When should I spay or neuter my Golden Retriever?
As a breeder, I get asked this question often. The best information I can offer is based on a study conducted by the research team at UC Davis called “ Neutering Dogs: Effects on Joint Disorders and Cancers in Golden Retrievers”.
The Study:
Funded by the AKC Canine Health Foundation
Researchers from the veterinary teaching school at UC Davis gathered health records from 759 Golden Retriever ages 1-8 and tracked them by 2 types of joint disorders and 3 types of cancer. The 759 dogs were divided into 3 categories: intact, early neutered (<12 months) and late neutered (>12 months). It was without surprise to me, that all early neutered dogs had a significant increase in cancer and joint disease. The occurance of hip displaysa in early neutered dogs was nearly double that of those left intact.
This chart was taken from The Golden Retriever Club of America
It is very interesting to see that spaying/neutering Golden Retrievers can even impact their height and that it has a direct correlation to their health.
Conclusion:
This is the first breed specific study with this type of data, so many more studies will need to be completed before we have the best idea of what to make of it all. We can see that so far there is a case for delaying the altering of our goldens, just as Europeans do. As a breeder, I highly recommend our families wait until their puppy is a minimum of 13 months to spay/neuter. If delaying to 24 months is possible, I do find that to be the best option. Work with your breeder and veterinarian to make the best medical decision for your golden.
