Animal Welfare Professionals

I converse regularly with a "HEALTH" advocate and touching on the topic of pets, it is said to be a healthier option for a K9's and/or Feline's to have a hysterectomy and/or vasectomy!  This method eliminates growth and hormone issues, torn ACL's and other ailments from aging, etc! I believe this to be TRUE, however, since us humans, have let the pet over-population get "out of control", we are stuck with early Spay/Neuter, if any at all? We should NOT be making spay/neuter the only standard, yet what are our options, and what are your thoughts? By now, I would think our technology is pretty advanced, if so, I haven't heard much about it and its pro's and con's as entering as an alternative to society! Are we even headed in that direction, anywhere? Hmmm.....

#AccesstoCare
#CommunityPartnerships*
#DataandTechnology
#EducationandTraining
#FieldServicesandPublicSafety*
#LawsandPublicPolicy
#Medicine,SurgeryandSterilization
#OrganizationalManagement
#PetSupportServices*

------------------------------
[Mary Murray] LadywiththeHuskies
[Founder, CEO and President
[Greene Animal League
[Greeneville, TN
------------------------------

Thank you for bringing up this (controversial??) topic. We are harming many of our canine companions by preforming traditional S/N at a young age and stripping them of much needed hormones. Creating responsible owners won't happen overnight, but we can pressure the Veterinary community to step up and learn techniques to perform OSH and vasectomies, AND educate themselves in providing HRT for animals already S/N in a traditional manner. 

------------------------------
Dolores Matthys
Founder
Pawsitive Souls
OR
------------------------------

I would submit that this is a next level issue and that first we need to focus on the systemic problems in our locales that are causing pet over population such as poorly educated or low income individuals and work on general access to spay/neuter as a low cost service. Once we have addressed the foundational reasons for these issues we can start looking at things like this, but right now most shelters do not have the time or money to worry about this, mine included. We have a 400 person waitlist for s/n due to how prohibitively expensive it is in this area(Asheville, NC). 

------------------------------
Elsa Enstrom
Helpline Coordinator
Asheville Humane Society
NC
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-22-2025 10:50 PM
From: Dolores Matthys
Subject: What are your thoughts on Pet's Health via Hysterectomy and/or Vasectomy?

Thank you for bringing up this (controversial??) topic. We are harming many of our canine companions by preforming traditional S/N at a young age and stripping them of much needed hormones. Creating responsible owners won't happen overnight, but we can pressure the Veterinary community to step up and learn techniques to perform OSH and vasectomies, AND educate themselves in providing HRT for animals already S/N in a traditional manner. 

------------------------------
Dolores Matthys
Founder
Pawsitive Souls
OR
------------------------------

This is not a question easily answered, and I suspect will be a topic of much debate over the next 5 years or so.  The data that has been collected is not complete in many areas, and those studies that have been done have had some flaws in their methodology or conclusions pointed out.  Perhaps in another 5 years or so there will be a true study done representative of a true variety of the pet population giving some more clear answers.  There was a slight push/movement years ago to vasectomize male feral/stray cats instead of neutering them, with the theory being that they still would mate females but not get them pregnant while then bringing them out of heat.  It never really caught on to my knowledge for a variety of reasons (I think the unwanted behavioral characteristics still being there the number 1 reason). There are also other interesting issues that arise from considering just hysterectomies or vasectomies.

1. Yes, a vasectomy does spare the hormone production that helps in maturation of the body, but it also leaves intact some unwanted and often undesirable secondary behavioral characteristics (many of which can be a leading reason why animals are surrendered to shelters or rehomed).  Is the trade off worth it?
2. Hysterectomies would spare the dog or cat the loss of hormones, but what other effects would we be looking at (increase in mammary masses, heat cycles, behavioral changes, etc.). I know some studies have said that they don't see a real increase in mammary tumors, but I would need to see a little more repeatable data on that.  
3. Would some laws actually have to be changed to allow dogs and cats to be adopted out with only having these procedures and not a complete altering??  Many states have laws saying an animal cannot be adopted from a shelter/rescue without being spayed or neutered first (barring some medical reason preventing it...and even then sometimes still have to be altered).  How would the regulations look if we started advocating for vasectomies over neutering of males?  This is especially important in most rescues/shelters as we all know it is those 2-3 month old kittens and puppies that are the easiest to adopt.
4. Might the suggestions change in the future regarding age of sterilization of younger animals. and how would that affect point number 3 if the vets did suggest waiting?

