Neuter Golden Retriever

[AndreaGrimmmoog]

Hi Adrienne, at what age do you recommend that I neuter my Golden Retriever puppy? 
Thank you for your recommendation. 
Best regards 

Andie Moog

[Adrienne]

Hi Andie,

This is a good question, and there is really no easy answer. I can leave you though with some "food for thought", so to say if you're interested in reading through some studies and research. These can be good points to discuss with your veterinarian at your pup's next visit. 

Sooooo....there is definitely some controversy in the veterinary field right now as to when the best time to spay a large breed dog is... Some still say 6 months, and some say as long as 2 years. 

 In the past, when working for a veterinarian office, we were trained to recommend that all dogs be neutered before 6 months of age. We even had a list of all the benefits associated with spaying and neutering dogs at this time. This was back in time, when most US-based veterinarians who graduated, before 2000 or, a bit later on, in the early 2000s, recommended early spaying and neutering to promote responsible pet ownership.

Nowadays, things are more complicated, but this is a good thing because it means that we know much more. Indeed, the more one is informed on a subject, the more it becomes difficult making a decision or making bold statements because one has a broader comprehension on how things can be impacted at a higher level.

You may therefore get different answers based on who you ask and they may all have their own good reasons for their recommendations. Indeed, the age when to neuter a dog remains a subject of controversy even among professionals.

 

For  example, consider that some rescues and shelters may recommend early neutering because for these organizations, the pet overpopulation problem is the biggest ordeal. They see too many litters of puppies being born and unwanted dogs in shelters making it difficult to find them a home. Early spay and neutering is therefore one of their top priorities. 

Some veterinarians may still recommend 6 months of age because they were trained that neutering at this age can help prevent the onset of some unwanted behavioral issues that some dog owners may struggle with (urine marking, roaming, humping, etc), however most of these issue tend to subside once testosterone levels lower. 

And then we have studies showing that dogs predisposed to certain medical conditions should be neutered later rather than earlier.

For instance, according to a golden retriever study conducted in 2013 by the University of California, Davis, it was found that goldens who were neutered early (earlier than 1 year) were more predisposed to cranial cruciate ligament rupture, hip dysplasia and lymphosarcoma.

 

According to The Golden Retriever Club of America National Health Survey of 1998-1999, male goldens that were neutered earlier than one year of age were also found to be significantly taller and leggier than those neutered at over one year of age. This latter conformation may play a role in the development of orthopedic disease.

This predisposition for joint issues in early-neutered goldens was further proven in an additional study. According to another study conducted by Benjamin L. Hart, Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers that were neutered before 6 months of age were found to have an increased incidence of one or more joint disorders by 2 times and 4 to 5 times, respectively.

And what about cancer? Care must be taken in drawing conclusions in relation to cancer and the age of neutering. For instance, consider that neutered dogs tend to live longer, and therefore this increases the likeliness for a dog to develop cancer since cancer in dogs is more frequent at later ages. 

So lot's of considerations there and controversies among dog professionals and veterinarians. Some still say 6 months, and some say as long as 2 years. Studies though seem to suggest that it would be wise waiting till male goldens are over 1 year of age. Of course, that is, if you are willing to deal with urine marking and other things like that, but of course, these behaviors can be manageable with some training and/or management. 

I hope this helps! I would suggest to discuss your concerns with your vet to make an informed decision based on these several factors. If you are in the mood for it and want to dig deeper, here are some studies where you can find more information. 

 

• Torres de la Riva G, Hart BL, Farver TB, Oberbauer AM, Messam LL McC, Willits N, Hart LA. Neutering Dogs: Effects on Joint Disorders and Cancers in Golden Retrievers. PLoS ONE 2013;8:e55937
• Hart BL, Hart LA, Thigpen AP, Willits NH. Long-term health effects of neutering dogs: comparison of Labrador retrievers with golden retrievers. PLoS One. 2014;9(7):e10224.
• Glickman L, Glickman N, Thorpe R. The Golden Retriever Club of America National Health Survey 1998-1999
• Spay-Neuter Considerations in Light of Recent Evidence: One Veterinarian’s Opinion 2016 Chris Zink DVM, PhD, DACVP, DACVSMR, CCRT, CVSMT, CVA
• University of Georgia. "Spayed or neutered dogs live longer." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 17 April 2013.

Best,

Adrienne