Blog - Dr. Dee Blanco

Does My Pet Really Need All This Stuff the Vet Recommends?

June 5, 2019 by Dr. Dee Blanco Leave a Comment

Has this happened to you?

You get to the vet’s office with your new puppy or kitten. You want to do right by your animal, so, you do your best to learn how to keep your pet healthy and happy. Your vet recommends several products for flea and tick “prevention,” heartworm “prevention,” followed with several vaccinations.

Now you’re wondering, “Is all this stuff really necessary?!”

Do I have to get all this stuff my vet recommended if I want to keep my pet healthy and happy?

The short answer is “No.”

And, the long answer is “No, definitely no, if you want to raise a happy, healthy pet.”

And, more accurately: “No, if you choose to raise your animal the natural way, you can opt out of all that stuff your vet recommends – almost. “

Hard to believe?

I know this sounds heretical. Certainly, conventional vets would completely disagree with me, but, after 38+ years of veterinary practice, I know raising your animal in a more natural way is a completely reachable goal.

If you’re raising your animal au naturale, (fresh food, little to rare vaccines, no drugs or pesticides, uncontaminated water and environment/toys/bedding, ample socialization, regular exercise, etc.), you can opt out of everything considered “preventative” from commercial medicine.

That does NOT mean you should do nothing! It’s not just turning down yearly vaccinations, flea/tick/heartworm pesticides, early spaying/neutering, and processed foods. I consider these must-do’s in addition to actively supporting the body to prevent and clear illness, parasites, viruses and bacteria. The body knows how to do this via the immune system. Putting chemicals into the body does not make it healthier or really prevent anything. Instead, they do poison, pollute and stress the body.

Does my pet really need this flea and tick or heartworm “preventative?”

Flea, tick or heartworm pesticides are commonly recommended by vets even in areas where there are little to no fleas, ticks or mosquitos.

The ongoing use of these so-called preventative pesticides have created a huge resistance. Ask anyone who lives in California about the flea and tick issues and how it’s progressed over the years. To make matters worse, once these toxicants are put on your animal, they end up on you, your kids, and anyone else petting your animal. And remember – these are toxic pesticides must be metabolized by the body (liver and kidney) and are a stressor to the body.

If you feel you need to treat your pet for fleas and ticks, I do recommend holistic alternative remedies in my shop.

Heartworm pesticides are also given liberally to many pets even in areas without heartworm exposure; then, they’re recommended for use year-round, even in the winter. Once again these are pesticides and come with risks for every animal, human and the environment.

When an animal has a full complement of immune function, fed fresh, life-giving food in a non-toxic environment, their immune system is ready and available to fend off the mosquitos’ attack. An animal overloaded with chemicals from vaccines, food, toys, bedding, water (and everywhere else) is not able to rally the immune “troops” to naturally kill the heartworm in the skin. But, naturally raised animals can and do every day!

Again, it can’t be said enough that it takes some effort, commitment and some additional cash to support your animal in a natural life style which, in turn, supports their immune system so it can function optimally.

My vet recommended early spaying and neutering – will this help keep my pet healthy and happy?

Critical hormonal development occurs in young, growing animals. Early spaying and neutering is recommended by your vet as a convenience to you and as more propaganda to inhibit cancer. As a recommendation for the health and happiness of your pet, you really should wait until your dog is at least two years old. For cats, waiting for even as long as six months can help insure lasting health.

If you wait to spay or neuter your pet, you allow for adequate time for your animal to reach puberty and grow healthy bones. Among the many issues connected to early spaying and neutering, we increase the chances of our animals experiencing immune dysfunction, poor brain development, obesity, ligament and bone diseases, cardiac issues, certain cancers, and adverse reactions to vaccines.

You can find more details on the consequences of early spaying and neutering on my blog.

Speaking of vaccinations, what shots does my pet really need?

Unfortunately, this issue is too big to squeeze into this blog. The short answer is your core vaccinations last longer than one year. Core vaccinations refer to those which protect against infectious diseases such as parvo, distemper, hepatitis and panleukopenia.

The only vaccine required by law is rabies. The rest are completely optional. If your pet had a combo vaccine as a kitten or puppy given at around 15-16 weeks, they need nothing else for the rest of their lives. Waiting until their mama’s antibodies are worn off (somewhere around 14-16 weeks) before administering these core vaccinations insures the vaccines will stimulate an antibody reaction, which will last a lifetime. We call this the “one and done” method.

