how does sexual maturity affect ligament development?

how does sexual maturity affect ligament development?

We actually see something similar in humans. The sex hormones that signal “maturity” (and I mean physical maturity, not mental) develop at different rates in males and females, and they play a huge role in how the body finishes growing.

These hormones are responsible for signaling growth plate closure—basically telling the body when bones are done lengthening. They also influence collagen synthesis, which is important for the strength and elasticity of many tissues. We usually think of collagen in terms of skin, but it’s just as important in ligaments, helping them stretch and stabilize joints properly.

In dogs, typical spay and neuter procedures remove the ovaries or testicles, which stops the production of these hormones. If this happens before a dog has finished developing, the body no longer receives the signals it needs to complete normal growth.

A helpful way to picture this is to compare it to humans. It would be like interrupting development in:

a girl around 12–13, just as she begins menstruation, or

a boy around 14–16, right at the start of puberty and before his final growth spurt

In both cases, the body is still actively developing. Cutting off those hormonal signals at that stage would likely have long-term effects on physical development.

Unfortunately, “sexual maturity” in dogs is often defined as the point when they can reproduce. That’s typically when spay/neuter is done—around 6 months to 1 year of age, when many dogs can first go into heat or produce sperm.

But that definition is a bit misleading. In humans, we don’t consider someone fully mature just because they’ve reached puberty. We recognize that full development continues into early adulthood.

The same is true for dogs. While they may reach reproductive capability early, true physical maturity—especially for joints and bones—comes later:

Small/medium breeds: ~12–18 months

Large breeds: ~18–24 months

Giant breeds: often 24–36+ months

That gap between sexual maturity and full physical maturity is where a lot of these orthopedic risks, like ligament issues, may come into play

This post was brought to my attention by my groomer friend. And something i thought would be fun to discuss. Please see the study she brought to my attention: 

Study here