Although these procedures are frequently carried out early in a dog’s life, spaying or neutering an older dog is also a common practice. Despite the negative effects, spaying or neutering an older dog may be necessary in some cases to treat or prevent disease.
Consider the tale of Waldo, a Golden Retriever aged 11 years. I enjoy watching my puppy patients develop as they get older. I become more vigilant during exams as they approach the “golden oldie” years (typically over the age of seven) to make sure I identify any health concerns early, before they develop into serious issues.
It was with this mindset that I examined Waldo. I could still remember his first puppy visit. When I first tried to examine him, he was a tiny golden ball of fluff that was excitedly rolling around my exam room floor and play-nipping at me. But when I felt a thickened area near his right testicle during this visit, I was, to put it mildly, concerned.
When pressed further, his parents admitted that Waldo had been requesting to go outside more frequently, which had caused some strain and smaller urine pools than usual. The family was unconcerned because they believed these were simply natural aging changes. In fact, until I questioned, they hadn’t even considered mentioning them.
I was definitely worried about these changes, and I also worried that I might develop testicular cancer or prostatic disease. I told the parent, “We really should conduct a little more research to assess the significance of these findings.” We got Waldo checked in as an outpatient.
The Size of the Pet Matters
Concern for anesthesia is one of the main reasons veterinarians advise a spay at six months as opposed to six weeks. Even though we can anesthetize even tiny pediatric patients with today’s sophisticated protocols, very small pets can pose more of a challenge in terms of temperature regulation and anesthetic safety. It is common to perform these procedures on animals that are closer to two or three months old in a shelter setting where highly skilled and experienced staff perform thousands of pediatric spays and neuters annually.
On the other hand, it can be more challenging to spay very large dogs. The abdominal cavity is deeper and larger, the blood supply is stronger, and it is more difficult to maneuver around the abdominal fat. Don’t get me wrong, I’d much rather neuter a six-month-old dog of any breed than a five-year-old, 100-pound Rottie. As the difficulty increases, so does the risk of complication. When performed on male dogs, the procedure does increase the risk of complications as the animal grows, but not as much as when performed on female dogs. The overall complication rate is still very low because veterinarians perform so many of these procedures that we regard them as fairly routine, even in large dogs. Size shouldn’t be an excuse to forego the procedure unless a pet has another underlying health issue.
She designed and built her own clinic in 2007, realizing her dream of being her own boss. Serving as the county’s shelter veterinarian while running her clinic was another fulfilling responsibility. This gave her the chance to work with the rescue she adored while also helping many animals in her community. To relocate across the country in 2019, she sold her practice.
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Veterinarian Beth Turner has worked in the field for more than 20 years. After completing her studies at North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine, she started her career as an associate veterinarian and collaborated closely with the neighborhood shelter.
For a sample size of 369 cases, the study population consisted of 71 intact males, 112 neutered males, 61 intact females, and 127 spayed females. One to three percent of the intact males and females had at least one joint disorder. Neutering males at <6 mo. was connected to a significant rise in this measure to 11% (p 0). 01). There was no correlation between female spaying and a rise in joint disorders. In intact males, the likelihood of developing one or more of the subsequent cancers was 6%; neutering had no effect on this rate. Intact females did not develop cancer, but this measurement increased noticeably to 17 percent in females spayed between 1 and 2 years of age (p 0). 01), entirely due to MCT. 11 percent of intact females had MC diagnoses, and 5 percent had PYO diagnoses. None of the spayed females developed UI. Males should be neutered after 6 months of age, according to the advised standard. The recommended recommendation is delaying spaying until after 2 years of age due to the increased cancer risk for females who are spayed at a year of age.
For a sample size of 761 cases, the study population consisted of 220 intact males, 203 neutered males, 128 intact females, and 210 spayed females. Joint disorders only occurred in 2% of males and females who were left unaltered, and they did not appear to increase in neutered males and females. Intact males had a 17 percent cancer incidence rate, and intact females had an 11 percent cancer incidence rate. Male neutering before the age of two significantly increased the risk of cancer over intact males to 32% (p 0). 01). Up to 20 percent of females who had been spayed before the age of two had one or more of the cancers; this increase was not statistically significant, but with a larger database, it might have been. The same pattern of increase in cancers was observed in females who had been spayed. There was no occurrence of MC in intact females. PYO was diagnosed in 2 percent of intact females. Just 1 percent of spayed females were diagnosed with UI. The recommended recommendation for both sexes is to postpone neutering until after age 2 because of the increased risk of cancer.
7. Prymak C, McKee LJ, Goldschmidt MH, Glickman LT. splenic hemangiosarcoma and splenic hematoma in dogs: epidemiologic, clinical, pathologic, and prognostic features: 217 cases J Am Vet Med Assoc. (1985) 193:706–12.
For a total sample of 854 cases, the study population consisted of 315 intact males, 152 neutered males, 143 intact females, and 239 spayed females. With 8 percent of intact males and 16 percent of intact females having one or more joint disorders, joint disorders are a serious concern in this breed. In males, neutering at <6 mo. and at 6-11 mo. resulted in occurrences of 10% and 22% (p 0 combined) 05). In females, spaying at <6 mo. resulted in a significant 43 percent occurrence (p <0. 05), the main joint disorder being CCL. Following, cancer rates for intact males and females were 16 and 11 percent, respectively. Neutering at any age did not result in an increase in these relatively high cancer incidences in intact males and females. At 2-8 years, 8 and 5% of females who were not spayed or who had not been spayed, respectively, were found to have MC. In intact females, 12 percent were diagnosed with PYO. Regarding UI, 1% of females who were spayed at less than six months had UI. and 6-11 mo. , 4 and 6 percent, respectively had UI. Given the risk of joint disorders for males who are neutered at 6–11 months, this recommendation is for males only. or earlier, is neutering beyond a year of age. Given the increased risk of joint disorders in females following neutering at around 6 months , the suggested guideline is spaying beyond 6 months.
Finding a breed or two that are genetically close to the breed of interest can help people who are interested in a breed that was not included in this study estimate the risks of various diseases associated with neutering, if any. But it’s important to remember that even closely related breeds can vary greatly. Using the data from this study as an example, it can be seen that neutering had no effect on the cancer risk in Labrador Retrievers above that of intact dogs, whereas in female Golden Retrievers, the risk increased to 2-4 times that of the 5 percent level of intact females. Another illustration is the common poodle breed, which comes in three main sizes: standard, miniature, and toy. In the Standard, neutering males at one year increased their risk of cancer (primarily LSA) to over six times that of intact males, whereas in the Miniature, neutering at six to eleven months increased their risk of joint disorders (primarily CCL) by a significant amount.
FAQ
At what age is it too late to spay a dog?
There is no upper age limit for dog spaying as long as your pet is healthy. Although dogs can be spayed as young as five months old, the typical age for the procedure is six to nine months. Despite the risks associated with senior dogs, they are still outweighed by the advantages.
Can a 10 year old female dog be spayed?
Although these procedures are frequently carried out early in a dog’s life, spaying or neutering an older dog is also a common practice. Spaying or neutering an older dog can have negative effects, but it can also be done to treat or prevent disease.
What is the best age to spay a female dog?
We advise waiting until your dog is at least 6 months old, and likely even older for larger dogs, before spaying your female dog. However, there is not much of a difference between lap dogs and larger dogs in terms of the advantages.
What are the risks of spaying an older dog?
After the procedure, older dogs may experience some risks. In comparison to younger dogs, older dogs have a more difficult time recovering from surgery. They may even have complications due to the anesthesia. But talking to your veterinarian can help you get the right information about spaying your dog.