Just some things that I have thought of on it off the top of my head.  I do think there is validity to waiting, if possible, in large breed males to allow for proper bone development and growth, but with the issues raised above....how easy would it be to implement and still make adoptions possible?

------------------------------
Bryan Langlois
Medical Director
Spay/Neuter Save Network
PA
------------------------------

This is a much more complicated issue than the OP's post would suggest, both in terms of population management and individual animal health.

I second everything Dr. Langlois said and there are many other considerations in addition to the ones he raises. I am presenting two lectures on these topics at VMX in January...come and hear more about this discussion if you'll be in Orlando!

But, those of us in the animal welfare/sheltering world ESPECIALLY need to NOT be messaging that S/N is bad for dogs or cats while shelters are drowning in unwanted pets and the free-roaming populations of dogs and cats are exploding around the world. There is no settled causative effect between any  specific health problem and traditional S/N at any age (correlation is not the same as causation), especially in mixed breed dogs.  Conversely, a number of negative behavioral and life-threatening health effects of leaving gonads in pets are extremely well-documented.

As a note, most competent veterinary surgeons are capable of performing vasectomy, hysterectomy or any other of the proposed "novel" gonad-sparing procedures (the long-term health impacts of which are completely unstudied at this time...same with HRT). We actively choose to provide traditional S/N (gonadectomy) because we believe it is in the best interest of both individual animal health and population management. This is not a "vet training" issue.

------------------------------
Rachel Powell DVM
Director of Surgery
Greenhill Humane Society
Eugene, OR
------------------------------

I believe in hysterectomys and vasectomies. The problem is that vets refuse to leave the ovaries when you ask them too because if any other vet does a ultra sound in the future they will see the ovaries and might think that they are tumors or that the animal hasn't been spayed and then charge the owner a bunch or worse scare the owner with misinformation. The problem with vasectomies is that the male dog doesn't look neutered and then the owner is judged by other people and vets. Also if the vasectomy isn't done correctly with the complete removal of the vas deferens then the dog could heal and the tubes could heal and then the dog would be able to still make babies. This has happened with humans many times and can just as eaisly happen with dogs unless it is taken into account during surgery. Also if these dogs are brought into the shelter the vet there will probably cut them off later instead of looking for a tattoo or indication that the dog had a vasectomey. The hormone imbalance by removal isn't great but it is what prevents male dogs from being aggressive markers so if you don't fully remove the balls it won't adjust their attitude, which is why a lot of people get their male dogs neutered in the first place. And just a reminder I am for these procedures but I also see the "what if" aspect. I hope we can see a change in the future maybe not neuter male dogs until they are 9 months or older or something like that. But if we made hysterectomies normal by leaving the ovaries I think that is something that can be done without too much trouble if we could get the veterinary community on board. I personally have had a hysterectomy and had my ovaries left, and I can tell you I actually prefer the reduced hormone flucuations.

------------------------------
April Cannizzaro
CEO
San Diego Last Chance Ranch
CA
------------------------------

Our non-profit has 5 staff members, 4 of whom are veterinarians. 

Context can play a significant role in what the team feels is the best decision for any patient. For example, organizations have developed separate vaccination guidelines for shelter medicine as opposed to owned pets.  We aren't harming the animals by choosing one protocol over another, we are just balancing risks and benefits contextually.

Context is just as important in trying to determine the perfect age and method to sterilize an animal which may in individual cases be a little different than what is the best organizational policy. 

In our foundation we try to an adopt an evidence-based approach to medicine. Balancing all the factors and based on the available evidence, our medical team overwhelmingly favours early S/N and gonad removal as being aligned in terms of the overall best interest of our individual patients and our community at large. 

------------------------------
Ursula Hendel
Founder
Granos de Arena
------------------------------