Editing Neutering (section)

==Early-age neutering==
Early-age neutering, also known as [[pediatric spaying]] or prepubertal gonadectomy, is the removal of the ovaries or testes before the onset of [[puberty]]. It is used mainly in animal sheltering and rescue where puppies and kittens can be neutered before being adopted out, eliminating non-compliance with sterilization agreement, which is typically above 40%.<ref name="Kustritz"/> The [[American Veterinary Medical Association]], American Animal Hospital Association and the [[Canadian Veterinary Medical Association]] support the procedure for population control, provided that the veterinarian uses their best knowledge when making the decision about the age at neutering.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.avma.org/issues/policy/animal_welfare/spay_neuter.asp|title=Early-Age (Prepubertal) Spay/Neuter of Dogs and Cats|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216034618/http://www.avma.org/issues/policy/animal_welfare/spay_neuter.asp|archive-date=16 December 2008}}</ref><ref>[https://secure.aahanet.org/eweb/DynamicPage.aspx?site=resources&webcode=referenceDetail&postKey=1bc32a74-b97d-488f-8ae9-ec013839b1c7 Early Neutering of Companion Animals Position Statement] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100713113925/http://secure.aahanet.org/eweb/DynamicPage.aspx?site=resources&webcode=referenceDetail&postKey=1bc32a74-b97d-488f-8ae9-ec013839b1c7 |date=13 July 2010 }} American Animal Hospital Association</ref><ref name="CVMA">[http://canadianveterinarians.net/ShowText.aspx?ResourceID=414 Dog and Cat Spay/Castration] {{webarchive|url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20111011003000/http://canadianveterinarians.net/ShowText.aspx?ResourceID=414 |date=11 October 2011 }} at CanadianVeterinarians.net</ref> A task force recommends that cats are spayed–neutered prior to 5 months of age.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mechler |first1=Esther |last2=Bushby |first2=Philip A |title=Fix by Five – an ethical responsibility? |journal=Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery |date=25 February 2020 |volume=22 |issue=3 |pages=207 |doi=10.1177/1098612X20904655|pmid=32093578 |s2cid=211477735 |doi-access= |pmc=11132591 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Feline Fix by Five Months |url=https://www.felinefixbyfive.org/ |website=Feline Fix by Five Months |access-date=26 February 2020}}</ref>

While the age-unrelated risks and benefits cited above also apply to early-age neutering, various studies have indicated that the procedure is safe and not associated with increased mortality or serious health and behavioral problems when compared to conventional age neutering.<ref name="spaincat">{{cite journal|title=Long-term risks and benefits of early-age gonadectomy in cats|first1=C. Victor|last1=Spain|first2=Janet M.|last2=Scarlett|first3=Katherine A.|last3=Houpt|date=1 February 2004|journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association|volume=224|issue=3|pages=372–379|doi=10.2460/javma.2004.224.372|pmid=14765796}}</ref><ref name="spaindog">{{cite journal|last1=Spain|first1=CV|last2=Scarlett|first2=JM|last3=Houpt|first3=KA|title=Long-term risks and benefits of early-age gonadectomy in dogs|journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association|date=1 February 2004|volume=224|issue=3|pages=380–7|doi=10.2460/javma.2004.224.380|pmid=14765797|s2cid=11696126|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|pmid=11110455 |date=2000 |first1= L. M. |last1=Howe |first2=M. R. |last2=Slater |first3=H. W.|last3=Boothe  |first4=H. P. |last4=Hobson |first5=T. W. |last5=Fossum |first6=A. C. |last6=Spann |first7=W. S. |last7=Wilkie |title=Long-term outcome of gonadectomy performed at an early age or traditional age in cats |volume=217 |issue=11 |pages=1661–5 |journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association |doi=10.2460/javma.2000.217.1661 |s2cid=15153373 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="howedog">{{Cite journal|pmid=11195826 |date=2001 |last1=Howe |first1=Lisa M. |first2= Margaret R. |last2= Slater |first3= Harry W. |last3= Boothe |first4= H. Phil |last4= Hobson |first5= Jennifer L. |last5= Holcom |first6= Angela C. |last6= Spann |title= Long-term outcome of gonadectomy performed at an early age or traditional age in dogs |volume=218 |issue=2 |pages=217–21 |journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association |doi=10.2460/javma.2001.218.217|citeseerx=10.1.1.204.173 }}</ref><ref name="howe">{{Cite journal|pmid=9215412 |date=1997 |author1=Howe |title=Short-term results and complications of prepubertal gonadectomy in cats and dogs |volume=211 |issue=1 |pages=57–62 |journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association|doi=10.2460/javma.1997.211.01.57 }}</ref> Anesthesia recovery in young animals is usually more rapid and there are fewer complications.<ref name="howe"/><ref>{{Cite journal|doi=10.1053/svms.2002.34328 |title=Early spay-neuter: Clinical considerations |date=2002 |last1=Kustritz |first1=M. |journal=Clinical Techniques in Small Animal Practice |volume=17 |pages=124–8 |pmid=12476815 |issue=3|s2cid=41510596 }}</ref> One study found that in female dogs there is an increasing risk of urinary incontinence the earlier the procedure is carried out; the study recommended that female dogs be spayed no earlier than 3 to 4 months of age.<ref name="spaindog"/> A later study comparing female dogs spayed between 4 and 6 months and after 6 months showed no increased risk.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = De Bleser | first1 = B. | last2 = Brodbelt | first2 = D. C. | last3 = Gregory | first3 = N. G. | last4 = Martinez | first4 = T. A. | title = The association between acquired urinary sphincter mechanism incompetence in bitches and early spaying: A case-control study | journal = The Veterinary Journal | volume = 187 | issue = 1 | pages = 42–47 | year = 2009 | pmid = 20004121 | doi = 10.1016/j.tvjl.2009.11.004| url = https://researchonline.rvc.ac.uk/id/eprint/5931/1/5931.pdf }}</ref>

