Much information is beginning to emerge suggesting that routine spaying and neutering may have negative long-term health consequences for dogs and cats. This is a marked change from the time when many of us graduated from veterinary school: we were taught that spaying and neutering had population-control and health benefits, but almost no long-term downsides. This is a controversial area, and our knowledge of the pros and cons of routine spaying and neutering is certain to evolve over the next 10-20years as more good data emerge. In the meantime, it is an area that many clients are likely to research on the Internet, with mixed results. I will attempt to summarize the things we know, and the things we don't know, in this lecture.
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