Thank you, Judith! A new discussion thread has been started with some content added including links to position statements from major veterinary organizations that continue to endorse pediatric S/N.
Original Message:
Sent: 03-20-2025 08:00 AM
From: JUDITH PEARSON
Subject: Medical Protocols Tailored for Kitten Care in Shelters and Rescues (Camp Maddie: Kitten Edition)
Could you make this a separate thread/topic for discussion? It's such an important one. Your post is fabulous and this very subject came up at a board meeting last night. It was not on the agenda, but it's a hot topic!
in our area strays cannot be released from the shelter without being spayed or neutered unless the owner pays a hefty intact fee. That has significantly reduced the number of intact animals going back home..
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JUDITH PEARSON
President
The Dixon Animal Protection Society
NM
Original Message:
Sent: 03-19-2025 02:59 PM
From: Rachel Powell
Subject: Medical Protocols Tailored for Kitten Care in Shelters and Rescues (Camp Maddie: Kitten Edition)
I am going to jump in on this discussion to say that while I agree there is broad consensus that there are no contraindications to pediatric S/N in cats, I strongly disagree that the topic is, or should be, controversial in dogs.
There are a handful of deeply flawed studies that have purported to demonstrate correlation (CAUSATION has never been documented) between pediatric S/N and a number of health conditions (mostly cancer and orthopedic disease) in dogs. I say deeply flawed in that they are limited to purebred dog breeds already known to be at increased risk for these conditions, are based on skewed data from tertiary care facilities (referral hospitals/university vet schools) or owner surveys without medical records, and demonstrate (at most) a small (sometimes not even statistically significant) increase in risk. There are a number of other weaknesses and flawed methodology that I won't bore the group with unless requested. On the flip side, we know for sure that dogs that are not S/N are at high risk for a number of potentially fatal diseases such as pyometra, mammary carcinoma, prostate cancer/adenocarcinoma, dystocia, TVT, not to mention the associated behavioral problems that are common reasons for surrender to shelters. Also, while there are no studies that demonstrate increased risk of S/N in mixed breed dogs, there are a number of studies from multiple countries that find that S/N dogs are overall healthier and have longer lifespans than intact dogs.
The other issues with these studies and the push to delay or eliminate routine S/N in dogs are the socioeconomic ones...when S/N is delayed until maturity, the costs for these procedures increase dramatically, particularly for large and giant breed dogs. I have seen quotes for >$2500 for routine S/N in large dogs...well out of reach of many owners. When these dogs develop pyometra or become pregnant and have complications such as dystocia, spay becomes an emergency procedure with quotes as high as $10-15,000+ for surgery and hospitalization. When these dogs develop behavior problems associated with reproductive hormones (roaming, marking, aggression, bleeding/house soiling during estrus, etc.) they are at risk of becoming lost/stray or surrendered to shelters by frustrated owners.
My shelter has seen a significant increase in intake of dogs that are intact, both stray and O/S. In 2019, 20% of O/S dogs and 50% of ADULT stray dogs were intact. In 2024, those numbers have jumped to 40% of O/S dogs and 70% of strays. When we offer FREE S/N to owners when they reclaim their stray dogs, they are increasingly declining S/N (even for adult dogs) because they have "heard that it is bad for them". There are real implications to this trend for shelters that are already full to bursting with large-breed dogs, many with behavioral barriers to adoption.
While I respect an owner's right to make choices regarding S/N for their individual pet, I don't think most people actually understand the risk/benefit analysis. And we in the animal welfare/shelter world should consider these evolving recommendations and their implications for the work we do and the communities we serve carefully and thoughtfully.
Sorry to co-opt a kitten conversation but this is a really important issue IMO :-)
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Rachel Powell DVM
Director of Surgery
Greenhill Humane Society
Eugene, OR
Original Message:
Sent: 03-18-2025 07:26 AM
From: Julie Levy
Subject: Medical Protocols Tailored for Kitten Care in Shelters and Rescues (Camp Maddie: Kitten Edition)
"There was a study (from Spain I think) talking about health consequences pediatric spay and neutering. Are you aware of this? Is there any medical contraindiction to pediatric spay and neutering in cats?" - Anonymous Attendee
The Fix by Five task force of experts identified no contraindications to pediatric spay/neuter in cats. The topic is much more controversial in dogs.
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Julie Levy, DVM
Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida
Maddie's Million Pet Challenge
https://sheltermedicine.vetmed.ufl.edu
Original Message:
Sent: 03-07-2025 11:49 AM
From: Maddie's University
Subject: Medical Protocols Tailored for Kitten Care in Shelters and Rescues (Camp Maddie: Kitten Edition)
Dr. Julie Levy's session from Camp Maddie Kitten is now available to watch on-demand!
If you would like to earn continuing education credit, head over to Maddie's University to watch the recording. Earn 1.0 CAWA CE from The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement, 1.0 NACA CE from the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA), and 1 hour of RACE CE credit from the Registry of Approved Continuing Education: https://university.maddiesfund.org/products/camp-maddie-kitten-edition-medical-protocols-tailored-for-kitten-care-in-shelters-and-rescues
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Maddie's University
Maddie's Fund
Original Message:
Sent: 02-24-2025 11:15 AM
From: Julie Levy
Subject: Medical Protocols Tailored for Kitten Care in Shelters and Rescues (Camp Maddie: Kitten Edition)
Hi folks,
We are gearing up for Camp Maddie: Kitten Edition just in time to get you up to speed on the latest and greatest info on ALL THINGS KITTEN!
My session begins at 1 pm ET on March 4th talking about how kitten-centered medical protocols can support upscaled kitten lifesaving programs to meet community needs. In this session, we'll cover:
Kittens are exceptionally vulnerable in the first months of life. Many kittens born outdoors are underweight, sick, or injured by the time they are discovered or may develop disease after they enter a sheltered environment. This session will dive into the Shelter Medicine protocols developed for preventive health care, surgery, and response to disease that often differ from those used in private veterinary practice. Topics will include vaccination, spay/neuter, and infectious diseases including upper respiratory infection, FeLV, panleukopenia, and FIP.
You won't want to miss any of the speakers in the Kitten Edition of Camp Maddie. Joining me from 12-4 pm ET will be Monica Tarant, Marnie Russ, and Tabitha Kucera presenting on upscaling community responses to kittens in need, National Kitten College and updates on caring for neonates, and kitten behavior and socialization. Check out the full lineup!
Registration is now open and we hope to see you all there!
#AdmissionsandIntake(includingIntake-to-placement)
#AdoptionsandAdoptionPrograms
#CommunityCatManagement
#Conferences,WorkshopsandWebcasts
#FosterPrograms
#Medicine,SurgeryandSterilization
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Julie Levy, DVM, PhD
Fran Marino Endowed Distinguished Professor of Shelter Medicine Education
Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida
Maddie's Million Pet Challenge
https://sheltermedicine.vetmed.ufl.edu
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