Australian scientists from James Cook University studied the effect of neutering on the health of Rottweiler dogs. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Scientific Reports (SciRep).
A recent analysis of available clinical records found that the life expectancy of dogs spayed before the age of one year was reduced by a year and a half in males and one year in females compared to their fertile counterparts.
Dogs neutered before age four and a half showed similar results.
“Most other studies have shown that neutering dogs extends their lifespan, but ours is one of the first to find evidence to the contrary,” said Dr Caroline June, lead author of the study.
Despite the findings, Dr. June strongly advises owners to spay or neuter their dogs, suggesting that owners should focus on controlling their pets’ weight gain.
Although it is not currently known whether there is an optimal age to safely neuter a Rottweiler, research has highlighted several factors that can affect a dog’s lifespan. These include genetic predisposition, nutrition, exercise, health care and environmental factors.
Previous scientists I learnedIt is stated that more than 50% of dogs may be infected with superbugs that are dangerous to humans.