Times have changed.
As anyone who has undergone a surgical castration or complete hysterectomy can tell you, neither are without terrible side effects.
My Izzy was as healthy as a horse and at the age of 8, we had her spayed.
Her hips went out in just a few months and she was dead a few months later.
Her niece Pookie was also fabulously healthy until we spayed her.
Her thyroid crashed, her hips went out and that was that.
If I knew then what I know, I believe they’d both still be alive.
Djinni was spayed before her first estrus and less than a month later, she developed cholesterol deposits in her eyes and to this day, has a white film over them.
The eye specialist said it was a “metabolic issue”.
I *know* messing with her system caused it.
Gypsy has terrible spay incontinence but one Wedgewood Estriol cap *cures* it almost instantly.
Why?
Because they put back what I had ripped from her.
The gonads are part of the entire metabolic/endocrine system, all of which works in perfect concert.
Rip out one part and you wreck the others.
This is simply common sense.
I deeply regret every spay or neuter I have ignorantly inflicted upon my dogs.
Your points make me think that is why we see so much breast cancer today.
It’s pandemic in America and in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s and ‘90’s most women had hysterectomies…then took estrogen replacement therapy.
All I know is my grandma and all the old ancestors didn’t do that so the uterus may have some benefits we don’t know about. Keep your uterus intact!
Never had a problem. Not that I have had many, but mostly girl dogs and boy cats, never had trouble.
My best dog I did not spay until she had developed breast cancer at 10, because I thought I might breed her, but never did.