Risks of weight and gonadectomy on orthopedic injury in golden retrievers

In the United States, gonadectomy is common and widely promoted as a component of responsible pet ownership. This large prospective study looked at associations between gonadectomy alongside two outcomes of overweight/obese and orthopedic injuries in Golden Retrievers.

Records from more than 3000 records were evaluated. Four age groups were used in the study and a body condition score of seven or greater were classified as overweight or obese. The orthopedic injuries considered were cranial cruciate ligament injury and clinically evident osteoarthritis with condiserations for age at study enrollment, owner-reported activity and dog’s sex.

Compared to intact dogs, all gonadectomy age categories showed increased risk for the development of overweight/obesity, aw well as an increased risk for othropedic injury if the gonadectomy was performed under six months of age.

This study prospectively demonstrates that gonadectomy is a risk factor for dogs developing overweight/obesity and chronic non-traumatic orthopedic injuries. Data also suggests that if gonadectomy was delayed until six to twelve months of age, it could reduce the risk of orthopedic injury.

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Risks of weight and gonadectomy on orthopedic injury in golden retrievers