ACL Injuries Increased In Golden Retrievers With Early Sterilization

Early sterilization, which means spaying or neutering before one year of age, increased ACL injuries in both male and female Golden Retrievers. In a study of over 700 Golden Retrievers from UC Davis Vet School, no intact dogs had ACL or cranial cruciate injuries, but 5% of neutered males and 8% of spayed females developed ACL injuries. ACL injuries cause non-weight bearing lameness and arthritis, lead to expensive surgeries, and prevent families from enjoying life with physically active dogs.

Increased incidence of ACL damage was only one of the serious health problems found to occur more often when dogs were spayed or neutered. The study was published in the Feb 13, 2013 edition of PLOS ONE, a peer-reviewed scientific journal: Neutering Dogs: Effects on Joint Disorders and Cancers in Golden Retrievers. http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0055937

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