Use of an impact score to guide client decision-making about timing of spay-castration of dogs and cats

Abstract

Veterinarians were solicited for opinions regarding morbidity of health disorders associated with gonadectomy of dogs and cats. Morbidity score was assigned using a standard scale. Average morbidity score was multiplied by incidence to yield an impact score, with positive impact scores associated with better health after gonadectomy and negative impact scores associated with poorer health after gonadectomy. For both genders and species, obesity was associated with a fairly large negative impact score. For female dogs and cats, benefits of ovariohysterectomy (OHE) outweighed detriments and prepuberal OHE is recommended. For male dogs, benefits of castration did not outweigh detriments until the animal was likely to develop age-related, benign diseases of the reproductive tract, or about 2.5 years of age.