Golden retriever study suggests neutering affects dog health
February 13, 2013
Printable version
Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on email More Sharing Services
golden retriever dog
(Photo courtesy of Hiroki Nakamura)
Neutering, and the age at which a dog is neutered, may affect the animal?s risk for developing certain cancers and joint diseases, according to a new study of golden retrievers by a team of researchers at the University of California, Davis.
The study, which examined the health records of 759 golden retrievers, found a surprising doubling of hip dysplasia among male dogs neutered before one year of age. This and other results were published Feb. 13 in the online scientific journal PLOS ONE.
?The study results indicate that dog owners and service-dog trainers should carefully consider when to have their male or female dogs neutered,? said lead investigator Benjamin Hart, a distinguished professor emeritus in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
?It is important to remember, however, that because different dog breeds have different vulnerabilities to various diseases, the effects of early and late neutering also may vary from breed to breed,? he said...
