When to Neuter or Spay Your Golden Retriever: Some Important Steps to Follow

Spaying and neutering your dog are essential parts of maintaining their health and being responsible pet owners. However, each dog breed has its own timeline in regards to when it is most appropriate or advantageous to perform these operations. Golden Retrievers are one of the most popular popular dog breeds, if not the most popular. The breed has practically become a stereotype in terms of being the face of dog ownership in the United States. If you’re a Golden Retriever owner or are considering becoming one, here is a brief guide on when to neuter or spay Golden Retrievers.

 What Is Spaying and Neutering?

Spaying and Neutering are terms that refer to surgical processes that sterilize an animal so it can’t reproduce. While this might sound somewhat harsh, oftentimes, this procedure makes for a much safer and more enjoyable pet-rearing experience. This is true for both humans and animals.

The term spay refers to the process of removing the reproductive organs of a female dog. Contrarily, the term neuter refers to removing the testicles of a male dog. Nowadays, most pet owners make the decision to spay and neuter their pets unless they are specifically attempting to breed more dogs.

 It is quite essential to make the decision to spay and neuter your pets at the right time. Doing so otherwise can lead to health complications for the animals down the line.

 Is This Process Safe for Dogs?

Spaying and neutering are very safe procedures that, in most cases, will have no adverse effects on the animals they’re performed on. These processes are offered at most veterinary clinics.

Although very rare, some complications can occur with these procedures. One of the more common complications is that large male dogs sometimes experience swelling in their scrotums. This can be confusing, as it makes the dog appear to still have testicles.

This type of complication is most common if your dog engages in hyperactivity directly following their procedure. Eventually, the swelling will go away, though it may take some time.

When to Spay and Neuter Golden Retrievers

Generally speaking, you should wait until after your Golden Retriever is more than one year old to have them spayed and neutered. Doing so prior to that age can have severe health consequences for them down the line due to hormone deficiencies.

This is somewhat contrary to advice that you often hear that outlines that it’s best to spay or neuter your animal prior to six months of age. This is true for some breeds of dogs but not for golden retrievers.

 Some of the health risks that can come along with spaying or neutering your golden retriever include the following issues.

Joint Issues

Fixing your dog prior to the age of six months can give them a lifelong increase in the risk of bone cancer. As time passes, these issues can majorly impact your dog’s overall health and mobility.

Chronic pain can be one offshoot of this unfortunate issue, with the knee joint ligaments of animals being the most commonly affected. These ligaments are called the cranial cruciate ligaments.

Cancer

Spaying or Neutering your dog before the one-year mark can leave them vulnerable to developing many different types of cancers. This is particularly true for male dogs. Studies have shown that male dogs who get neutered too early are at increased risk of developing various cancers. This includes prostate cancer, urinary tract cancers, and bone cancers.

Cancer in dogs, like in humans, is an extremely complex medical issue to treat. In the case of dogs, it usually means putting the animal down rather than prolonging their suffering. The risk of cancer development is one of the reasons that many vets recommend only spaying a female dog if you deem it necessary for a specific reason.

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is a condition of the endocrine system where the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormone. This complicated medical issue can trickle down into expressing itself into a set of health issues. These issues can differ wildly from animal to animal. Scientists speculate that eliminating an animal’s reproductive organs prior to the one-year mark can make them more susceptible to developing this condition due to hormone deficiencies.

What to Expect After Spaying and Neutering Your Animal

In general, the developing science surrounding the spaying and neutering process seems to suggest that the traditional age of performing these surgeries is much too early. This can produce a litany of rather severe health consequences as the dogs mature. Waiting until the year mark for both male and female Golden Retrievers can save you some grief, especially in dealing with more intense vet trips down the line.