Pediatric Neutering

Spaying and castration have enough documented medical and behavioral benefits that veterinarians routinely include them in their overall health care recommendations to pet owners. Today, however, the question is not just whether to perform the surgery, but when.

For years it was believed that the best age at which to neuter animals was six months. In the late 1970s, however, as animal shelters began to seek new ways to combat pet overpopulation, this belief was challenged. Shelter professionals realized that conventional neutering contracts didn’t work, and one obvious remedy was to neuter all animals before they were adopted. The controversy arose because many of these animals were considered to be too young to undergo surgery.

No conclusive, controlled studies have ever been done to determine the best age to neuter dogs and cats. On the other hand, current research does show that spaying before the first heat prevents the development of mammary gland tumors. Since females can go into heat as young as four months of age, they should be spayed before then to receive that protection. Early-age, or pediatric neutering is currently performed on animals who are six to eight weeks of age and who weigh at least two pounds. Check with your veterinarian and make an appointment for the spay.

From the outset, veterinarians expressed concern about the long- and short-term safety of operating on such young animals. Short-term safety was documented in 1993 when doctors at Angell Memorial Hospital in Boston published protocols for safe surgery and anesthesia in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Other studies have since confirmed their conclusions, and in December 2000, JAVMA reported that researchers at Texas A&M University found no increase in physical or behavioral problems in cats for at least three years postoperatively. Veterinarians have been safely performing the surgeries for shelters since the 1980s, adding to the growing body of supportive anecdotal information.

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