Determing the best age at which to spay or neuter: An evidence based analysis

[~flower~]

http://www.akcchf.org/pdfs/whitepapers/3-23-08DiscoveriesArticle.pdf


  11 pages, pdf


 I'd suggest printing out and filing for those people that are like me 

[Princess L]

Since Scout was from a shelter (11 weeks old), I really had no choice.  Our next one will also likely be from a shelter.

[~flower~]

True, and I can honestly see the reasoning behind that.   It sucks that people can't be trusted to alter the puppy when it is older and the dog has to get altered at an age when it's body needs it's hormones. 


  Fortunately a lot of giant breeds get pulled out of shelters by breed rescues or shelters contact breed rescues when a dog comes in and if it is an unaltered younger dog it may get the chance to mature longer and get the health benefits of a more breed appropriate altering.  The large and giant breeds have more of a health risk by early altering. 

[Vet]

True, and I can honestly see the reasoning behind that.   It sucks that people can't be trusted to alter the puppy when it is older and the dog has to get altered at an age when it's body needs it's hormones. 


  Fortunately a lot of giant breeds get pulled out of shelters by breed rescues or shelters contact breed rescues when a dog comes in and if it is an unaltered younger dog it may get the chance to mature longer and get the health benefits of a more breed appropriate altering.  The large and giant breeds have more of a health risk by early altering. 

I haven't read the thing you posted up, but I want to comment on the generalization you made in the post above........It totally depends on the shelter.  Some local humane societies will absolutely work any way possible aginst a "rescue" taking the dogs and some will flat out not releast the dog to a rescue unless its been neutered.   You are way too general in your statement.   

[~flower~]

I haven't read the thing you posted up, but I want to comment on the generalization you made in the post above........It totally depends on the shelter.  Some local humane societies will absolutely work any way possible aginst a "rescue" taking the dogs and some will flat out not releast the dog to a rescue unless its been neutered.   You are way too general in your statement.   

 I thought about that after I posted it.  I have heard stories about shelters and rescues that are very territorial about releasing dogs to other shelters/rescues be it breed specific or not. 

  Some people try and place their dog in  breed specific rescue, in some places they are the only places that you are going to be able to adopt a specific breed from most likely because they have ears to the ground and are out there known to take in certain breeds so people go to them first before the local shelter before dumping the dog.    And some breeds you won't typically find puppies dumped at shelters like Great Danes.

  Not to say that their wasn't conflicts before the mandatory spay and neuter bandwagon reared it's ugly head, but I think their could be more now because of that.