The Impact of Pediatric Neutering in Dogs and Cats—A Retrospective Study

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The impact of pediatric neutering has been a topic explored by various authors for several years; however, the existing literature reveals different, and sometimes even contradictory, results regarding the long-term effects of pediatric neutering. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of sterilization performed at a pediatric age on the occurrence of different conditions such as obesity, joint and urinary diseases and behavioral changes. This study has concluded that, in the study sample, there was not a statistically significant difference between the group neutered before 4 months of age and the group neutered at or after 6 months of age. ABSTRACT: Surgical sterilization is a common procedure in veterinary practice; yet, the age at which to perform said procedure is still a controversial topic since the common practice of performing this surgery at the “conventional” age of 6 months is not supported by concrete scientific data. Therefore, it leaves space for veterinary professionals to opt for pediatric neutering, especially in the context of shelter medicine, since it allows the adoption of younger animals and is an important tool used to combat the overpopulation of stray animals by preventing their reproduction, even though some of the studies regarding the long-term effects of this approach seem to have contradictory results. Consequently, the present study aims to evaluate the impact of pediatric neutering on the occurrence of obesity, behavioral changes and urinary and joint diseases by posing an inquiry by means of telephone questionnaire to 105 owners of cats and dogs neutered and adopted from Coimbra Municipal Animal Shelter. The analysis of the gathered data did not show any statistically significant relationship between age of neutering and the presence of any of the aforementioned conditions in the animals under study.