What Is The Best Age To Neuter A German Shepherd

Final Thoughts On The Best Age To Neuter A German Shepherd

It would be best if you neutered your German shepherd when its done with the growth phase from 18 to 24 months. Its at this age all the growth is coming to a halt. If done early, you risk predisposing your dog to a host of health issues. Again, when choosing whether to neuter your German shepherd, consider discussing it with the veterinarian.

*CCL- Cranial Cruciate Ligament

Why You Shouldnt Neuter Your German Shepherd

Neutering wont change any of your german shepherds behavior, apart from sex-based behavior such as mounting and marking their territory. Neutering your german shepherd wont stunt their growth, and may actually cause them to grow bigger. However, this extra growth can have a negative impact on their joints.

Can Neutering Or Spaying A German Shepherd Be Reversed

Unfortunately, once a dog is spayed or neutered, the process cannot be reversed. This is because when a dog is sterilized, either complete castration or in the case of a female, an ovariohysterectomy is performed, which removes the ovaries and uterus, or some variation of this.

Both of these procedures remove a dogs gonads , which produce ovaries, sperm, and hormones. Once these are removed they cannot be restored by any method. This differs from human sterilization which is reversible due to the gonads being left in the body.

Once a spay or neuter procedure is completed, a dog will no longer be able to be bred and produce any offspring.

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Are There Any Exceptional

• Showline GSDs-Showline German shepherds dont need to undergo neutering. The reason being, their ability to breed is one conformity that has to be examined by judges.
• Competition GSDs- German shepherds undertaking herding trials, obedience competitions can undergo this procedure as their breeding potential is not one of the conformity that judges use.
• Working dogs-Police and military dogs can be neutered or not. It all depends on whether the testosterone levels are affecting the dogs working ability.
• Companion to German shepherds- if you want your German shepherd to be more of a companion dog, its crucial you consider neutering it. The reason being, you dont want any unwanted pregnancies, not unless you are a dog breeder.

Dogs Years And Growing Old

The concept of growing old or aging revolves around the decline in physiological functions because of an increase in age.

Generally, dogs fall under the senior class category anywhere from five years to ten years.

A majority of breeds become classed as seniors once they are over seven years of age.

Dogs over the age of seven become physically slower. They also become more susceptible to weight gain, which can cause several health issues and other health conditions such as arthritis, lumps, bumps, and kidney problems.

As your dog ages, cells begin to collapse. Cells are unable to divide and multiply, slowing down all forms of body repair. This causes tissues, bones, and even brain cells to degenerate.

Essentially, several key factors play large roles, influencing the entire aging process in dogs. These factors include:

Genetics: The gene that passes down from parent to offspring determines how long the offspring will live.

Therefore, your puppys lifespan depends on the genes it inherits from its parents.

If the parents were healthy, the puppy might live for a long time.

Nutrition and Deficiencies: Your dogs diet plays a vital role in determining their overall life expectancy.

A dog on a healthy diet is bound to live a longer life than one that is not. Thats because an unhealthy diet can cause cell damage, which will ultimately result in premature aging.

Environment: The environment your puppy grows up in will dictate how long it will live.

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How Can You Tell How Big A German Shepherd Will Get

Not all German Shepherds are built alike because not all of them are bred alike. While most GSDs reach their full height by the third year, you cannot sit in suspense wondering what your dogs final size will be. Fortunately, you dont have to.

You can tell how big a German Shepherd will get by first considering the parents genetic makeup and looking at the parents size. You can also refer to a GSD growth chart and check for consistent lag or lead. Additionally, paw size can be an indication of future size, although this is unreliable.

If your dog has consistently been an inch shorter than the charts standard, then you can assume he will be an inch shorter than the charts projected final size.

This also applies to the weight category as well. If your dog is a few lbs over the standard weight, he might weigh as much more by the third year. Weight fluctuates even past the complete development, though.

And that brings us to the alternative scenario: what if your dog is not consistently smaller or bigger than the projected growth chart?

If you notice that your dog is an inch smaller at one stage and half an inch smaller at the next, chances are, your dog is experiencing regular growth spurts as any other German Shepherd except that he is shorter by a set percentage.

In that case, you should refer to the percentage of full weight or height in the German Shepherd growth chart. The chart says that a GSD is at his 50% height by 4 months, for example.

Here they are

Discuss The Caring Techniques For The German Shepherd Puppy With The Breeder:

This is also a good place to start evaluating the breeders professionalism.

Responsible breeders should be able to provide extensive information on what the German Shepherd breed requires to prosper, as well as information on potential health issues and the breeds history.

Make sure youve done your homework ahead of time so you can verify their responses.

