Desexing Early Leads To Taller And Hairier Dogs?

[whatevah]

I have heard that if you desex your dog too early say at around 6 months, that it can lead to the male dog being more leggy as the growth plates take longer to close. Also heard that desexed dogs are hairier.

My flatcoat is taller than average and very hairy. My toller top of the standard and also very hairy. What are people opinions on this. They also say for the health of the female dog, to have her desexed after the first season.

[2tollers]

I can't answer your question but Moses is similar to Todd in size and coat and Todd wasn't desexed until he was 2yo.

[Jed]

I have noticed that the pups I sell which are desexed around 6 months are ALWAYS hairier than those not desexed. My male desexed Cocker (which I did not breed) is desexed and has twice the coat of my unrelated female cocker.

It is accepted that desexed dogs grow more hair.

And most of the desexed males are taller too.

[morgan]

In my breed, males and females that are desexed prior to 12 months grow taller, narrower in the chest and much hairier.

Males and females that are desexed at ANY age (even at ten yrs) are not only much hairier, but have incorrect coat growth patterns, resulting in long fuzzy hair where it should be smooth and silky. I can pick one that has been desexed from more than twenty feet away, purely by the awful incorrect coat.

[Livi]

So what if they are taller and hairier or not ?

If you are not breeding from your dog a slight difference in height and hair length should not be an issue.

If it is an issue the owner needs to be responsible for ensuring no unplanned/unwanted litters result from their dog and be able to manage the natural urges of an entire dog/bitch.

[Greytmate]

Males and females that are desexed at ANY age (even at ten yrs) are not only much hairier, but have incorrect coat growth patterns, resulting in long fuzzy hair where it should be smooth and silky. I can pick one that has been desexed from more than twenty feet away, purely by the awful incorrect coat.

What breed are you talking about?

You are so anti-desexing, it seems that you will say just about anything to try to put people off desexing their pets, and sorry, but this just sounds like bullshit to me.

[frufru]

Can only answer for poodle coats - mine were desexed after retiring from the show ring and they certainly did not have any changes in coat as a result - though have heard people say this in relation to other breeds.

[Mjosa]

In my breed it makes no difference whether the dog is entire or desexed, to their coats or conformation, it is genetics not desexing that would cause these differences.

I like puppies that are being sold as pets to be desexed and have an agreement for pet owners, to be sure that they are done at six months.

Down the track they come back for visits and there is *NO* diference between the desexed and entire.

[shoemonster]

I have a desexed bitch and an entire dog

Her coat is nicer than his and she is also within a cm or 2 of her entire female litter mate

[KOE]

What a load of crap.

Desexed bitches keep their coats and dont drop as much because there is no hormone changes RE: seasons.

Gee I will have to tell the desexed Mutt he actually isnt part wolfhound at all he is hairy because he has been juvenile desexed Geez louise get a grip people..

I agree with Greymate the majority on dol are anti-desex

no wonder why so many beautiful healthy dogs are euthanised each and every day.

PS my Vizsla bitch was desexed but funny thing she was in the standard and I dont know what was wrong with her but she never got hairy, oh dear she must have been the odd one out.

[morgan]

You are so anti-desexing, it seems that you will say just about anything to try to put people off desexing their pets, and sorry, but this just sounds like bullshit to me.

I am not anti-desexing, I am against the mantra of "desex at all costs".

I have frequently stated that desexing is essential for many dogs, just not before mental and physical maturity, ESPECIALLY in large breeds. Some large breeds are simply better off never being desexed due to musculature and skeletal requirements. Most toy breed males would make highly unsuitable house pets if left entire! Many other breeds can produce males so singleminded about finding females (and aggressive to males) that desexing is necessary to preserve everyone's sanity.

Why it is not politically correct for responsible, informed owners to keep entire dogs in secure premises is totally beyond me. My entire dogs and bitches have never produced an accidental litter in over 30 years - it can be done, and I'm fed up with everyone assuming that ALL entires are responsible for the unwanted dog problem.

Not all owners are the same, not all breeds are the same, and there is no "one desexing protocol fits all".

BTW - desexing makes absolutely no difference to the coats of many breeds - it does make a very obvious difference in mine, I don't appreciate being accused of bullshit.

[Tim'sMum]

They also say for the health of the female dog, to have her desexed after the first season.

But you also have the risk of an unwanted litter?

I can't imagine it making any difference whatsoever to a female's health......although I have heard that desexing after a female comes into season does tend to make them more prone to put on weight. Not sure of the truth in that either?

Desexing any dog (excepting those who will breed as a Pedigree) should be what any responsible owner would do.....before they have the chance to add to so many unwanted dogs.

One of my dogs (both rescues) was desexed at 8 weeks.........and I see absolutely NO problem with that.

He is a normal healthy male dog who was very, very interested in our female foster,who came into season before we could desex her. Obviously early desexing didn't affect his 'male' mind too much!

Sorry.......I don't consider it PC to keep any dog entire, unless you plan to breed and it is a Pedigree dog.

