Affiliation:
1. Zink Integrative Sports Medicine, Ellicott City, MD
2. Good Dog, New York, NY
Abstract
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To compare health and behavior outcomes for dogs that underwent vasectomy or ovary-sparing spay (hysterectomy) with sexually intact dogs or dogs that had undergone traditional castration or spay.
SAMPLE
6,018 dog owners responded to a web-based survey between November 3, 2021, and January 7, 2022.
PROCEDURES
Participants were asked demographic questions and to provide information about 1 or more dogs (living or deceased). Options for reproductive status were as follows: sexually intact, castrated, spayed (ovariohysterectomy or ovariectomy), vasectomy, or ovary-sparing spay (hysterectomy). Participants were asked questions about orthopedic and other health problems, cancer, and problematic behavior. Logistic regression models, survival analyses, and descriptive statistics were used to assess relationships between reproductive status and outcomes.
RESULTS
Owners provided valid surveys for 6,018 dogs, including 1,056 sexually intact, 1,672 castrated, and 58 vasectomized male dogs and 792 sexually intact, 2,281 spayed, and 159 female dogs that had undergone ovary-sparing spay. Longer exposure to gonadal hormones, regardless of reproductive status, was associated with reduced odds of general health problems and both problematic and nuisance behaviors.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
TTo our knowledge, this study provides the first data on health and behavior outcomes of vasectomy and ovary-sparing spay in dogs and is the first to compare these outcomes to sexually intact and gonadectomized dogs. It adds to accumulating data on the mixed benefits and risks of removing the gonads to prevent reproduction and emphasizes the importance of developing an informed, case-by-case assessment of each patient, taking into consideration the potential risks and benefits of spaying or neutering and alternative reproductive surgeries.
Publisher
American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
Reference49 articles.
1. Epidemiology of surgical castration of dogs and cats in the United States;Trevejo R,2011
2. Effects of castration on problem behaviors in male dogs with reference to age and duration of behavior;Neilson JC,1997
3. Castration of adult male dogs: effects on roaming, aggression, urine marking, and mounting;Hopkins SG,1976
4. Influence of orchiectomy on canine behaviour;Maarschalkerweerd RJ,1997
5. An ancient practice but a new paradigm: personal choice for the age to spay or neuter a dog;Hart LA,2021
Cited by
8 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献