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When To Neuter Agerman Shepherd Male

German Shepherd males can be neutered as early as eight weeks with the common practice being around 6 months old.

For most, the decision to neuter at around 6 months is because this is typically the time they reach sexual maturity. Theyre able to reproduce and hormonal changes begin to occur.

However, a study by University of California-Davis researchers showed that only 8.62% of German Shepherd males neutered at 1 year old suffered from joint disorders versus 20.83% of those neutered at less than 6 months old.

The researchers suggest that the best time to neuter a male German Shepherd is around 16-18 months, or at least 12 months old.

The table above breaks down the results of their study byage and associated cancers. Types of canine cancer included in the study werethe following:

• Lymphosarcoma Cancer of lymphocytes and lymphoid tissues,commonly affecting lymph nodes, gastrointestinal tract, bone marrow, spleen, orliver.
• Mast Cell Tumor Tumors commonlyaffecting the skin.
• Hemangiosarcoma Tumors commonlyaffecting the liver and spleen.
• Osteosarcoma Tumors affecting the bone.

Results of the study suggest that neutering between 6 and 11 months is most ideal to prevent canine cancer. Neutering at 1 year old comes at a close second.

Given the combined results, around 1 year old should be the best age to neuter your German Shepherd to minimize the risk of both cancer and joint disorders.

Ways To Tell A Dogs Age

You can easily monitor a young puppys age as they grow. However, it can be tricky for a shelter dog with limited to no information about their history. Nevertheless, you can guess a dogs age by looking at three things.

1.Teeth: Puppies develop baby teeth between three to six weeks of age. Their adult teeth begin to appear once they reach five months and seven months . Senior and geriatric dogs have yellowish, worn-out teeth with flat tips.

2. Food consumption: A dogs food consumption reduces as it enters its senior years. A lot of dogs begin to lose their appetite once they reach their senior years.

3.Mobility: Apart from health conditions, a dog that consumes less food has less energy to run around. As this continues, they slowly lose their appetite since they require less energy. This degenerates into a cycle of eating less and moving less until they enter their last years.

In conclusion, while the simple theory that correlates dog years to human years exists, it is not entirely accurate as several factors influence aging in dogs.

Nonetheless, maintaining your dogs health will increase the odds of them being around to a ripe old age.

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Additional Shih Tzu Information

Reference:Hart, B.L., Hart, L.A., Thigpen, A.P. and Willits, N.H., 2020. Assisting decision-making on age of neutering for 35 breeds of dogs: associated joint disorders, cancers, and urinary incontinence. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 7, p.388.

Best age to desex based on WEIGHTI have a MIXED BREED dog when should I get them desexed? A study published in July 2020 from the University of Davis, California, examined a sample of mixed breed dogs from five weight categories and assessed the risk of joint disorders and some cancers with the age of desexing. I have combined our recommendations and summarised their data below:

Aging Across Different Dog Breeds

There are numerous dog breeds, and they all grow and age at different rates. However, you can group the various breeds by their size.

Small-sized breeds grow slowly therefore, they age slowly too.

On the other hand, large-sized breeds tend to grow faster, making them age more quickly.

To get a more explicit description, a 10-year-old small-sized dog is equivalent to 56 human years, while a 10-year-old large-sized dog is equivalent to 66 human years.

The intense growth that larger breeds undergo directly affects how quickly they age.

Thats because their metabolism is a lot faster, making their bodies produce and expend more energy as well as free radicals. Free radicals are leading contributors to aging.

Besides, certain variables pertain to particular dog breeds. Variables such as orthopedic issues and arthritis affect the overall aging process.

Such conditions limit a dogs mobility, which in turn creates a decline in their cognitive function.

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Spaying And Neutering Case Studies And Data

There are few case studies which have officially tracked dogs throughout the entirety of their life after having a spay or neutering procedure, and tracked their health and behavior.

But, Petmd put together a very interesting article by way of the AKC Canine Health Foundation, which is called When Should You Get Your Dog Spayed or Neutered?.

In this article they have data from several individual studies where they provide feedback on:

Why dogs are usually spayed or neutered at 6 months to 9 months of age

Effects of spaying or neutering on health

Effects of spaying or neutering on behavior

If you look at page 2, there are some interesting results for the German Shepherd breed when it comes to the chance of Mammary Neoplasia and Hip Dysplasia both decreasing and increasing respectively after spaying and neutering.

Leema kennels also has put together some data regarding German Shepherd spaying and neutering.

Is There A Wrong Age To Spay Or Neuter Dogs

Again, this is a highly individualistic issue. Shelters generally have a rule to wait until an animal is 2 months old and a weight of 2 lbs. This is a very young, very small animal, but shelters just canât hold pets until they are 6 months old to spay. Thereâs simply not room. In very young pets, we worry about keeping them safe and healthy under anesthesia during surgery.

