Alpine Animal Doctors, your local vet for Bright, Porepunkah, Myrtleford, Beechworth, Mt. Beauty and beyond

For many years an annual booster vaccination was the standard for dogs and cats. More recently, as modern vaccines have become more and more effective, some studies have shown that an annual vaccination is not always necessary. Research suggests that the duration of immunity (DoI) of many of the current vaccines varies, and may provide protection for considerably longer than twelve months.

Current guidelines suggest that, after the initial vaccination series and the one-year booster shot, in most cases core vaccines could be administered every three years (trienally) rather than annually. In some cases even less frequent vaccination may be appropriate. However, variations in the titre level and duration of antibodies can be extreme in individual animals. The only way we can accurately determine if your pet has sufficient antibodies remaining from previous vaccinations is to run a titre test. We can do this in the hospital’s own pathology lab but it is unfortunately more expensive than the vaccination itself.

We rely heavily on local factors, individual patient needs and the circumstances of the client to dictate what kind of vaccination is required and how often it should be repeated.

In most cases we continue to recommend an annual vaccination, for a number of reasons. One is that although less frequent vaccination is often suggested as saving money for the pet owner, the reality is that the higher cost of a triennial vaccine  is such that the cost of vaccinating every three years is actually much the same as annual vaccinations.

Another is that the triennial guidelines apply only to core vaccines. The important non-core vaccines still require annual boosters.

Finally, and importantly, clients who feel their pet needs only the basic core vaccine and opt for the triennial vaccine means Dr. Bek may see your pet only every three years. In animal years that’s a very long time between checkups — roughly 20 years. It’s like you visiting your doctor for a check-up just once every two decades.

The degeneration of organs that can occur in those three years is phenomenal, and often irreversible. Heart conditions, dental disease and kidney failure can easily develop within a six-month period and, left untreated, progress to the point where it becomes very difficult, if not impossible, to treat.

If pets are seen yearly we can diagnose health issues so much easier and can often slow, if not reverse, some life-threatening conditions.

The few minutes you and your furry friend spend in the consulting room for that annual vaccination are one of the most important aids to helping keep your pet healthy. We don’t just give your pet his or her vaccination. They get a thorough check up too and it’s surprising how often we pick up latent diseases and/or symptoms that, treated early, can avoid far greater trauma and cost in the future. It’s also an opportunity for us to discuss with owners any changes or anything out of the ordinary that may have occurred in the life of their pet which might point to underlying or developing health issues.

Our policy is to never over vaccinate and to always use current best practice based on all available research. We will fully discuss with you all of the pros and cons of the various immunisation options available to ensure you are fully informed.

Whether you decide on annual or triennial vaccines, the most important thing you can do is to make sure that your pet receives an annual check up at the hospital.

Traditionally most veterinarians have preferred to desex dogs and cats shortly before they enter puberty, at around six months of age. The thinking has been that six months is not too young, not too old, and an age that pre-dates the advent of sexual maturity, with all of the behavioural issues that can bring. Most vets would still see that as the ideal age, for most pets, and in most circumstances. 

The success of public education programmes promoting desexing to reduce the number of unwanted dogs and cats, and the introduction of State and local laws mandating compulsory desexing for animals sold as pets or adopted from shelters has seen the average age for desexing steadily reduce. In many cases shelters and Humane Societies are now routinely desexing animals before they go to their new homes, sometimes at as young as 8 or 9 weeks.

As far as the spaying or neutering procedures themselves are concerned there is no inherent problem in desexing an animal even at this very young age. Young puppies have very strong recuperative powers and are generally running around or looking for dinner just a few hours after their operation.

However, research in recent years has seen a growing body of evidence that desexing too early can potentially affect the long term health of your pets, in some cases quite severely. Early neutering (males) and spaying (females) has been suggested as one potential causal factor in the areas of orthopaedics, cancers, life expectancy, behaviour and a wide range of other negative health outcomes. The findings of some studies have set alarm bells ringing amongst progressive veterinarians, many of whom are now rethinking the long established ’standard’ protocol of 6 months and fine tuning their desexing age recommendations based on a range of factors, including gender, breed, genetic markers etc.

There are two factors at play here, both linked to desexing. The removal of the gonads (testicles or ovaries) — which occurs when conventional methods of desexing (castration or ovariohysterectomy) are used — and the consequent loss of the hormones produced by these reproductive organs is one. See here for more comprehensive coverage of this. The second is that this loss of steroid hormone production, particularly when conventional desexing is performed prior to full physical maturity, has also been implicated in delayed closure of the growth plates, which can lead to significant changes in physical growth patterns in desexed dogs compared with unaltered dogs.

