Animal Welfare Professionals

Spay/Neuter too early! Boy this is a hot topic! Recently we have had a run of possible adopters who have voiced concern about spay/neutering before a year.  This brings our adoption process to a halt but we try to meet in the middle, and ensure no animals are adopted before being spayed/neutered.   One family recently wanted a veterinarian to perform an Ovary Sparing Spay (OSS) to ensure the puppy was healthy and still had her ovaries.  Has anyone utilized this surgery? What are your thoughts? 

We're running into this ALOT too and it's becoming increasingly difficult. I understand where they're coming from with wanting to wait based on research, etc but the reality is that we don't have that flexibility. We adopt out puppies that aren't sterilized yet, and it's part of their adoption contract that they will be by X date at our vet (we cover the cost). We've been getting ALOT of pushback on wanting to wait until closer to 1 year or later, but in our county/state it's the law that pets must be sterilized at 6 months of age. There's minimal understanding that if they can't uphold the contracts as they are, then our organization is at risk. They get it, but nobody thinks it applies to them or that they're the exception. Exceptions x100 just don't work, and it's scary. I would love to explore middle ground like the OSS as a way to get it done on time but still keep the adopter's happy. It's such a tough line to walk! 

Spay/Neuter too early! Boy this is a hot topic! Recently we have had a run of possible adopters who have voiced concern about spay/neutering before a year.  This brings our adoption process to a halt but we try to meet in the middle, and ensure no animals are adopted before being spayed/neutered.   One family recently wanted a veterinarian to perform an Ovary Sparing Spay (OSS) to ensure the puppy was healthy and still had her ovaries.  Has anyone utilized this surgery? What are your thoughts? 

This has been a hot topic! The research is still pretty new, and I think that's why we're seeing more families wanting to wait or explore other options. Laws and shelter policies haven't quite caught up yet, so it can definitely make the adoption process tricky.

I always encourage pet owners to understand the risks and benefits on both sides. Early spay/neuter has well-documented advantages, but delaying can have some potential health benefits too. It's all about making an informed decision and then being clear on what the shelter or clinic can and cannot provide.

As for the ovary-sparing spay (OSS), I personally LOVE it from a surgery aspect because the surgery is physically much quicker than a full spay, lol, but of course it has to be done with the right patient, at the right time, by someone trained in the technique. (I don't get to do it often)

At the end of the day, it's about giving people the right info so they can make the best decision for their pet, and sometimes that means pointing them toward a vet/place who offers the procedure if it's not something your organization/shelter does.

We're running into this ALOT too and it's becoming increasingly difficult. I understand where they're coming from with wanting to wait based on research, etc but the reality is that we don't have that flexibility. We adopt out puppies that aren't sterilized yet, and it's part of their adoption contract that they will be by X date at our vet (we cover the cost). We've been getting ALOT of pushback on wanting to wait until closer to 1 year or later, but in our county/state it's the law that pets must be sterilized at 6 months of age. There's minimal understanding that if they can't uphold the contracts as they are, then our organization is at risk. They get it, but nobody thinks it applies to them or that they're the exception. Exceptions x100 just don't work, and it's scary. I would love to explore middle ground like the OSS as a way to get it done on time but still keep the adopter's happy. It's such a tough line to walk! 

Spay/Neuter too early! Boy this is a hot topic! Recently we have had a run of possible adopters who have voiced concern about spay/neutering before a year.  This brings our adoption process to a halt but we try to meet in the middle, and ensure no animals are adopted before being spayed/neutered.   One family recently wanted a veterinarian to perform an Ovary Sparing Spay (OSS) to ensure the puppy was healthy and still had her ovaries.  Has anyone utilized this surgery? What are your thoughts? 

Spay/Neuter too early! Boy this is a hot topic! Recently we have had a run of possible adopters who have voiced concern about spay/neutering before a year.  This brings our adoption process to a halt but we try to meet in the middle, and ensure no animals are adopted before being spayed/neutered.   One family recently wanted a veterinarian to perform an Ovary Sparing Spay (OSS) to ensure the puppy was healthy and still had her ovaries.  Has anyone utilized this surgery? What are your thoughts? 