All vaccinations come with mind-boggling consequences. The toxicants present in all vaccines (for humans and animals alike) come with a laundry list of frightening risks to our health, but rarely are you ever informed about these risks. This all too frequent medical procedure is approached with a carefree attitude that you would never, never have regarding any other serious procedures.

To learn more about what’s in vaccines and why you’ll want to avoid them, visit Dogs Naturally to read one of my articles on the subject.

If my vet recommended a specific pet food, does my pet really need to eat this special formula to be healthy and happy?

If your vet is recommending processed foods to your animal, beware.

Those hardened pellets in professional looking bags or those stinky lumps of meat from a can are all highly processed foods. Think about how you would feel eating out of a box daily. Your animal needs fresh food to receive living nutrients just like you!

I have a three-part course dedicated entirely to how to feed your animals a fresh diet as well as several blogs on the background information of why it’s important to feed fresh. As I’ve said in the past, “you can either pay the grocer or the doctor.” Investing in your animal’s nutrition will actually erase the need to buy any processed foods your vet may have recommended.

Here are the things every pet should have:

What your pet does need to be happy and healthy is a yearly, thorough physical evaluation from a veterinarian.

I’m NOT talking about the cursory checkup with just a quick heart rate, lung, and mouth check. What every pet should have is a thorough evaluation of the joints, teeth, eyes, ears, coat, mobility, strength and palpation of the abdomen feeling for any abnormalities.

In addition to the things every dog or cat should have, what YOU need is for your vet to sit down with you and go over any concerns they have found and discuss all the options.

If you have other options outside of toxic medicines or surgeries to treat certain illnesses, you should be able to speak to your vet without judgement about these alternatives. Your vet should give you informed consent when performing any procedure at all – including vaccines. You should be able to read the vaccine inserts to look at ingredients and discuss the actual need for them.

What your vet offers in the way of true prevention to keep your pets healthy are diagnostic tests to help monitor your pets’ wellness as they age.

A thorough annual physical exam would include a stool analysis and urinalysis. These simple tests can tell a lot about your animals’ health. Feces is easy to gather, but, must be fresh to use for testing. The urinalysis can be done as a screen at the vet’s office with urine you collected just before your appointment. First morning urine is best, but, it must be very fresh.

As your pet ages towards 8-10 years old, routine, yearly blood work up can help monitor changes in the liver, kidneys, blood cells and thyroid, to name a few. The tests for organ function are call Chemistry Panels which have short and longer versions to provide a different depth of detail about our pet’s health.

I suggest these longer versions of Chemistry Panels for older animals, often called the Geriatric Chemistry Panel. Some of these include a cursory screening test for thyroid, which only gives a small indication of the health of the thyroid. A more thorough, complete thyroid evaluation must be sent off to a larger lab and requires more time to return the testing, but, can give much more information about the thyroid itself along with the pituitary/hypothalamus and the adrenals – which play an important part in thyroid health.

A complete blood count or CBC shows the state of health of the red and white blood cells. This detects anemia, infection, allergies, and parasites to name a few. The Chemistry Panel and the CBC are usually done together. They are well worth the money you spend. This is no different than your own yearly checkup with your doctor as you age for detecting gross changes in blood values.

From these tests and physical exams, you’ll have a great deal of information about how to proceed with giving your pet a healthy and happy life!

As an example, if your vet finds your pet has x-ray changes displaying arthritis and recommends a pain medication that could cause liver issues, consider a very high-quality fish oil and a turmeric combination for anti-inflammatory benefit. These natural supplements provide invaluable support without side effects. Make sure to source organic, sustainable, and pure ingredients.

Your vet is a highly trained individual in the specifics of diagnostics, surgery, radiology and the like; however, most vets are not trained in natural rearing and natural preventative techniques.

When it comes to choosing super high-quality nutraceuticals, fresh food diets, vaccine education, information on resistance to parasites, and using natural medicines, your vet may have little information.

Preventative vet care can include the use of homeopathy, acupuncture or acupressure, chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation, massage, physical therapy (laser, underwater treadmill), herbology, flower essences, and many more. In fact, there are so many natural modalities available now, you have a virtual smorgasbord of choices for your animal.

So, if the question is “How can I raise my pet naturally?” search for a holistic vet who is trained in natural medicine with a focus on prevention and wellness as opposed to illness and disease.

Still, keep in mind, your regular vet is certainly a good person with whom you can continue your relationship to help you diagnose and, especially for acute ailments, provide supportive care.

It really takes a team to keep ourselves and our entire family healthy. Finding the right vet who supports your choices and works with you will always pay off in great health for your animal.