One study showed the incidence of hip dysplasia increased to 6.7% for dogs neutered before 5.5 months compared to 4.7% for dogs neutered after 5.5 months, although the cases associated with early age neutering seems to be of a less severe form. There was no association between age of neutering and arthritis or long-bone fractures.<ref name="spaindog"/> Another study showed no correlation between age of neutering and musculoskeletal problems.<ref name="howedog"/> A study of large breed dogs with [[cranial cruciate ligament]] rupture associated early-age neutering with the development of an excessive tibial plateau angle.<ref>{{Cite journal|pmid=18052804 |doi=10.2460/javma.231.11.1688 |date=2007 |author1=Duerr |first2=C. G. |first3=R. S. |first4=R. D. |first5=E. L. |first6=R. H. |title=Risk factors for excessive tibial plateau angle in large-breed dogs with cranial cruciate ligament disease |volume=231 |issue=11 |pages=1688–91 |journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association |last2=Duncan |last3=Savicky |last4=Park |last5=Egger |last6=Palmer|doi-access=free }}</ref>

Of particular note are two recent studies from Lynette Hart's lab at UC Davis. The first study from 2013, published in a well-known interdisciplinary peer-reviewed journal demonstrated "no cases of CCL (cruciate ligament tear) diagnosed in intact males or females, but in early-neutered males and females the occurrences were 5 percent and 8 percent, respectively. Almost 10 percent of early-neutered males were diagnosed with LSA (lymphosarcoma), 3 times more than intact males. The percentage of HSA (hemangiosarcoma) cases in late-neutered females (about 8 percent) was 4 times more than intact and early-neutered females. There were no cases of MCT (mast cell tumor) in intact females, but the occurrence was nearly 6 percent in late-neutered females".<ref>{{cite journal|title=Neutering dogs |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=8 |issue=2 |pages=e55937 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0055937 |pmid=23418479 |pmc=3572183 |year = 2013|last1 = Torres de la Riva|first1 = Gretel|last2=Hart |first2=Benjamin L. |last3=Farver |first3=Thomas B. |last4=Oberbauer |first4=Anita M. |last5=Messam |first5=Locksley L. McV. |last6=Willits |first6=Neil |last7=Hart |first7=Lynette A. |bibcode=2013PLoSO...855937T |doi-access=free }}</ref>

The second study from 2014<ref>{{cite journal |title=Long-Term Health Effects of Neutering Dogs: Comparison of Labrador Retrievers with Golden Retrievers |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=9 |issue=7 |pages=e102241  |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0102241 |pmid=25020045 |pmc=4096726 |year = 2014|last1 = Hart|first1 = Benjamin L.|last2=Hart |first2=Lynette A. |last3=Thigpen |first3=Abigail P. |last4=Willits |first4=Neil H. |bibcode=2014PLoSO...9j2241H |doi-access=free }}</ref> highlighted significant difference in closely related breeds (retrievers), suggesting that inter-breed variability is quite high and that sweeping legal measures and surgical mandates are not the best solutions to canine welfare and health. Specifically the study states: "In Labrador Retrievers, where about 5 percent of gonadally intact males and females had one or more joint disorders, neutering at 6 months doubled the incidence of one or more joint disorders in both sexes. In male and female Golden Retrievers, with the same 5 percent rate of joint disorders in intact dogs, neutering at 6 months increased the incidence of a joint disorder to 4–5 times that of intact dogs. The incidence of one or more cancers in female Labrador Retrievers increased slightly above the 3 percent level of intact females with neutering. In contrast, in female Golden Retrievers, with the same 3 percent rate of one or more cancers in intact females, neutering at all periods through 8 years of age increased the rate of at least one of the cancers by 3–4 times. In male Golden and Labrador Retrievers neutering had relatively minor effects in increasing the occurrence of cancers."

In terms of behavior in dogs, [[Separation anxiety in dogs|separation anxiety]], aggression, escape behavior and inappropriate elimination are reduced with neutering while noise phobia and sexual behavior has been shown to potentially increase.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} In males with aggression issues, earlier neutering may increase barking.<ref name="spaindog"/> In cats, [[feline asthma|asthma]], [[gingivitis]], and [[hyperactivity]] were decreased, while [[shyness]] was increased. In male cats, occurrence of abscesses, aggression toward veterinarians, sexual behaviors, and [[urine spraying]] was decreased, while hiding was increased.<ref name="spaincat"/>