While there is chatter about "alternative", gonad-sparing procedures for sterilization, it is important to note that there are NO long-term studies into the benefits or risks associated with these procedures, so any recommendation for consideration (on demand) for or widespread adoption of these procedures by veterinarians or shelters is extremely premature. We do know that gonad-sparing procedures leave pets at increased risk for stump pyometra and ovarian/mammary carcinoma in females and testicular/prostate cancer and behavioral problems (like inter-animal aggression, roaming and urine-marking) in males.  Risk for those diseases and behavioral problems are far higher and more life-threatening than a cruciate rupture or sl. increased risk of a rare cancer.

The short answer for adopters, IMO, is that routine S/N, including pediatric S/N, is supported by all major veterinary organizations (AVMA, AAHA, ASV, AAFP) and is proven to be safe, efficient, and at low risk for complications. The studies finding increased risk for orthopedic problems or increased risk of certain types of rare cancers have all been conducted in purebred breeds (mostly large or giant breed) at tertiary care facilities that are not representative of the general population of dogs and results should not be generalized. If adopters wish to pursue "alternative" procedures for their pets, they should plan to acquire their pets from somewhere other than a shelter.

This is an issue I am passionate about so happy to say more if needed...

Spay/Neuter too early! Boy this is a hot topic! Recently we have had a run of possible adopters who have voiced concern about spay/neutering before a year.  This brings our adoption process to a halt but we try to meet in the middle, and ensure no animals are adopted before being spayed/neutered.   One family recently wanted a veterinarian to perform an Ovary Sparing Spay (OSS) to ensure the puppy was healthy and still had her ovaries.  Has anyone utilized this surgery? What are your thoughts? 

Thank you so much for this. It's definitely a difficult conversation to have and explain to adopters. While we cover the remainder of puppy vaccines in our vaccine clinic, and their spay/neuter at one of partner clinics,  they are of course getting their new pup situated with their own veterinarians that are recommending to wait. It's hard not to doubt ourselves or our approach, because ultimately we do all want what's best for dogs, and this is very helpful to my heart and my brain as we continue to navigate. The implications for continuing to wait for over a year go far beyond the one pet the adopter has, but explaining that to them isn't an easy conversation ha, nor is pushing back on the recommendation from their personal veterinarian who isn't engrained in shelter medicine or the rescue world. I sincerely appreciate your thoughtfulness, realness, and passion behind this answer and the understanding.

While there is chatter about "alternative", gonad-sparing procedures for sterilization, it is important to note that there are NO long-term studies into the benefits or risks associated with these procedures, so any recommendation for consideration (on demand) for or widespread adoption of these procedures by veterinarians or shelters is extremely premature. We do know that gonad-sparing procedures leave pets at increased risk for stump pyometra and ovarian/mammary carcinoma in females and testicular/prostate cancer and behavioral problems (like inter-animal aggression, roaming and urine-marking) in males.  Risk for those diseases and behavioral problems are far higher and more life-threatening than a cruciate rupture or sl. increased risk of a rare cancer.

The short answer for adopters, IMO, is that routine S/N, including pediatric S/N, is supported by all major veterinary organizations (AVMA, AAHA, ASV, AAFP) and is proven to be safe, efficient, and at low risk for complications. The studies finding increased risk for orthopedic problems or increased risk of certain types of rare cancers have all been conducted in purebred breeds (mostly large or giant breed) at tertiary care facilities that are not representative of the general population of dogs and results should not be generalized. If adopters wish to pursue "alternative" procedures for their pets, they should plan to acquire their pets from somewhere other than a shelter.

This is an issue I am passionate about so happy to say more if needed...

Spay/Neuter too early! Boy this is a hot topic! Recently we have had a run of possible adopters who have voiced concern about spay/neutering before a year.  This brings our adoption process to a halt but we try to meet in the middle, and ensure no animals are adopted before being spayed/neutered.   One family recently wanted a veterinarian to perform an Ovary Sparing Spay (OSS) to ensure the puppy was healthy and still had her ovaries.  Has anyone utilized this surgery? What are your thoughts?