Dogs, especially with certain things on their minds can and will escape, dogs can be let out accidently, no matter how vigilant an owner is.

Edited November 5, 2006 by Tim'sMum

[Toohey]

Of my two desexed cockers, my boy was desexed at 6 months. His coat was lovely and flat prior, but within a couple of months it turned to complete wool. Will try to show some before and after pics. It is quite dramatic. It is common for this to happen with cockers.

He has also grown to about an inch above standard. Not that that is a problem, and it is something I have seen with entire dogs and bitches as well... growing too tall.

My girl was desexed at four... her coat used to be lovely and flat, but several months after speying it is now wayward, thick, and wooly like my boy's.

What a load of crap.

Desexed bitches keep their coats and dont drop as much because there is no hormone changes RE: seasons

Not a load of crap at all. Please don't make statements like this, unless you have the knowledge and experience to back them up.

[morgan]

I can't imagine it making any difference whatsoever to a female's health......although I have heard that desexing after a female comes into season does tend to make them more prone to put on weight. Not sure of the truth in that either?

You "can't imagine"? Have you looked at ANY of the scientific studies posted here over the last year on desexing? Or posts from members who have had bitches with lifelong health problems and constant medication because of desexing? Or even those bitches that died as a result of being desexed?

[whatevah]

I am not anti desexing, just keep it nice. Just interested in discussion. This was discussed at a recent seminar I was at. The presenter said that desexed early males particularly ended up a lot narrower in the body, and it effected them structurally. However every dog is different and I have been told that my flatcoat Josh is built like a brick sh@#t house, probably due to flyball.

[PAX]

I had never noticed a difference in smaller breed dogs but have noticed it a lot in large breeds like Dobes and GSD's that were castrated under 12 months. It was only when my Dobe male, desexed at 9 months grew to a whopping 74cm (much taller than his undesexed litter mates) that I started asking people with tall males what age they had them desexed.

IMO there is some truth to it.

[MolassesLass]

Firstly, 6 months is not too early, it is the standard, especially with medium or small breeds.

In BCs, I have not seen coats going "wooley" from desexing, early or otherwise. Coat only seems to go wooley with age. In fact, other than the lack of hormonal coat drops keeping coat on all year around, I've seen no difference in any of the dog's I owned, bred, rescued or met. Genetics plays a far bigger part in the coat of a BC than hormones it would seem.

A BC done at 6 months is very unlikely to have any significant extra growth as they are beginning to slow down growing at around that age anyway. If you believe in desexing after the first season in females then you will definately notice no difference. BCs usually have their first season around 8 months old.

Normal texture coats all desexed at 7 weeks

Edited November 5, 2006 by molasseslass

[Greytmate]

You are so anti-desexing, it seems that you will say just about anything to try to put people off desexing their pets, and sorry, but this just sounds like bullshit to me.

Why it is not politically correct for responsible, informed owners to keep entire dogs in secure premises is totally beyond me. My entire dogs and bitches have never produced an accidental litter in over 30 years - it can be done, and I'm fed up with everyone assuming that ALL entires are responsible for the unwanted dog problem.

Because it is not politically correct to label anybody as irresponsible and uninformed, and demand that only those people desex.

Because there are more proven health benefits than proven disadvantages of having dogs desexed.

Because desexed dogs are not the ones that are responsible for the unwanted dog problem.

BTW - desexing makes absolutely no difference to the coats of many breeds - it does make a very obvious difference in mine, I don't appreciate being accused of bullshit.

I don't appreciate some of the psuedo-scientific propaganda and conspiracy theories you spout in your anti-desexing campaign. I don't appreciate you telling us that dogs that are desexed have awful incorrect coats. A different coat is not an awful coat. If you are only talking about one breed then say that, otherwise you do appear to be talking bullshit.

[Toohey]

Have changed computers recently and seem to have lost a lot of photos

Here's the best I can find at the moment...

five months old

and here he is about 2-3, but this pic was taken not long after the coat king came about and I have tried to strip his coat wihtout very good results. I have since gone back to clipping him.

It gives an idea of the texture change though.

edit to say, this boy's coat changed to this by the time he was 9 months old.

Edited November 5, 2006 by Toohey

[~Anne~]

I have two desexed male Pugs. One was desexed at 6 months and the other was just over 2.

The guy that was done early has far less hair then the guy that was done later to the point where I have to put a coat on him even on days like yesterday because he gets cold..... so the 'hair' theory seems to not work here.

As for longer in the legs, he is longer in the legs then the other guy without a doubt though but this could also be due to breeding (as could the hair).

This argument of the good and bad of early desexing needs to be weighed up against ALL of the good and bad in each particular situation.

Obviously having a dog slightly longer in the leg doesn't mean much if the dog is desexed because you are not going to breed or show it.

If it affected a working dogs ability to work or a sporting dogs ability to hunt or whatever then I guess it might be a concern for people in these groups.

In rescue, I would advocate desexing anything that was physcially big enough to and healthy enough to desex regardless of age because the good far outweighs the bad in this arena.