I’ve heard this before
People come to me and say, “I give my dog the best food, the best supplements, go for regular walks, take them to chiro, physio, and acupuncture, and despite all the this, my dog is sick!” What’s wrong with me?
You may be surprised, but I sometimes ask the same question. But what if we do nothing wrong? What if we had more than we lacked?!
Let me explain
When we adopted my dog Pax in 2019, I thought I knew what he needed to grow into a healthy and strong dog. In the first 1.5 years of his life, I was very happy to see him grow into a happy dog, full of energy and enjoying his life.
He took raw and cooked foods, FAB4 supplementsand regular detoxand everything went well.
But then, I had to make a tough decision
Pax is in training to be a certified service dog for my sleepwalking. I have a history of sleepwalking and almost died walking through a glass door by severing a branch of an artery in my leg. For Pax to receive his final certification, the rules are strict, and he must be neutered.
I tried to postpone the operation, but then it had to be done. After about six months, I noticed that Pax was getting dizzy from time to time, which was getting worse. Lyme disease tests, X-rays, and other tests came back negative, and I used all the tools in my toolkit but the recurring injuries and stiffness continued, and we couldn’t- enjoy the beach and swimming – our favorite.
My heart broke
It’s even worse because I’m a vet, and I should know what the problem is, right?! I am at my wits end. But I also know that dogs come into our lives to teach us and help us figure out what we’re missing, and Pax was no different.
His challenges prompted me to look for answers to his unexplained lameness and eventually, I came across the research of two of my colleagues. Dr. Michelle Kutzler and Dr. Linda Brent.
In their scientific studies [1][2][3] they confirmed what I suspected and what my friend Dr. taught me. Becker. Spaying and neutering our dogs the old traditional way causes inflammation, lameness, organ disease and cancer!
The culprit in all of this is a severe increase in luteinizing hormone (LH) which regulates the production of testosterone and estrogen in healthy dogs. However when the ovaries and testicles are removed, the production of luteinizing hormone increases, and the levels go through the roof which can cause severe inflammation in genetically predisposed dogs.
It took me some time to decide if I should treat Pax to Suprelorin, which Dr. confirmed. Kutzler and Dr. Brent was reducing LH levels, but eventually I started him on treatment. Now a month later, I will start Pax on a physiological dose of testosterone.
The change in Pax’s mobility after starting Suprelorin was almost immediate and noticeable! The only side-effect I noticed was that he was a bit itchy from time to time.
I have also started Pax JointButter, my new joint and mobility formula that supported recovery. It will be available for everyone on May 13th! Pre-register here.
My question now is: How many dogs are suffering from this spay and neuter syndrome and how can we spread the word as fast as possible?!
For dogs and puppies that are still intact, the solution is simple. To prevent dog homelessness, hormone-sparing vasectomy and hysterectomy without removing the testicles and ovaries is the way to go. Another option is to leave the dogs intact but most rescue organizations and shelters will not allow this.
The solution for spayed and neutered dogs, for example, Pax, is a bit more complicated and I will give you more details in the next blog.
Sources
(1) Animals (Basel). 2020 Apr 1;10(4):599. doi: 10.3390/ani10040599. Possible Relationship between Long-Term Adverse Health Effects of Gonadal Avoidance Surgical Sterilization and Luteinizing Hormone in Dogs. Michelle A Kutzler
(2) Volume 261: Issue 3. doi.org/10.2460/javma.22.08.0382. Vasectomy and ovary-sparing spay in dogs: comparison of health and behavioral outcomes in gonadectomized and sexually intact dogs. DVM, PhD, DACVSMR, PhD and Judith L. Stella PhD
(3) Top Six Med. 2021 Nov:45:100565. doi:10.1016/j.tcam.2021. 100565. Epub 2021 Jul 28. Restoring Reproductive Hormone Concentrations in a Male Neutered Dog Improves Health: A Case Study
