I’ve heard it’s unsafe, and may lead to health problems, to spay or neuter an animal before it is six months old. Whats HSCCs position on juvenile spay/neuter?
It is the policy of HSCC to spay/neuter every intact animal before placing that animal in a home. The American Veterinary Medical Association supports the concept of spay/neuter at 8-16 weeks of age and advises veterinarians to use best judgment in determining their own practice. In weighing the cost/benefit of housing an animal for up to six months in order to delay spay/neuter surgery (or placing intact animals in the community), HSCC and our veterinary partners agree that early spay/neuter is a critical component in successful placement of young animals and in controlling the over-population problems faced by our communities.