In a growing dog (or cat) various hormones, including the sex steroid hormones, help control the genetically pre-determined lengths and weights of bones. The closing of the growth plates should occur at full physical maturity, preventing further growth. If closure is delayed by early desexing it can result in alterations to body proportions. Dogs spayed or neutered before puberty can often be taller, have longer limbs, lighter bone structure, narrower chests and narrower skulls than intact dogs of the same breed.

These changes in growth patterns can lead to significant orthopaedic health issues. For example, in one study of 203 agility dogs the tibia and radius and ulna were found to be significantly longer than the femur and humerus, respectively, in dogs spayed or neutered prior to 8 months of age when compared to intact dogs. Another study, conducted at the University of California, Davis, examined the medical records of 759 Golden Retrievers treated over a 10-year period and found a greater occurrence of hip dysplasia (1.5x) and cranial cruciate ligament tears in desexed Golden Retrievers compared with their intact counterparts. That research found the health risks were greater for dogs who were desexed when younger than one year old. 

Several studies have concluded that neutered and spayed dogs also have a significantly higher prevalence of CCL rupture, and are three times more likely to suffer patella luxation. In recent years there have been some 180 different studies on the health effects of desexing. Most have found some correlation between early desexing and negative health outcomes of various types and degrees of severity.

These negative health issues can affect all breeds but, for the most part, seem to primarily occur in large and giant breeds of dogs, with some breeds far more likely to be affected than others, including Golden Retrievers, Rottweilers, Bernese Mountain Dogs, German Shepherds and Boxers. Even within those at risk breeds individuals may or may not be affected. Conversely, individual animals within breeds thought to be unaffected by abnormal growth rates, such as toy breeds, may suffer some of the issues that generally affect larger breeds.

As is so often the case with medical research, even after many studies, large and small, there is rarely a definitive black and white answer. However, here at Alpine Animal Doctors we think that, overall, the weight of evidence against early desexing is compelling enough to warrant us taking it into account when making recommendations for desexing.

We have no ‘standard’ recommended protocol on the age at which you should desex your pet. Each patient is evaluated individually and recommendations made only after taking into account a range of factors. We will of course consider the gender of your pet, and any genetic propensity of its breed to suffer higher incidences of those health issues related to desexing. In addition we will also look at your pet’s growth rate at the time of examination (not all dogs grow at equal rates). We may also look at diet and ‘lifestyle’ issues such as exercise levels, both of which play a part in growth rates, before making any recommendation.

In very general terms however we might suggest that toy breeds can be safely desexed at around 7-8 months old. Medium sized dogs may be best allowed to go through puberty and reach physical maturity, at about one year of age. For larger breeds physical maturity may be reached at around 18 months, while giant breeds can still be growing at two years old.

The downside of waiting until physical maturity is reached is that your pet will have entered sexual maturity prior to being neutered or spayed. Most of our clients find this easy to manage for a few months but it may be challenging for some pet parents or some households. If this is the case you may wish to consider vasectomy for male animals or an ovary-sparing spay (OSS) for females.

These alternatives to the conventional castration or ovariohysterectomy (OHE) retain the testicles or ovaries which are responsible for the production of the hormones that are now known to play such a large part in healthy growth. With these intact it is safe to desex at an earlier age while still avoiding the potential long term health issues. You can learn more about the pros and cons of castration here and of ovariohysterectomy versus ovary-sparing spay here.

In all cases, the wishes of our clients are paramount. We understand that sterilising your pet is an important decision and we welcome any questions you may have. If you prefer to desex earlier, using conventional surgical techniques, we will of course respect your wishes. 

At Alpine Animal Doctors we have been taking the most current scientific information into account — and offering alternatives to the conventional ‘one size fits all’ approach to desexing — for a couple of years now. Around 50 to 60 per cent of our clients are opting to delay desexing, particularly spaying of females, until their pet is fully grown. We are already seeing some encouraging signs that our re-evaluating of age recommendations looks likely to lead to a healthier life for our patients, with less need for veterinary intervention as they grow older.

For additional information, see OHE or OHS — which is best for my female dog? and Castration or Vasectomy — which one is right for my dog?

The choice between conventional ovariohysterectomy (OHE) or hysterectomy (ovary-sparing spay or OSS) is not black and white. Both procedures have their advantages and disadvantages. Perhaps one day we’ll have a simple and safe contraceptive pill for pets but, until then, there is unfortunately no single ideal solution. The procedure you choose will usually come down to which offers the best long term health outcomes relative to the specific breed of your dog, and to an individual owner’s preferences in relation to behavioural issues (see below).

