Spaying and neutering re-visited

Recently I have been made aware of people being pushed to spay & neuter their animals on the basis that this reduces the risks of cancer. My previous blog should have laid it out quite clearly, but here are some facts:

Positive for male neutering

1. eliminates the small risk (probably < 1%) of dying from testicular cancer
2. reduces the risk of non-cancerous prostate disorders
3. reduces the risk of perianal fistulas
4. may possibly reduce the risk of diabetes (data inconclusive)

Negative for male neutering

1. if done before 1 year of age, significantly increases the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer); this is a common cancer in medium/large breeds with poor prognosis
2. increases the risk of cardiac hemangiosarcoma by a factor or 1.6
3. triples the risk of hypothyroidism
4. increases the risk of progressive geriatric cognitive impairment
5. triples the risk of obesity, a common health problem in dogs with many associated health problems
6. quadruples the small risk of (<0.6%) of prostate cancer
7. doubles the small risk (<1%) of urinary tract cancer
8. increases the risk of orthopedic disorders
9. increases the risk of adverse reactions to vaccination

Positive for spaying females

1. if done before 2.5 years of age, greatly reduces the risk of mammary tumors, the most common malignant tumors in female dogs
2. nearly eliminates the risk of pyometra, which otherwise would affect about 23% of intact female dogs; pyometra kills about 1% of intact female dogs
3. reduces the risk of perianal fistulas
4. removes the very small risk (< 0.5%) from uterine, cervical and ovarian tumors

Negative for spaying females

1. if done before 1 year of age, significantly increases the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer); this is a common cancer in the large breeds with a poor prognosis
2. increases the risk of splenic hemagiosarcoma by a factor of 2.2 and cardiac heangiosarcoma by a factor of >5; this is a common cancer and major cause of death in some breeds
3. triples the risk of hypothyroidism
4. increases the risk of obesity by a factor of 1.6-2, a common health problem in dogs with many associated health problems
5. causes urinary "spay incontinence" in 4-20% of female dogs
6. increases the risk of persistent or recurring urinary tract infections by a factor of 3-4
7. increases the risk of recessed vulva, vaginal dermatitis and vaginitis, especially for female dogs spayed before puberty
8. doubles the risk(<1%) of urinary tract tumors
9. increases the risk of orthopedic disorders
10. increases the risk of adverse reactions to vaccination

This research is further to that in my previous blog To Spay/Neuter or not to Spay/Neuter issued in May http://caninehealth101.blogspot.com/2011/05/to-spayneuter-or-not-to-spayneuter.html


http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/longtermhealtheffectsofspayneuterindogs.pdf

Behaviour Issues

If you have behaviour issues with your dog, unless it is due to a medical condition we can guarentee one thing, but you won't like it.

The problem is not the dog, it is the owner!

Not that we are assigning blame here, it is not your fault that you communicate in human and your dog interprets in wolf. Human is how you have been taught to communicate, and society tells you that your dog will understand. He/She does, he/she understands very well, but in wolf!

Mentally your dog is a wolf, part of a pack, with a den and anyone leaving the den can have no better or other reason than to hunt or establish and maintain pack territory.

Communication in a way that establishes that you and your pet understand eachother is the key to curbing behaviour and having a wonderful, fullfilling, productive, relaxed, relationship.

The state of the garden

Is this a common sight in your garden?

Not to worry, it won't be for much longer, as the rubbish you are feeding your dog is shortening it's life by an average 71%, and upping your vets bills.

However, if you love your pet/s and want him/her/them to live longer, happier, healthier lives, switch to a raw natural diet.

Our Canine Consultants are here to teach you how.

Pet Insurance

Many policies state:

".. You must take your pet for regular annual check-ups and keep your pet annually vaccinated against distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis and parvovirus in the case of dogs, against feline infectious enteritis, feline 
leukaemia and feline influenza in the case of cats... Homeopathic vaccines are not acceptable."
 
They further state that they will not pay for:
"Any treatment in connection with pregnancy or giving birth, vaccinations, grooming, killing
and controlling fleas, routine treatment for roundworms and tapeworms and any claims arising as a
result of these procedures."
As many health issues arrise due to vaccine reactions (un-admitted by the pharmaceuticals), this reduces your cover to issues brought about by accident or food reactions (un-admitted by the manufacturers).

Therefore I pose the questions, is your pet insurance really worth it?