Neutering of male and female dogs is among the most common surgical procedures in dogs in the U.S. Given the developmental role of gonadal hormones, neutering, especially when performed before puberty, could lead to health abnormalities. In the first two chapters, disease rates related to neutering and age at the time of neutering in Golden Retrievers were estimated. The study focused on musculoskeletal disorders: hip dysplasia and cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) tear, and neoplasias: hemangiosarcoma, lymphosarcoma, mast cell tumor, and mammary cancer.;From the University California, Davis, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) database, medical records from intact and neutered Golden Retrievers ("early" being before 1 year old and "late" being 1 year old or greater), 1--9 years old, and admitted to the hospital between 2000--2009, were used. The incidence rate (IR) for each disease was analyzed to estimate relative rates (RR), with 95% confidence intervals for males and females separately by neuter status. Results suggest a trend of higher rate of hip dysplasia in males neutered early [RR=1.7 (0.71, 4.21)] compared to intact males. With the exception of one case all CCL tears occurred in females and males neutered early. A trend of a higher rate of lymphosarcoma was also seen in males neutered early when compared with intact males [RR=2.5 (0.94, 6.87)]. The rates of hemangiosarcoma in late neutered and intact females were significantly different [RR=12.0 (1.39, 102.44)]. There were no observed cases of mast cell tumor in intact females. No cases of mammary cancer were diagnosed in intact females; two cases were diagnosed in the late neutered group.;The third chapter explores caregivers' attitudes and practices of neutering dogs in the U.S. using a web-based survey. Demographic information about the dogs' households, sources, age of neutering, and the reasons for neutering was sought. Analyses, using chi-square and Fisher's exact tests, examined the neuter status of dogs and attitudes towards neutering as a function of gender of the caregivers. Survey returns showed that the majority of dogs are neutered. Men were significantly more likely to leave males intact than women, citing breeding as the reason for not neutering male dogs.;It is hoped that this dissertation provides data to help dog caregivers make a more informed decisions about whether or not to neuter their dogs as well as the age at the time of neutering.
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