Most animal welfare professionals advocate spaying and neutering ALL dogs as soon as you bring them into your home. The reasons they cite include curbing overpopulation, lowering shelter occupancy, and improving the health of the animal by lowering cancer risk.
Other people believe strongly that an animal should keep all of his or her natural body parts. Where do you stand?
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Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!
Hi Sandy – the only research I ran across (not specifically about Goldens) was that spaying a female dog can be preventative for mammary cancers. I have also had a Golden die from cancer, so I’m very interested in this topic. Can you point me in the direction of the research you are citing so I can do some digging? Thanks so much.
Beth Philley
The Dog Lady
Up until a few years ago I would say s/n all pets, unless they were going to be used for breeding AND passed all clearances. Now, four dead goldens to cancer later, I have a different outlook on spay/neuter (this applies only to goldens). There is concrete evidence that s/n can make a golden more apt to have certain cancers. Plus HD and cranial cruciate tears are higher in the altered dog as well. As I said to one FB golden group….it’s mind boggling. What do you do? But now with this newish evidence that s/n might be the main culprit for causing cancer, are you going to buy a golden pup and promise to have it s/n all the while knowing you are setting up a death sentence? I will refuse to promise any golden breeder that I will spay or neuter their pup…..no way. No way.