' all their lives. I've know a Basset male who was done at 7 months and it was sad. Very sad. And castration won't cure behavioural problems - training will.It's rather different with females. There is enough evidence out there to persuade me that the more seasons a b itch has, the greater the risk she may well develop mammary or uterine cancer later on - and there is the ever present risk of picking up a uterine infection (such as pyometra), to say nothing of having to confine a b itch twice a year. On that last basis alone, all my retired bitches were spayed. I suggest you and your friend read up on the pros and cons about neutering. There are bone issues to take into consideration, with early neutering, in big-boned, large breeds. And, local laws apart, make up your own minds about neutering.Add - From my own experience, I had one b itch who developed mammary cancer. She wasn't spayed until she was over 5 years - brood/show b itch. This was one out of a good number of bitches we had over the years. None of my males were castrated apart from two who had to be done in old age because of prostate problems - not cancer. And as for 'risks' you need to factor in the risks involved, however small these days, with anaesthetic. Also there's no way I'd neuter a puppy male, when his testicles drop - this happens around 10 weeks normally!!!

Sara D. is exactly right. We have two dogs under a year and JUST had this talk with our vet. Nearly word for word what Sara D. says a few comments up.Also to the comenter above, over %70 percent of golden retrievers alone die of cancer. Cancer in dogs is not "not to be bothered with" its a very real issue and people who share this 'no-big-deal' view are almost certainly perpetuating the problem. Regular vet checks and preventive measures such as proper diet, and neutering, can be hugely beneficial in your dog living a long healthy life.

An objective reading of the veterinary medical literature reveals a complex situation with respect to the long-term health risks and benefits associated with spay/neuter in dogs. The evidence shows that spay/neutercorrelates with both positive AND adverse health effects in dogs. It also suggests how much we really donot yet understand about this subject.On balance, it appears that no compelling case can be made for neutering most male dogs, especiallyimmature male dogs, in order to prevent future health problems. The number of health problems associatedwith neutering may exceed the associated health benefits in most cases.On the positive side, neutering male dogs• eliminates the small risk (probably <1%) of dying from testicular cancer• reduces the risk of non-cancerous prostate disorders• reduces the risk of perianal fistulas• may possibly reduce the risk of diabetes (data inconclusive)On the negative side, neutering male dogs• if done before 1 year of age, significantly increases the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer); this is acommon cancer in medium/large and larger breeds with a poor prognosis.• increases the risk of cardiac hemangiosarcoma by a factor of 1.6• triples the risk of hypothyroidism• increases the risk of progressive geriatric cognitive impairment• triples the risk of obesity, a common health problem in dogs with many associated health problems• quadruples the small risk (<0.6%) of prostate cancer• doubles the small risk (<1%) of urinary tract cancers• increases the risk of orthopedic disorders• increases the risk of adverse reactions to vaccinationsFor female dogs, the situation is more complex. The number of health benefits associated with spaying mayexceed the associated health problems in some (not all) cases. On balance, whether spaying improves theodds of overall good health or degrades them probably depends on the age of the female dog and therelative risk of various diseases in the different breeds.On the positive side, spaying female dogs• if done before 2.5 years of age, greatly reduces the risk of mammary tumors, the most commonmalignant tumors in female dogs• nearly eliminates the risk of pyometra, which otherwise would affect about 23% of intact femaledogs; pyometra kills about 1% of intact female dogs• reduces the risk of perianal fistulas• removes the very small risk (≤0.5%) from uterine, cervical, and ovarian tumorsOn the negative side, spaying female dogs• if done before 1 year of age, significantly increases the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer); this is acommon cancer in larger breeds with a poor prognosis• increases the risk of splenic hemangiosarcoma by a factor of 2.2 and cardiac hemangiosarcoma bya factor of >5; this is a common cancer and major cause of death in some breeds• triples the risk of hypothyroidism• increases the risk of obesity by a factor of 1.6-2, a common health problem in dogs with manyassociated health problems• causes urinary “spay incontinence” in 4-20% of female dogs• increases the risk of persistent or recurring urinary tract infections by a factor of 3-4• increases the risk of recessed vulva, vaginal dermatitis, and vaginitis, especially for female dogsspayed before puberty• doubles the small risk (<1%) of urinary tract tumors• increases the risk of orthopedic disorders• increases the risk of adverse reactions to vaccinationsOne thing is clear – much of the spay/neuter information that is available to the public is unbalanced andcontains claims that are exaggerated or unsupported by evidence. Rather than helping to educate petowners, much of it has contributed to common misunderstandings about the health risks and benefitsassociated of spay/neuter in dogs.The traditional spay/neuter age of six months as well as the modern practice of pediatric spay/neuter appearto predispose dogs to health risks that could otherwise be avoided by waiting until the dog is physicallymature, or perhaps in the case of many male dogs, foregoing it altogether unless medically necessary.The balance of long-term health risks and benefits of spay/neuter will vary from one dog to the next. Breed,age, and gender are variables that must be taken into consideration in conjunction with non-medical factorsfor each individual dog. Across-the-board recommendations for all pet dogs do not appear to besupportable from findings in the veterinary medical literature.

In conjunction with talking to breeders, the breed club & researching the health benefits & risks associated with castration, I deduced from the evidence that for my breed of choice, the Dobermann, that a dog should not be castrated until it was mentally & physically mature at eighteen-months-old or thereabouts, & on balance the health benefits of leaving a dog intact were more compelling.For a b*tch again I would not have her spayed until she was eighteen-months-old or later if being shown in conformation, but as I have owned two b*tches diagnosed with open pyometra, I would err on the side of caution & have a b*tch spayed.It is possible to own a dog & not allow the circumstances to occur where it could sire of litter, & hormone driven behavior can be controlled with training.

I have two newfoundlands. A female and a male. We waited until after two years of age to alter both of them. Newfoundlands are a unique breed in that they grow at a fast rate for a long time. Many lines are not fully grown until 3+ years of age. A 6 month old newfoundland has much more growing left to do than say a retriever. It is recommended by many breeders to wait until a newfoundland's growth plates close before altering. This is usually argued to be around 18 months of age. Many reputable newf breeders specifically state in their contracts that the bitch/dog is NOT to be altered until after at least 18 months. I personally support your friend's decision to wait.

6 months is the magic number for spay or neuter,that is the pet should be at least 6 months of age.I even asked my vet to make sure,I have a 4 month newf puppy and he will be getting neutered after he turns 6 months.