The procedures for OHE and OSS are quite similar. In both we will make an incision in the abdomen. This may be longer in an OSS operation, to allow the surgeon to see the whole uterus and gain access to the cervix. Incisions heal side to side not end to end so the longer incision for OSS will not affect your pet’s recovery time.

In the traditional OHE spay procedure the uterine horns, ovaries and the body of the uterus are removed. Because the uterus is no longer being stimulated by the ovaries there is no need to remove the entire uterus and the cervix is often left in.

An ovary-sparing spay differs in two important respects. First, the ovaries are left intact and functional, allowing them to continue to produce and regulate hormones in the same way as an unaltered dog. It is this naturally self-regulating hormone production that is now believed to be responsible for the decreased risk of long term health issues, including obesity, cardiac stress and urinary incontinence in the middle-aged spayed female, as well as greater longevity in females who have undergone OSS rather than OHE.

Secondly, the retention of the ovaries means that, in the OSS procedure, not only must the entire uterus to below the cervix be removed, the cervix must be cut and tied off (ligated) much more precisely than is generally necessary in a traditional spay, where ligation can be made almost anywhere on the uterus.

Precisely cutting and tying off the cervix rather than the uterus eliminates the risk of pyometra — an infection in the uterus that occurs as a result of hormonal changes in the female’s reproductive tract — and also avoids excessive tension on the supporting structures of the ovaries. The extra care required in an OSS adds a little time to the procedure compared with OHE but, for a surgeon familiar with the OSS technique, this time difference is quite minor.

There are some downsides to OSS. The retention of functioning ovaries brings with it a risk of ovarian cancer. However, this form of cancer is rare enough that it seems extreme to remove the ovaries, with all the health issues that may cause, simply to eliminate something that is already low risk.

For most pet owners the biggest negative of OSS will be behavioural issues. Although the female dog is sterile she will continue to show some of the normal sexual behaviours associated with an unaltered female. She will retain her heat cycles and will remain attractive to entire male dogs. In our experience most owners find these manageable. She will have little to no vaginal discharge during heat cycles for example.

The pros and cons of OHE versus OSS are listed below for comparison. Alpine Animal Doctors are always happy to discuss the relative merits of each with you, and recommend the procedure that’s best for you based on your circumstances and the age and breed of your pet.¹

¹ Although surgical or anaesthesia complications or adverse outcomes are extremely rare in these operations no surgical procedure carried out under a general anaesthetic is entirely without risk. These will be fully explained to you prior to your pet undergoing surgery.

² The health advantages listed have been observed and reported in both intact female dogs and in females that have undergone OSS. They are generally thought to be related to the retention of the ovaries and the continued production of the sex steroid hormones in a naturally regulated way. Not all of these advantages will necessarily manifest themselves in all dogs who undergo an ovary-sparing spay procedure.

In male dogs sperm is produced in the testicles and carried, via a tube called the vas deferens, to the outside to fertilise the female. To be effective a neutering procedure must either completely prevent the production of sperm, or stop viable sperm from reaching the female.

Castration stops sperm being produced by the surgical removal of the testicles, through a skin incision either behind or just in front of the scrotum in dogs, or over the scrotum in cats.

Vasectomy is a slightly more complex procedure than castration, requiring a small incision in the scrotum and the removal, cutting or clamping of a portion of the vas deferens, preventing sperm from travelling outside the body. The sperm produced in the testicles is reabsorbed by the body.

Both procedures are quick, safe, entail minimal trauma for the animal and carry very little risk of surgical complications.¹ Both render the animal sterile and incapable of reproducing. The main difference is that a vasectomy leaves the testicles intact within the scrotum and still capable of producing testosterone.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both castration and vasectomy, some of which differ depending on the age and breed of your pet. The more important pros and cons are listed below but to make a fully informed decision you should always discuss the options with your veterinarian.

For additional information, see OHE or OHS — which is best for my female dog? and At what age should I have my pet desexed?

 ¹ Although surgical or anaesthesia complications or adverse outcomes are extremely rare in these operations no surgical procedure carried out under a general anaesthetic is entirely without risk. These will be fully explained to you prior to your pet undergoing surgery.

² The health advantages listed have been observed and reported in both intact male dogs and in animals that have undergone a vasectomy. They are generally thought to be related to the retention of the testes and the continued production of the sex steroid hormones in a naturally regulated way. Not all of these advantages will necessarily manifest themselves in all dogs who undergo vasectomy procedures.