How Pet Food Labels Are Misleading

May 1, 2019 by Dr. Dee Blanco Leave a Comment

Are you worried about what is in the processed foods we feed our dogs and cats? I’m going to share with you how to read pet food labels, but, let me warn you — it’s going to be a bumpy ride!

I know you want to give your dog or cat the healthiest life possible. I’m all too familiar with that moment when you think you’ve picked a great low-carb, low filler product you’ve understood to be the best pet food diet and then you hear about potential toxins in an ingredient you know is in the food you just bought. You do your homework and then you find out how the people who benefit from the pet food industry have made it really complicated to understand the actual nutritive value of their products. You can’t help but wonder what those dog and cat food companies are trying to hide! UGH!

But, never fear! By the end of this blog, you’ll know what the best pet food diet really is!

How to read pet food labels and understand what pet food ingredients to avoid (the status of this topic is definitely “it’s complicated”).

So, what’s really in these mysterious pellets and stinky canned clumps we’ve come to accept as dog and cat “food?”

The truth is troubling — it may be difficult to determine exactly what’s in many commercial pet foods even if you call the manufacturers. Just last year, companies in California and Missouri who supply ingredients to pet food manufacturers like Buffalo Blue and Purina were ordered to pay a combined $7 million for admitting to providing cheap ingredients, such as ground poultry feathers, described on the label as “poultry meal.”

It’s important to understand this is not at all an isolated incident. There are other ingredients which may look benign on the food label, but, could be some mystery substance even the manufacturers cannot identify. Studies which tested pet food ingredients found as much as 40% of their test products to be potentially mislabeled. The lack of absolute certainty of what is meant by “animal meal” or “meat flavoring” should be concerning.

Before pet food labels can be explained, let’s consider the “cooking” process of these commercial pet foods (I assure you, “cooking” is a generous word for what really happens).

All pet foods, whether canned or dry (with very few exceptions) are high-heat processed. If you’ve looked into your own diet, you know highly processed foods are less alive, less vital and actually more dangerous.

The heating process of carbohydrates (which are among the most recognizable on nearly all pet food ingredients lists) creates carcinogenic compounds, kills enzymes and some vitamins.

I never recommend a processed food to be used as 100% of the diet. It should be a very small portion or only on a temporary basis if you really want your animal to live a long, vital life. They may like and even crave the processed foods, but, that doesn’t insure health. It’s a little like trying to convince a teenager to have a fresh salad when he eats mostly frozen pizza – it’s going to take time and patience to help your animals crave a nutrient-rich, healthful diet.

Is grain really a dog or cat food ingredient I should always avoid?

I completely understand the confusion about grain in pet food ingredients!

“Grain-free” has become a trendy marketing term ever since folks started to learn how most dry foods had a tremendous amount of grains (often rancid) and little protein. To make matters worse, many of these products have replaced the grain with potatoes which, in large amounts, is just as harmful to your animal’s health.

Some veterinarians believe our dogs and cats have no capacity to metabolize and use carbohydrates. After 38 years of practicing veterinary medicine, I believe dogs can adjust their enzymes to accommodate some appropriate starches. This is one of the reasons they have adapted so well to living with humans for thousands of years.

There’s a big difference, however, when it comes to cats. Cats are considered obligate carnivores; they are not able to utilize much in the way of carbohydrates at all. They utilize fat and protein for energy, not carbs!

If you want to know how to read pet food labels, here are some dog and cat food ingredients you definitely want to avoid.

In an ideal world, your wild dog or cat would be eating the best parts of an animal they hunted themselves. As scavenged food is less-than-ideal, they would likely catch a fresh animal for their supper.

When learning how to read pet food labels, common words you will see are “meat by-products” or “meat digest;” these are catch-all terms for all sorts of ingredients we might find unsavory for our pets. In the “meat by-products and digest” ingredients listed on pet food labels, the fur, feathers, beaks, hooves, intestinal organs (entrails) and any diseased tissue (tumors) of not-so-recently deceased animals are included. The processing of decomposed animals is a very unsanitary technique, making these processed by-products a highly toxic, unsafe pet “food.”

Most people are aware how soy and corn are not good for animals; both crops belong on the list of pet food ingredients to avoid. Frankly, the main reason I think these major crops are so bad for animals (humans included) is that they are typically all genetically modified crops (GMOs) contaminated with glyphosate (Roundup). Our companion animals are not efficient at metabolizing soy or corn. Additionally, they are eating what I refer to as “Franken-foods” (genetically modified) of which we have yet to know the full extent of the danger. What we do know is our pets are not healthier for eating these foods and showing signs of more chronic disease with each generation. Keep in mind, too, with glyphosate exposure, our animals’ immune and detox systems are severely compromised, leading to more health issues.

