From the above link, this is absolutely the truth.

I do question this statement and wonder where the numbers were pulled from as they do not match studies out there.

From the above link, this is absolutely the truth.

I do question this statement and wonder where the numbers were pulled from as they do not match studies out there and there are no references!

To the contrary hypothyroidism is considered in all veterinary circles as COMMON and not rare.

Here is a comprehensive Golden Retriever survey of 1444 dogs which showed that one in four Goldens eventually were affected by hypothyroid is here: http://www.grca.org/pdf/health/healthsurvey.pdf

If anyone cares to read through it it becomes apparent that hemangiosarcoma (causing 18.5% of deaths) and hypothyroid are major issues in this breed. This survey population shows a greatly heightened risk of hypothyroid in neutered Goldens - males and females. It also diminishes lifespan in this breed.

There has been a lot of work done with regard to sex hormones and their influence on the immune system (hypothyroidism is based there) and the suspicion is that that is where the connection is to neutering.

Then there is this report:

Hypothyroidism is the most common endocrine disease in dogs. The thyroid gland controls the speed of metabolism of almost all body cells. When thyroid hormones are subnormal, many different body systems can be affected; so the clinical appearance of the disease can vary. . . .

. . . the new TgAA test indicated that 7.9% of samples were positive and 4.0% were inconclusive. There were 4045 dogs positive for TgAA and 2809 classified as having idiopathic hypothyroidism. Dogs less than 2 years of age had few (less than 5%) TgAA positive samples (Figure 1); samples from dogs 2 to 6 years of age were positive 9 to 11.5% of the time, while samples from dogs older than 6 were positive less often. It appears that autoimmune thyroid disease occurs earlier in life than idiopathic hypothyroidism, supporting the concept that the idiopathic form may result from the autoimmune disease. Semi-annual thyroid biopsy results from a small group of affected dogs at MSU also support the conclusion that idiopathic hypothyroidism is the end stage of autoimmune thyroid disease. . .

HIGHEST PREVALENCE

English Setter 26.0%
Dalmatian 16.8%
Basenji 16.3%
Rhodesian Ridgeback 16.1%
Old English Sheepdog 15.0%
Boxer 13.8%
Maltese Dog 13.5%
Chesapeake Bay Ret 13.5%
Beagle 13.4%
Cocker Spaniel 12.6%
Shetland Sheepdog 12.5%
Siberian Husky 12.3%
Border Collie 11.9%
Husky 11.5%
Akita 10.8%
Golden Retriever 9.1%

http://home.manhattan.edu/~stacy.pob...nachreiner.pdf

Ruby

From the above link, this is absolutely the truth. Glad to read the honesty.

I do question the next statement and wonder where the numbers were pulled from as they do not match studies out there and there are no references!

To the contrary hypothyroidism is considered in all veterinary circles as COMMON and not rare. It is very hard to track down incidense rates however. I'd LOVE to know where this 0.6% rate came from as it doesn't show on google anywhere! OFA stats (self reported and many breeders hold back bad results) for many purebreds show a much higher rate - up to 31.4% for English Setters. - http://www.oxfordlabs.com/index.php?...d=29&Itemid=19

http://www.oxfordlabs.com/index.php?...id=4&Itemid=19


Here is a comprehensive Golden Retriever survey of 1444 dogs which showed that one in four Goldens eventually were affected by hypothyroid: http://www.grca.org/pdf/health/healthsurvey.pdf

The study shows as well that both hemangiosarcoma (causing 18.5% of deaths) and hypothyroid are major issues in this breed. This survey population shows a greatly heightened risk of hypothyroid in neutered Goldens - males and females. It also diminishes lifespan in this breed.

There has been a lot of work done with regard to sex hormones and their influence on the immune system (hypothyroidism is based there) and the suspicion is that that is where the connection is to neutering.

Then there is this which shows 51 of 331 Giant Schnauzers and Hovawarts at risk (15%+) - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19320811

and this:

http://www.thedogs.co.uk/thyroidfunction.aspx

Ruby

Not compared all the studies, but one thing that each and every one of them agrees on is the (almost) elimination of pyo and mammary cancers in spayed bitches. This is something that I, at least, cannot ignore.

Hopefully, if ever we do get that national vet's database, health risks and benefits will become 'cast iron'. I hope they also include and consider all the information, ie diet, vaccination protocol etc when the data is finally at a stage when it is all brought together. How good would that be, clear cut information that we know is accurate across the largest sample of dogs possible?

For now, we each make our own decisions based on our judgement. No rights, no wrongs just what we hope is the best we can do for our dogs

I think with breed surveys it is obviously going to depend on where in the world they are and what the breeding practices are.

You would get different results in different countries. The one quoted was US---could be different here or in Canada.

rune

Hav'nt read the whole thread but just wondering how routine castration fits in with the need to retain genetic diversity ? - you cannot realistically routinely castrate and neuter dogs AND broaden the range of dogs used for breeding !!

Can I suggest you do read the whole thread before posting---that way you will know if your point has been made by someone else and answered.

BTW---neutered covers both castration and spaying.

rune

Just a note about the Golden Retrievers, what country was this study done?

Also, at the AHT Health Seminar I attended they said the GR in the US are completely different to those here.

Interesting but not necessarily relevant.

having rescue dogs all mine are neutered and as previously mentioned that is the policy of rescue centres.
Before I had rescues I still had my dogs neutered and all their name tags have the word neutered on them
The reason , apart from any medical, behavioural or otherwise issues, is because we now live in a very sad world where a great many dogs are stolen for breeding,either to sell the pups or to use as dog bait amongst other things. For this reason I want any would be thief to realise the dog he is looking at is definitely not breeding material and hopefully of no use to him.

I find that the absence of two normally descended testicles renders any tag stating the obvious somewhat redundant!