Spay or neuter retired breeding stock? - Page 1

Is it common practice to spay or neuter retired breeding stock. I can see why spaying would be done. But would you also neuter  retired males.  Would there be any health benifits of neutering a 10 year old? Just curious.

Not unless they are having prostate issues. Why put an older dog under anesthesia for something not life threatening?

I wouldn't neccessarily neuter a retired male unless they are having problems.  However, spaying for sure yes,  after just seeing two older females have to go through an emergency spay due to pyometras in the past week.  One nearly died because of her pyo due to the fact that she was septic at that point.  One was 12 the other was 15.  The 15 year old had a grade 5/6 heart murmor and she did great.  The 12 year old was the one that was septic.  That being said I see several older animals including my own 16 year old that surprisingly due well under anesthesia for an emergency bloat surgery.  The agents used these days are exactly the same as what they use in humans and I think that they tend to do alot better then many years ago.   We routinely put most animals on IV fluids for their procedure and they are monitored just the same as a human would be.  The only ones that don't are the young spay/neuters and very very short procedures.  And alot of times if it's a small lump removal or something we will try to do the procedure under a local with very light sedation, not general anesthesia.  Anesthesia does have its risks and everytime I am knocked out for something, which is way too frequently these days!  I always wonder if I'm going to wake up!  Propofol is a wonderful injectable agent that any vet hospital that is "with the times" should be using.  I know, because I've had it several times now! 

I've always spayed retireing females and only neutered males if they have a prostate problem, which hasn't happened often in my dogs (maybe the Saw Palmeto the get?) . I have found that when middle age or older dogs are steralized they often develop thyriod problems, so you have to test them every 6 months to be sure all is still OK.