Compelling reason to neuter older dog?

[Karen]

Blaze will be 10 in June. He's done competing. He's done making puppies. And he's healthy.

Are there any reasons I should consider neutering him now?

[CDN_Cocker]

...The vet telling you he has testicular cancer. Other than that, he's 10 years old... What would you hope to gain from it?

[Karen]

THAT right there is the question. Are there common health issues that can be avoided by neutering him now, while he's still healthy enough to go under anesthesia?

There ARE compelling reasons to spay an older bitch. I'm wondering about dogs. Blaze is my oldest intact dog, and there is nothing but CRAP information available on the internet. I was hoping one of our member vets might respond.

[shags]

My vet says neutering can decrease odds of the dog developing perianal adenocarcinoma. But then, neutered dogs are at increased risk for osteosarcoma. So it's a tradeoff. When they're elderly, they're gonna come down with something, sometime whether they are intact or not.

I've never had a problem with any of my intact males, except for two that died young. One had cancer, the other got hit by a milk truck. All the others died in old age. IMO there is no reason to neuter males unless there is a specific problem that neutering will help.

I think it's different in some humans, but in dogs testosterone is not a poison

[Karen]

Thanks Shags. That was the information I was looking for.

[dog dr]

When they're elderly, they're gonna come down with something, sometime whether they are intact or not. IMO there is no reason to neuter males unless there is a specific problem that neutering will help.

+1

[Sharon]

shags wrote:
When they're elderly, they're gonna come down with something, sometime whether they are intact or not. IMO there is no reason to neuter males unless there is a specific problem that neutering will help. " quote

So true. My 12 year old saw the vet to day. Mass in her neck ( could be a fatty mass) and a heart murmur. Biopsy done. You never know.