Spaying and Neutering - such a hot topic. Here at EverOak Labradors, we do leave our dogs unaltered but we also know how to take care of our boys and girls when the girls come in season to prevent accidental breedings. We believe it is healthier for our dogs in the long term. Click on BLUE links below to be taken to additional articles.

Now, when we do place any puppies they are on MANDATORY SPAY/NEUTER contract .... BUT it will NOT be allowed and will void your contract if done before your new  puppy reaches 18-24 months of age (girls must go through at least one heat cycle and be 2-3 months past that heat cycle in addition to the age requirement) to allow all growth plates to close (see chart at bottom of page). This allows your puppy to physically mature and gain the look and size they were bred to be.

When a dog’s reproductive organs are surgically removed, the sex hormones they produce also disappear. The sex hormones are responsible for more than just sexual behaviors and one of their responsibilities is regulating growth. Click on early spay and neutering for a great article to see how it physically (in health and appearance) affects your dogs.

Breeders can readily spot the difference between an intact dog and a neutered dog: neutered dogs have longer limbs, narrower heads and bodies, and they are lighter in bone. When the sex hormones are removed, the growth hormones are missing important regulatory input and the bones continue to grow longer than they ought to. Studies have proven this to be true (Salmeri et al, JAVMA 1991). Cons of Spaying/Neutering Too Early and How It Affects Growth

 
Traditional
Spay Spaying is the removal of the uterus and ovaries
Neuter Neutering is the removal of a male dog's testicles



Concerns


Evidence indicates that in at least large dogs, the health benefits of keeping the ovaries may outweigh the health risks (the risks being mammary tumors and pyometra, which is infection of the uterus). 
A more recent publication from U.C. Davis (de la Riva, Hart et al, 2013) looked at two joint disorders and three cancers– hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament tear, lymphosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma and mast cell tumor– and showed that, for all five diseases analyzed, the disease rates were significantly higher in both males and females that were neutered either early or late compared with intact (non-neutered) dogs.
   
New Alternatives
Ovary Sparing Spay

Sometimes referred as a "partial spay" which is to  remove the uterus and leave the ovaries
 
Vasectomy The health pro and cons tip even more strongly in favor of keeping the male hormones than in females, since the only health conditions prevented by neuter are benign prostatic hyperplasia in older dogs (which is treatable by neuter or PEMF), and testicular cancer (which is also a disease of old age and treated by castration, which is usually curative).

For more information please visit Ovary Sparing Spay and Vasectomies  You can also review a list of veterinarians who offer alternative altering of your dog in many states.


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Paw Print Pedigrees Breeder Seal click above link to be taken to tested dogs to view reports