As you investigate how to read pet food labels, pay close attention to the way in which protein is written on the pet food ingredient list. Nutritive proteins should be specifically spelled out and listed with the words “beef, pork, chicken, and/or turkey.” If the references to protein are generic, like “animal, meat, or poultry,” this could include a wide range of unsavory body parts.

It doesn’t take a major exposé of pet food ingredients revealed to know any artificial coloring, preservative, or flavoring is bad for your pet’s health. If you see the words BHT, BHA, ethoxyquin, propyl gallate, meat flavoring, propylene glycol, “natural” flavoring, MSG, gluten-meal, calcium carbonate (limestone), folic acid (a poor source of folate), or sugars, you need to run, not walk, away from this bag or can of mystery meat.

With all these pet food ingredients revealed, what IS the best diet for my pet?

Think for a moment about what is the best diet for you? Fresh, whole foods, right? It’s the same with your animals with a species-specific spin (to learn more about what diet is most appropriate for your dog or cat, read more on my blog entitled Species Appropriate Diets for Dogs and Cats).

If you make your own fresh food, which really isn’t that hard, complicated or expensive (and your animal will love you for it), you can control almost every aspect of the food and know with greater certainty what your pet is really eating.

You can learn more about pet food ingredients to avoid and how to feed your animal fresh food by taking my Feeding Fresh courses.

I know it can be maddening to figure out how to feed your beloved animals. I realize it can be intimidating to think about how to make their food. Yes, there will be a learning curve, but, after you learn how even the pet food companies might not know what goes into their products, how the high-heat processing of decomposed animals is dangerous, and how the sanitized language on pet food labels is designed to trick you, then why not try? You will see your animals’ health bloom and your heart will soar with joy knowing you hacked one of the most important fundamentals for helping your pets live a longer, vibrant life!

I decided to make it as easy as possible for conscientious pet parents like you to give your pet the healthiest life possible.

You can learn more about how to transition your pet to fresh food with this easily digestible course I created! The course has recipe ideas, handouts for deeper understanding of how your pet absorbs nutrition, the health benefits you see in animals eating a fresh diet, and a full plate more of information on what you can do to help your pet live a long, happy life!

Listen to my guest appearance on MSP! Holistic Veterinary Podcast Episode

February 28, 2019 by Dr. Dee Blanco Leave a Comment

Learn more about holistic veterinary care in Episode 70 of Adam Copeland’s My Shity Podcast!

I had a great time talking to Adam Copeland on his podcast about the benefits of working with nature rather than against nature when it comes to natural pet care. Adam asked some great questions about holistic veterinary practices and how they can be a game changer in the lives of our animals!

If you want in on the conversation, you can hear Episode 70 of MSP on iTunes, Google Play, I Heart Radio, and Spotify.

Don’t miss the “poop” tips at the end of episode!

Why is it important to detox your pets?

February 12, 2019 by Dr. Dee Blanco Leave a Comment

If you found this blog, you are one of the few who considers an obvious truth about the toxicants in our every day lives.

The chemicals impacting human health also have a harmful effect on our pets’ health.

Every day, your dogs and cats are exposed to the same toxic chemicals and heavy metals as every human on the planet. Heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, aluminum and nickel deteriorate vibrancy and good health in humans and animals alike. Added to this toxic soup are common toxicants including pesticides, herbicides, phthalates, food additives, petrochemicals, other environmental toxins including solvents, volatile organic compounds (VOC’s found in paints), and medicinal drugs! I’m sorry to say – the list continues to grow as corporations produce products that are not tested, monitored or carefully regulated.

Detoxification for human health is popular now but just being born makes the risk of toxicant exposure severe.

If you’re disturbed by that number of chemicals, be relieved – it means you’re paying attention…

Here’s another harsh reality – 90% of these 85,000 chemicals rearranging our ability to thrive have never been tested for safety. These staggering numbers led to an estimated 287 toxicants present in the body of a newborn infant. And with current studies showing that human breast milk is one of the most toxic fluids ingested worldwide, how can a child thrive in ultimate health?

The combinations of toxic chemicals to which we and our pets are exposed act like a bomb decimating our bodies.

