I am well aware of the conventional wisdom of breeders, and of most owners and veterinarians, to neuter pet dogs. I fully understand the reasonings behind this policy.
My concerns are with the affect of neutering upon the long term health of the neutered dogs vis-a-vis the intact ones. Dr. Christine Zink suggests that neutering young puppies may be a mistake, presumably due to the continuing need for sex hormones related to growth, particularly bone growth. She says more research is needed. I am all for that. Fortunately, this issue is an across-the-board one for all breeds, so we do not have to wait for the unlikely research paper focused solely upon Cavaliers.
I have a hunch that the research will show that dogs need their reproductive systems intact to keep their other systems functioning optimally, particularly the immune system. When the reproductive organs are removed, other bodily systems must compensate for the production of hormones which are not there anymore, and this could both overtax the other systems and result in inefficient compensating performances.
This hunch is based mainly upon conversations I have had recently with veterinarians who have noticed immune problems in Cavaliers and who are knowledgeable about the continuing value of the hormones produced by a functioning reproductive system.
When vets who previously advocated neutering young dogs now are questioning that policy, their views ought to be considered and may result in further research, much as recent research into the issue of annual vaccinations has resulted in new protocols. At the 2006 North American Veterinary Conference, there was not one paper presented on the topic of neutering canines. I would not be surprised if at the 2007 conference, this topic is discussed.
One comment about the alleged robustness of the average Cavalier. The average Cavalier has mitral valve disease, and while that disease may not manifest itself in visibly sickly behavior until it approaches the stage of congestive heart failure, it is progressive as sure as a pregnancy is progressive. We may not see the effects MVD has on the Cavalier with a grade 2 to 4 murmur, but it is having a continuous impact upon, not only the heart, but also the renal and hepatic and blood systems, guarantying an overtaxed immune system.
Knowlegeable veterinarians, particularly cardiologists, tend to agree that a Cavalier with moderate to advanced MVD should not be vaccinated, because of the impact of the vaccine viruses upon the immune system. (See, for example, Dr. Barrett's advice to Darcy on Darcy's Daily Blog on April 15
http://darcysdaily.blogspot.com/ )
If vaccines could adversely affect the immune system of Cavaliers with MVD, imagine the possible affect of the removal of an entire bodily system that is designed to contribute to the performance of the immune system. So, this is a topic which I think ought to be researched, and hopefully will be in the near future.
Rod Russell
Orlando, Florida USA