Neutering too early......is it a good idea?

[DiddyDawn]

I have to agree LMC, I think it just seems easier for some rescues and owners to get them in and get them done, and not worry about the long term health side of things.

The conditions for rehoming for any cats I rehome are, that they are spayed and neutered at 6 months, and I check to make sure this is done. I can't believe Des that the rescue you deal with has had animals returned with litters If they make it an agreement, that they remain indoors etc until they are done and by using some common sense, this shouldn't have happened

[Elaine]

http://www.messybeast.com/earlyneuter.htm

Found this article DD,not sure i am convinced though.

[DiddyDawn]

Thanks Elaine I'll have to check it out later, having problems getting on the link but I think that's down to my internet

[dinahsmum]

Here is a link from The Cat Group which is a consortium of various cat charities. http://www.thecatgroup.org.uk/
I don't have strong views on this subject and don't wish to join in any pro/con debate but thought it worthwhile showing that respected organisations are happy with younger neutering.

[DiddyDawn]

Thanks for that......I'll have a look later

[Elaine]

Found this following paragraph, it is talking about dogs but I assume it would be the same for cats. Although America has been practising early de-sexing for some time, from what i have read so far, studies are still being carried out.


When should bitches be neutered ?
"Verinary surgeons opinions on neutering tend to be based on anecdotal information and, often, on their own last worst experience"
This question was discussed at the BSAVA Congress, April 2001 The drive for early age neutering came from the animal rescue organisations which wanted dogs and cats to be neutered before rehoming. The stray problem was so great in the USA that in 1993 the American Veterinary Medical Association resolved that it supported the concept of early (8-16 weeks of age) neutering in an effort to stem the overpopulation problems. There were a number of short term studies looking at a total of 1300 dogs which suggested that this was a safe procedure and The University of Florida compared littermates that had been neutered at 7 weeks, 7 months or left entire and found no substantial differences over the first year of life. The arguments against early neutering were that it lead to an increased risk of urinary incontinence, as well as juvenile vaginitis and infantile vulva. In studies, of 100 bitches that were neutered 17 would be expected to be incontinent 10 years on , compared with 2 that were left entire. The same study found an almost 4 fold difference in the risk of incontinence for bitches neutered before the first season compared with afterwards. This was a small sample with no statistical significance but none the less one that concerned Professor Peter Holt. In addition to these concerns Professor Holt said that the argument often used to support early neutering - namely, that it reduced the risk of mamary tumours - was not, in his opinion, completely proven. Statistics handed down in the textbooks of a 0.5% risk of mamary tumours in bitches spayed before the first season, rising to 8% in those spayed after the first season and 26% in those spayed after 2 or more seasons was based on a small study of 60 dogs in Alameda County, USA. Thus in summary, current Animal Health Centre policy of allowing a bitch to have one season and then be spayed would seem to be a good compromise in not increasing the risk of incontinence while perhaps reducing the risks of mammary tumours in later life.

[DiddyDawn]

I have read of it causing incontinance problems before and Kara does suffer an awful lot down below I remember when I had my male dog done, he was 6 months old but he dribbled for England for a good few weeks after and yet he never did it before I'm not sure whether the vet made a **** up or the neutering caused him problems

I do have my doubts when they say there is a massive reduction in mammary tumours when they are done younger. I deal with mainly ferals, most are older cats that are unspayed and I have yet to come across one with mammary cancer I know it happens as the cat Des had came via me but I think again, it's one of those things.........they must have a faulty gene there to start, but we won't know until more research is done. A study of 60 dogs isn't exactly an indepth study

[LMC]

Originally Posted by Elaine

<snip> America has been practising early de-sexing for some time <snip>

Yeah, and many still in America still also advocate declawing (a whole other discussion but the point is that American practice is not necessarily better)

from what i have read so far, studies are still being carried out.

Until there are some good study results, I'll continue to have my doubts whether neutering earlier than 6 months/first call/season makes no difference to the animal (cat or dog). Sorry. And agree with Dawn - 60 is not enough for a study. Needs to be at least several thousand to remove the possible errors that different breeds could introduce into the study.

[Booktigger]

Elaine - the local rescue said that they have found that their animals have bounced back quicker when neutered early, and I have read that on other forums.
Dawn - I will get round to e-mailing some studies - I dont know why that rescue had had cats and dogs returned with litters, they may have agreements to keep them in - but if you read on some forums the amount of Oops litters there are, then they might just be things like that. I know my neighbours dog had issues down below after being neutered, she was done at 5 months too. Mammary cancer doesn't normally show until the age of 10 though, which could explain why some of yours haven't shown signs - I can't remember where I found the article that said they are 200 times less likely to get mammary cancer if spayed before their first heat. I read that unspayed females will all get pyo at some point - dont know what happened with Blackie then.

[teenytiny]

I have always been led to believe that males should be neutered at 6mths and females at 5mths.

My boys were both done at 6mths and ive had no problems with them at all.

My female was spayed at 5mths and she never really grew much after that. I do not know if she was destined to be a small cat anyway, or if it was the neutering that slowed her growth down. Thats something I will never know, but it does make me wonder She is 4 now, and still looks about 6mths old size wise, she is a VERY small cat!