A examine by VetCompass Australia on Rottweilers discovered that neutering earlier than one yr of age reduces lifespan by as much as one-and-a-half years in males and one yr in females in comparison with intact dogs.
Owners of a preferred canine breed are being inspired to maintain their pet pooch in tip-top situation after a James Cook University examine discovered Rottweilers may endure from decreased lifespan after the snip.
A recent evaluation of available medical data collated by VetCompass Australia of 3085 intact and 4100 neutered Rottweilers from July 1994 to June 2021 discovered these dogs neutered earlier than one yr of age had a shortened lifespan of one-and-a-half years in males and one yr in females when in comparison with their intact counterparts.
Dogs neutered earlier than the age of four-and-a-half years produced comparable outcomes.
Surprising Findings on Neutering
“Most other studies have found that neutering dogs increases their longevity but ours is one of the first that went against that,” examine lead creator and JCU Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Reproduction Dr. Carolynne Joone mentioned.
“It was a bit of a shock when that wasn’t what we found. We were fortunate with the data we had because we could determine when a dog was desexed and when they died.”
Despite the findings, Dr. Joone strongly inspired homeowners to desex their canine, suggesting that homeowners ought to deal with managing their canine’s weight acquire which was frequent after the process.
“There are serious consequences for not neutering a dog, such as the risk of a life-threatening uterus infection known as Pyometra, mammary tumors, and unwanted puppies,” she mentioned.
“There’s a strong suspicion that the reduced lifespan is more to do with weight issues than the neutering itself, so I would encourage owners to go ahead and neuter their dog but make sure you keep it at a good, healthy weight.”
Further Research and Health Considerations
While it’s presently unknown if there’s an optimum age to neuter a Rottweiler that doesn’t affect their lifespan, the examine famous a number of components that would affect the lifespan of a canine, together with genetic predisposition, vitamin, train, healthcare, and environmental components.
Screening for genetic problems and deciding on wholesome breeding pairs may additionally assist cut back the prevalence of hereditary well being situations in Rottweilers and assist increase their longevity.
Dr. Joone mentioned she now wished to develop her examine to different common canine breeds, comparable to Greyhounds and Golden Retrievers, to see if the outcomes could possibly be replicated.
Reference: “The effect of neuter status on longevity in the Rottweiler dog” by Carolynne J. Joonè, and Dmitry A. Konovalov, 19 October 2023, Scientific Reports.
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45128-w
JCU Senior Lecturer in Information Technology Dr Dmitry Konovalov was a co-author on the examine.
