Early Spaying and Cancer Risk
#2070: Angela calls from Indianapolis — she is a RVT (registered veterinary technician) working toward a specialty in oncology, and just lost her 135 lb Great Dane, Sydney, to osteosarcoma. She feels terrible guilt that she had her dog spayed early (before 6 months), not knowing that this could increase her risk for cancer. Dr. Sue and Tracie try to put her mind to rest because none of us “can know what we don’t know”! And her desire to educate others about this issue is what is motivating her to speak up. Dr. Sue explains that breed is not as correlated with increased cancer risk as is the height and weight of a dog.
