10/29/2025
If it’s really just unwanted litters you want to avoid (though that can be done without any surgery or procedures), why not get this instead?
We have a really big issue with vets not wanting to do certain things, which can definitely be a hinderance. But we have to learn to advocate for our dogs.
The best way we can do this is through our own education. Do your research, and find honest sources with up to date, unbiased, properly tested data/information. So we can learn to decipher when someone is knowledgeable and has our pets best interest at heart, even if it IS something we’re not well versed in topic wise ourselves.
“biased? Does that even exist in studies?” Well unfortunately I’d say having Golden retrievers in a lab setting is definitely a biased conclusion when dogs vary so much by breed and individual personality. Different study for a different thing entirely as it was in regards to behavior, but simply an example.
Same as vets who condemn not neutering your dog at 8 wks or “ASAP”. Biased. Not up to date. Refusal to learn and adapt to new information for the betterment of the animals. Personally; this isn’t a vet I want. What else are they not noticing, researching, finding out about that’s incredibly pertinent?
Sterilize your animals. Particularly if you’re not willing or wanting to put in the training and protocols required to manage an intact dog (or have any reason for wanting to breed other than bettering and preserving it while putting in necessary breed specific genetic tests etc). But know that there’s always a right way for it. Traditional spay/neuter has SEVERAL downfalls including some of our most common ailments like ligament tears and dysplasia. It also stops their growth plates from closing properly in time, leaving them open far longer than naturally safe/healthy.
We have to continue to do better 🖤
*Preventing unwanted litters is a goal we all share—but it's time to rethink the surgical approach. Hysterectomies and vasectomies, which preserve hormonal balance, can safely be performed as early as 8 weeks of age, making dogs sterile without disrupting their natural hormones.
New peer-reviewed study published in Nature:
How a dog’s lifetime exposure to his own hormones (before being neutered) affects how well he handles aging and frailty later in life.
Study Background
• Frailty = when older dogs (and people) become weaker, less resilient, and more prone to illness and death.
• Most research looks at how to prevent frailty — this study looked at what makes some dogs bounce back better after frailty sets in.
• The focus was on the HPG axis — the hormonal system that produces testosterone and controls reproduction.
Key Findings
• Dogs neutered very young (before 2 years old) had:
o A much higher risk of death once they became frail.
o About 16% higher mortality for every small increase in frailty.
• Dogs kept intact longer (more than ~10 years) showed:
o No increase in mortality linked to frailty.
o Their hormones seemed to “buffer” the negative effects of aging.
• Each extra year of natural hormone exposure reduced frailty-related death risk by ~1%.
What It Means
• Hormones from the te**es may protect against the worst effects of aging later in life.
• Removing them too early could make dogs less resilient to age-related decline.
• Frailty isn’t just about getting old — it’s also shaped by early-life events like the timing of neutering.
• This supports a “life course” view: what happens early in life affects health decades later.
Why It Matters
• The study suggests timing of neutering might influence how well dogs age.
