Analysis of veterinary outpatient records collected by the veterinary records aggregator VetCompass Australia showed that neutered Rottweilers live, on average, 1–1.5 years less than their unneutered counterparts.
As part of the study, 3,100 veterinary records of unneutered dogs and 4,100 records of neutered dogs were analyzed from July 1994 to June 2021. The results showed that neutered males who underwent the procedure before reaching 1 year of age live, on average, 1.5 years less than unneutered males. Neutered female Rottweilers die one year earlier than their unneutered counterparts. Similar findings were obtained for dogs neutered before the age of 4.5 years.
“Most previous studies claimed that spaying and neutering dogs contributes to an increased lifespan. However, our study is one of the first to demonstrate the opposite result,” quoted the study leader Dr. Caroline June by the scientific portal phys.org.
Nevertheless, the researchers strongly recommended that owners do not forgo neutering their pets, emphasizing the importance of monitoring the dogs' diet and weight.
“Avoiding neutering can lead to serious consequences, such as the risk of a life-threatening uterine infection known as pyometra, mammary tumors, and unwanted pregnancies,” noted Dr. Caroline June. She also suggested that the reduced lifespan in dogs is more likely related to weight issues than to the procedure itself.
In the future, the researchers plan to analyze veterinary outpatient records of other popular breeds, such as Greyhounds and Golden Retrievers, and compare the data obtained.
The work is published in the journal Scientific Reports.
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