Studying Health Conditions Associated with Spay/Neuter in Dogs

Although spay/neuter is a widely accepted population control practice that has dramatically reduced births of unwanted puppies, the procedure has both positive and negative health outcomes in individual dogs. An interdisciplinary research group with expertise in statistics, epidemiology, theriogenology and animal welfare will evaluate seven years of patient data from Banfield Pet Hospital, a North American chain with over 1,000 clinics. The team first will explore the relationship between sterilization and overweight/obesity diagnoses, with consideration of dog size, dog breed and age at surgery. The team will design a subsequent study to evaluate the relationship between spay/neuter and the development of cranial cruciate ligament injury. The team hopes analysis of Banfield’s extensive and detailed patient dataset will help identify which dogs are at highest risk for these health outcomes, and build on previous publications around this important topic. This new information will help inform individualized care for dogs of different sizes and breeds, including recommended age for surgery as well as appropriate measures to prevent postsurgical weight gain.