Individually, toxicants like mercury and aluminum already wreak havoc on our health. Cumulative additions of chemical upon chemical mix in our bodies to wreak havoc, inhibiting proper functioning.

If you’ve investigated detoxification, you’ve already been haunted by the horrors of other harmful combos of poisons like pesticides on our produce, phthalates covering packaged convenience foods, and, who could forget, bisphenol? AKA BPA’s – which are hormone disruptors affecting every endocrine organ in the body.

And then there’s GMO’s… a topic too big to discuss in this brief blog, but, they have invaded the world of all food, dragging along with them the horrible herbicides glyphosate, 2-4D (aka Agent Orange) and dicamba, to name a few. To dive deeper into this subject, I suggest watching Genetic Roulette-The Gamble of Our Lives by The Institute For Responsible Technology.

It’s clear to those of us in clinical practice all of these toxicants have created a heavy load not just on us, but, also on our pets.

Studies have shown that our animals are impacted by hundreds more toxicants at much higher rates than humans.

Generally speaking, animals metabolize drugs at a slower rate than human beings – even slower than the fetus, infants, or the elderly.

We’ve learned a lot in recent years about the potentially negative effects of a high-starch diet for carnivores. Many caring pet parents learn this information, attempt to choose better species specific diets (you can learn all about what your pets really need in their diets by reading here), and see no results in their overweight or hypothyroid animals. They diligently give their pets the medications and supplements prescribed by trusted veterinarians with no noticeable results.

Why is nothing happening in this scenario?

Because toxicants are clogging up the works, so to speak.

Your animals are exposed to chemicals and substances which greatly impede their metabolism. These disruptive toxicants are hormone disruptors causing thyroid imbalance as well as affecting all the other endocrine organs.

Toxicants create inflammation throughout the body and damage the hormones which regulate appetite. As an example, the hormone leptin, which communicates to the brain when the tummy is full, can be blocked by heavy metals. So, the appetite is never satiated, balanced or complete. Excess weight is the result, further hindering overall health.

First thing’s first – start your Pet Detox strategy at home and clean up the toxicants in their food, water, environment – everywhere!

The organ which is most susceptible to toxicant exposure in pets is the largest one – skin!

The skin is the largest detoxification organ because of its huge surface area. The skin of human and non-human animals alike constantly sheds what doesn’t serve the body. In this day and age, the skin is working overtime and could really use the help in removing metabolic wastes from normal living, street grime, and any other toxicant that isn’t expelled out the stool or the urine. Consider giving your animal a detox bath, a procedure available as a bonus feature of my upcoming Detox Protocol: Step One package. I also have a special mini-course which goes into more depth about cleaning your pets’ environment.

Here are some nutritive supplements you can add to your pets’ lifestyle to give the internal detox organs the back up they need to clean out modern day toxicants:

Vitamin C could be the most important antioxidant for assisting the liver to naturally detox your pets’ internal systems. While our pets are capable of producing Vitamin C on their own (we humans and guinea pigs cannot), who wouldn’t like a little extra when battling toxicant exposure? Mixed ascorbates are buffered, highly absorbable and, best of all, quite affordable! Camu camu and acerola berries are great, whole food plant sources of Vitamin C that are safe and easy to assimilate.

Amino acids are present in a high protein diet; however, when our pets need help detoxing, more of these protein building blocks add power to adequate detoxification. N-acetyl cysteine (commonly known at NAC), is another therapeutic way to improve detoxification by promoting the production of glutathione – the body’s master antioxidant.

B-complex vitamins produce high levels of energy to fuel the pet detox process. Specific B vitamins, particularly B6, B12, folate or folinic acid (not folic acid) are powerhouses – the professional movers in the detox process.

Milk thistle is well-known for its support of the liver in both the human and the pet detox processes! Milk thistle is pretty amazing stuff. Its use is rumored to date back to some of the original party animals of Ancient Rome to protect the liver from, well, you know! This flowering Aster protects the liver cells against toxicants and oxidative effects of those harmful chemicals. It also helps regenerate liver cells and stimulates protein synthesis. It is recommended to use this herb for brief periods of time only.

Friendly microbes, otherwise known as probiotics, give the GI tract a boost during the pet detox process. Nourishing the family microbiome and the gut mucosa will provide better immune protection and can actually help chelate heavy metals from the gut. Be sure to include various families of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and, if possible, the friendly yeast Saccharomyces boulardii.

Unclogging your pets’ natural filtration and detoxification systems takes time and patience.

We’re accustomed to instant gratification at the click of a mouse pad or a tap of a phone screen.

