Neutering & Growth

Neutering, or gonadectomy, involves the removal of an animal's testicles. This procedure mitigates behavioral and medical problems and stops the production of testosterone, the reproductive hormone. If performed before your pet reaches the age of puberty, it also alters the animal's growth.

  1. Neutered Dogs and Cats

    • The age of puberty in dogs is approximately 5 to 8 months old. According to AskVetAdvice.com, neutering prepubertal dogs delays the closure of the physeal plates, the area of the bone where growth occurs. This allows the continuance of bone growth, resulting in larger or taller dogs. The additional growth occurs in the long bones.

      The effect of delayed physeal closure in cats also results in additional long bone growth. According to Televets.com, closure of the bone growth plates in cats neutered between 7 weeks and 7 months of age occurs approximately 8 weeks later than physeal closure in unaltered cats.

    Bone Growth and Steroids

    • A gonadectomy is the surgical removal of the reproductive organs in animals. Colorado State University reports the cause of the delay in physeal closure in neutered or spayed animals is the lack of gonadal steroids such as testosterone and estrogen. According to Televets.com, these reproductive hormones aid in the process of maturation for growth plates.

    Neutering and Overpopulation

    • According to the Humane Society of the United States (October 2009), shelters in the United states care for 6 million to 8 million cats and dogs annually, but must euthanize 3 million to 4 million of them. Low adoption rates for animals in shelters, insufficient space and the lack of resources to care for them leaves euthanasia as the only viable option for combating this problem. The ASPCA states neutering helps to reduce overpopulation and the need to euthanize millions of healthy animals.