Does getting a dog neutered before they are full grown stunt it's growth?

Question

My golden retriever is 7 months old and we were wondering if it was to early to get him neutered.

Answer 1

*I* wouldn't neuter one that young. When neutered before mature the growth plates don't close when they should. He will probably get very leggy and lack bone.

It doesn't hurt to wait until he is 18 mths or so, as long as you are responsible. But, if you don't care about the leggyness, and you don't plan on using him for perfomance events, there is nothing wrong with doing it now.

Answer 2

Actually there has been some research done on this very issue. They have learned, that in breeds like rottweilers, early spay and neuters can cause health issues later in life. Cancer is one of those things. Also, a male rottweiler will not develop the really nice, big head if he is neutered at an earlier age. It affects bone, it can stunt the growth of your dog. However, if you choose not to neuter him at six months, you must be responsible with him. Not allow him near a female in heat. Train, train, train. Because intact males can become a really big hand full. Aggression being your main problem. Will it harm your dog, I really don't know. What I do know is that I personally will not fix a dog prior to being 2 years old. But, I will also not allow that dog the opportunity to mate either. Unless the dog have his health clearances, and his championship, there is no reason to breed him, ever. Please do not use this as an excuse to give your boy the opportunity to breed. Keep a very tight rein on him as he grows and develops. My opinion, there are no OOPs litters. Only oops people.

Answer 3

The old formula was to neuter dogs at one year..however, since vets have improved their surgeries and learned more, they are now neutering and spaying animals at much younger ages. As for me i would not allow my male dog to get to full maturing before neutering. I would suggest 7 mos-1 yr for males.. Females, on the other hand should be spayed before 6 months as they can go into season at that time.

Answer 4

Nope, he’s fine to get fixed. Fixing does not alter their growth in any way...some are done as young as 6 weeks. In fact, the sooner you do it, the better. Once he hits about 9 months or so, you’re going to start to notice a change in his behavior if he’s not fixed. He’ll become a bit more aggressive during play, he’ll probably bark and mark his territory a lot more as well, among other things. Neutered dogs are generally much better pets as they don’t spend their time trying to find a mate (a female in heat can be smelled for up to 2 miles) and focus more on their owners.

Answer 5

No it won't stunt his growth. He should have been fixed already. Make an appointment and get it done. He will be fine! I have a golden retriever mix, I got him fixed when he was 5 months old and he's 9 months old and weighs almost 90 lbs.

Answer 6

Congratulations on being a responsible pet parent and wanting to neuter your dog. There is nothing to worry about, it will not stunt his growth at all, many dogs are nuetered months earlier than this and grow to be full size.

Answer 7

No. A puppy can get neutered as early as 2 months old. It will NOT stunt their growth or cause any health risks.

Answer 8

No...get it done now! It not only will save you some money due to his weight/anesthesia ratio, it will also be a great help in his training.
I just had my 6-month old Aussie neutered today and that boy is as healthy as can be, thank you very much!

Thank you so much for altering your golden:)

Answer 9

He's old enough now. There is some concern when doing pediatric neuters (like 2-3 months old), the jury is still out on those, but 7 months is plenty old enough unless you intend to do a jumping intensive sport like agility.

Answer 10

actually a neutered dog may get just a hair TALLER than an uneutered one. No important in goldens but could be in a breed where height is critical