Let me warn you now: Detoxification may take time.

Depending on the current level of health, age, and size of your animal, the detoxification process will vary. You should start to see results within a week or two, but, maintaining health and a clean body is an ongoing process to give your animal the best chance to thrive and live a long, happy, healthy life.

These small changes can still give your pet a detox jumpstart to help the body naturally shed harmful, everyday chemicals. Don’t get discouraged! You are the only one who can give this gift of a healthy life in a toxic world to your pet – you CAN do this!

For more in-depth help with specific Detox for your animal, write me at dee@drdeeblanco.com.

10 Reasons You Should Not Spay Your Female Dog

December 13, 2018 by Dr. Dee Blanco 2 Comments

Common practices for adopting dogs include spaying and neutering at a young age. This procedure is justified as a way to decrease animal homelessness from free mating and staving off certain undesirable behaviors.

In female dogs, the concept of spaying can be confusing as certain health benefits are improved while the risk of complications from the actual surgery itself are frequent.

The following information derives from a meta analysis preformed by Laura J. Sanborn, M.S. in 2007:

When female dogs are spayed before 2.5 years of age, the risk of mammary tumors, the most common malignant tumors in female dogs [especially if spayed younger than 30 months old], is greatly reduced.

Spaying nearly eliminates the risk of pyometra which otherwise would affect about 23% of intact female dogs; pyometra kills about 1% of intact female dogs. The already small risk of developing uterine, cervical, and ovarian tumors (≤0.5%) is removed. Lastly, just like with male dogs, the risk of perianal fistulas is reduced.

10 Reasons You Should Not Spay Your FEMALE Dog

#1: Similar to male dogs, female dogs are typically spayed prior to 1 year of age which impacts healthy, regular growth. Spaying young females significantly increases the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer), a common cancer in larger breeds with a poor prognosis.

#2: When female dogs are spayed before puberty, distinctly female disorders rise. The risk of recessed vulva, vaginal dermatitis, and vaginitis increases.

#3: Delaying the closure of growth plates after spaying a young female dog causes irregularity in the development of different bones. This hormonal disruption can cause unnatural proportions and proclivity to arthritis. Many bones may continue to grow due to the failure of growth plates to close.

#4: Spaying female dogs increases the risk of splenic and cardiac hemangiosarcoma. The increase of this common cancer rises by a factor of 2.2 for splenic hemangiosarcoma and by a factor of >5 for cardiac hemangiosarcoma. In some breeds, this cancer is among the top causes of death.

#5: The urinary complications in spayed female dogs are greatly increased. The occurrence of “spay incontinence” rises by 4-20% and the risk of persistent or recurring UTIs (urinary tract infections) increases by a factor of 3-4%. Spaying also doubles the small risk (<1%) of developing rare urinary tract tumors.

#6: The risk of obesity in spayed female dogs rises by a factor 1.6-2%. Obesity leads to other common health struggles including diabetes, ruptured cruciate ligament, tumors, urinary disease, and oral disease.

#7: Bone and ligament diseases in spayed female dogs are alarmingly increased. The risk for hip dysplasia in female dogs spayed or neutered before 5 1/2 months old rises by 70%. Their increased risk for patellar [knee cap] luxation rises by 3.1 fold. Cranial cruciate ligament rupture increases 2 fold.

#8: The risk of loss of pelvic bone mass [hip dysplasia] and spondylosis in the spine of spayed female dogs rises. The likelihood of developing fatal acute pancreatitis rises by 22 times.

#9: Early spaying of female dogs likely causes illnesses sparked by autoimmune thyroiditis. The risk for hypothyroidism triples for spayed female dogs.

#10: Spayed female dogs are susceptible to adverse reactions to vaccinations. Reactions such as anaphylaxis, cardiac arrest and shock, sudden death [chronic disease from vaccinations is not recognized by [conventional medicine, only acute reactions are recognized] increase by 27-38%.

If you’re still confused about whether or not you should spay your female dog, here’s what I would suggest you consider before making your choice:

Educate yourself, think about your lifestyle, ask your vet questions and then carefully move forward. Keep your animal intact for as long as possible. Specifically for female dogs, make sure you monitor for pyometra and carefully regulate her heat cycle social life.

If you have access to a vet who will preform a tubal ligation, I suggest you consider this. I also suggest you get adequate training to insure your dog is well socialized – this is a must to give your dog a safe, natural upbringing!

To learn more about what to do for your male dog, please, read 10 Good Reasons You Should Not Neuter Your Male Dog.