American Kennel Club British Veterinary Practitioners Issue Letter on Risks of Spay/Neuter
August 7, 2023 by AKC Government Relations
“Numerous peer-reviewed research papers now describe how routine neutering of dogs has been linked to increased incidence of health problems such as cruciate ligament rupture, hip dysplasia, osteoarthritis, hypothyroidism and many cancers (including haemangiosarcoma, mast cell tumours, lymphosarcoma, osteosarcoma, transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder), and the assertion that gonadectomized dogs live longer has largely been discredited.”
That and other strong statements about the risks of routine spay/neuter are included in a recent letter by thirty-one veterinary practitioners to the British Veterinary Association. Titled “Understanding the long-term risks of neutering dogs,” the letter was published in the 17 June-1 July 2023 volume of Veterinary Record, an official journal of the British Veterinary Association.
Access to the letter can obtained online from the US National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37326202/.
The letter also states, “The findings are clear: longer exposure to gonadal hormones is associated with fewer general health problems, lower odds of orthopaedic problems, cancer and obesity, and fewer problematic and nuisance behaviours.” It includes citations for ten studies1 and closes with a call to action for “colleagues and all professional bodies to update their advice and guidance to the pet-owning public.”
Why this Matters to U.S. Dog Owners
Despite the increasing number of scientific findings on potential negative health and behavioral effects of spay/neuter, sterilization surgery continues to be touted to the public and to lawmakers as a universal solution for problems involving dogs.
In contrast, the authors of the letter note that “in the UK, over 65 per cent of dogs are neutered, as are 80 percent of dogs in the US, but in Norway, neutering healthy dogs is illegal. Scandinavia is not overrun by strays, suggesting neutering is more of a cultural habit than a necessity for population control.”
Problematically, under many U.S. state and local laws, mandated spay/neuter surgery for the dog are among penalties that can be enforced against a dog owner accused of an animal control offense. In some communities, offenses for which spay/neuter can be mandated include not keeping a collar and license tag on the dog at all times, nuisance issues such as excessive barking, at-large animal charges, and violations of limit laws or licensing requirements.
Mandating that a dog be spayed or neutered as a condition of continued ownership or as punishment against the dog’s owner not only limits the rights of the owner, it also can put the dog’s physical and behavioral health at risk.
AKC Advocates for the Well-Being of Dogs
The American Kennel Club (AKC) opposes laws that mandate the spaying/neutering of dogs. Spaying/neutering are major surgeries and the decision to spay or neuter a dog should be made by the dog’s owner in conjunction with their veterinarian. Recent scientific studies demonstrate that spaying/neutering, particularly before a dog is fully mature, may result in detrimental long-term health impacts. In light of this information, AKC encourages breeders, owners, and veterinarians to consult on the appropriateness and timing of spaying or neutering an individual dog.
AKC Supports Common Sense Solutions
Rather than mandating surgery that may pose health and behavioral risks for a dog, AKC advocates for better education on the long-term responsibilities of dog ownership and pet-retention programs.
AKC commends experienced breed enthusiasts who are educating the public and other breeders about the need for long term commitments and responsibilities. We encourage them to help new owners address issues that could result in the relinquishment of pets. National research organizations have reported that the majority of unwanted dogs in the United States come from owners who are unable or unwilling to train, socialize, and care for their dog.
AKC also encourages pet owners to consider spaying or neutering their dogs at an appropriate age if they do not want to participate in AKC conformation events or engage in responsible breeding programs.
AKC further supports programs dedicated to teaching the pet-buying public how to find a responsible breeder and how to make well-informed decisions when buying a dog rather than buying on impulse. Such programs help to ensure that pet purchasers find a puppy or dog that is a good match for their lifestyle, at an appropriate time in their lives, thereby increasing the likelihood that the animal will stay with the owner for its entire life. AKC encourages owners and potential dog owners to visit our website at www.akc.org to locate AKC Parent Clubs which are the national organizations that represent breeds recognized by the AKC.
1Studies cited in the letter from 31 veterinary practitioners to the British Veterinary Association (links added).
Zink C, Delgado MM, Stella JL. Vasectomy and ovary-sparing spay in dogs: comparison of health and behaviour outcomes with gonadectomized and sexually intact dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2023;261:366–74.
https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/261/3/javma.22.08.0382.xml
Kutzler MA. Understanding the effects of sustained supraphysiologic concentrations of luteinizing hormone in gonadectomized dogs: what we know and what we still need to learn. Theriogenology
2023;196:270–4
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0093691X22004642
Hart BL, Hart LA, Thigpen AP, et al. Assisting decision-making on age of neutering for 35 breeds of dogs: associated joint disorders, cancers, and urinary incontinence. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:388
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7359819/
Houlihan K. A literature review on the welfare implications of gonadectomy of dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2017;250:1155–66
https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/250/10/javma.250.10.1155.xml
Hart BL, Hart LA, Thigpen AP, et al. Neutering of German shepherd dogs: associated joint disorders, cancers and urinary incontinence. Vet Med Sci 2016;2:191–9
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/vms3.34
Torres De La Riva G, Hart BL, Farver TB, et al. Neutering dogs: effects on joint disorders and cancers in golden retrievers. PLoS ONE 2013;8:e55937
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23418479/
Bennett PF, Taylor R, Williamson P. Demographic risk factors for lymphoma in Australian dogs: 6201 cases. J Vet Int Med 2018;32:2054–60
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30307659/
Sundburg CR, Belanger JM, Bannasch DL, et al. Gonadectomy effects on the risk of immune disorders in the dog: a retrospective study. BMC Vet Res 2016;12:278
https://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12917-016-0911-5
Yates D. Prepubertal neutering of dogs –some risks and benefits. UK Vet Comp Anim 2019;24
https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/abs/10.12968/coan.2019.24.1.38
Whitehead M., Do routine, elective gonadectomies really increase dogs’ lifespan? https://bit.ly/3Cisj5c (accessed 9 June 2023)