The same goes for older pets, too. Surgery always carries a risk, and for older dogs whose health may be compromised, the risk is slightly greater. That said, Iâd still rather spay an old dog who is relatively healthy than to have to deal with an old dog who has to be spayed on an emergency basis because she has developed a uterine infection .

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What Is Spaying And Neutering And What Do They Do

We often think of neutering as a term that only applies to male dogs, but the truth is that either sex of a dog can be neutered. When referring to neutering a male dog, the specific term is castration, and for a female dog the specific terms is spaying.

In more general terms, neutering and spaying are referred to as fixing.

Supplies Prices Range Average Cost

After the initial expenditure, the cost drops to between $95 and $390 for each successive year.

After the first year, the average cost each year will be somewhere around $245. This covers the cost of re-purchasing products such as child toys, a bed, shampoo, plastic bags, and a tooth-brushing kit.

Other items such as muzzles, clothing, play cages, and fences are not included in this list. Rather, it is a record of necessary supplies. Second-Hand Stores, local pet stores, and popular websites may be worth looking into to help save money on some of the pet goods.

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What Is The Best Age To Neuter A Dog

Whether you have a new puppy or a recently adopted dog, it is important to make sure that he is neutered. Veterinarians recommend having your dog spayed or neutered as a safe and effective way of eliminating negative habits and promoting a long and healthy life for your pet. Our team at Willow Glen Pet Hospital is here to help your pet throughout the process.

The German Shepherd Personality And Temperament

Your GSD of either gender is very intelligent. This is one of the most intelligent of all dog breeds! Your German shepherd has an incredibly strong work ethic with tremendous drive and focus while on the job.

Your GSD will bond strongly with at least one and perhaps several family members. To your GSD, you are your dogs life!

Your GSD is far too intelligent and sensitive to tolerate anything but positive training methods that focus on delivering praise, playtime, pets, and treats in response to well-learned tasks and commands. Negative training will likely increase this breeds tendency towards aggression or hostility when poorly handled.

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What Are The Risks

With most highly bred breeds especially shepherds they are often maligned by disorders and cancer. So, heres a quick overview of what the study says the breed suffer from depending on when their surgical castration was performed. The aim of providing this information is about giving you all the information to make the best decision.

If youre looking at the female intact vs the 2-8 years category and wondering why the recommendation is to spay? Its because there is a 3% risk for an intact female to suffer from a Pyometra which is really pretty gross and unpleasant and a huge risk to life that can be mitigated by spaying, so it just tips the balance in favour of spaying. Though, if you look a little lower, a hysterectomy could be your answer

How To Recover From Neutering Or Spaying

Whenever you do a spay or neuter procedure, you should think about proper recovery. Recovery will be similar to that of an injury, and you should avoid physical activities your dog should rest to recover properly.

You can follow some tips for your German shepherds recovery from neutering or spaying. If you want to help your dog in his recovery, you can strictly follow the following tips:

If you follow these tips, you will be sure that your German shepherd will recover correctly and without complications. As you can see, this is a very sensitive issue that must be dealt with by experts to prevent your pet from having health problems.

If you decide to neuter or sterilize your German shepherd, you must consider all the health risks that can occur if the correct precautions such as age are not taken. But despite the problems and how difficult they can be, you will be helping your German shepherd in many ways.

With neutering or spaying, you will help your dog and improve his health and avoid overcrowding.

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Corgi Pembroke And Cardigan

The study population was 42 intact males, 78 neutered males, 50 intact females, and 70 spayed females, for a total sample size of 240 cases. Although these are two breeds, they vary only a little in size, so these two breeds are combined for statistical analyses and display of data. The occurrence of at least one joint disorder in intact males was 5 percent and for intact females 6 percent. There was no significant increase in this measure in males or females with neutering. This is one of the breeds where intervertebral disc disorders are a concern, and in 3 percent of intact males and 8 percent of intact females, IDD was reported. In males neutered before 6 months, the occurrence of IDD reached 18 percent, and in females there was no increase with neutering. The occurrence of one or more of the cancers followed was 5 percent in intact males and 6 percent in intact females. In neutered males and females, there was no evident increase in cancers. For females left intact, the occurrence of MC was 8 percent, and there was zero occurrence of PYO. There was no diagnosis of UI in spayed females. The suggested guideline for age of neutering for males, given the increase in IDD with neutering at < 6 mo., is beyond 6 months. Lacking a noticeable occurrence of increased joint disorders, IDD, or cancers with neutering females, those wishing to neuter a female should decide on the appropriate age.