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:
Very interesting! I hadn't consider the sexual maturity of dogs being other than when they can reproduce. Good analogy and food for thought.
ReplyDeleteNot something I would have thought of for dogs. but I can see how it is an important consideration. Relating it to humans is important, not every dog is sensible and mature when they can reproduce are they?
ReplyDeleteMarjorie Dawson
DashKitten.com
There's always a lot of debate about "pediatric" spay & neuter of dogs. Shelters perform these procedures because their main charter is over population control. Most Vets I've spoken to have recommended spay/neuter at 6 months to a year for most dogs, and up to 2 years for giant breeds (eg Great Danes, etc). The growth plates seems to be the key driver. Pet owners should have the conversation with their Vets & come to a decision on when to spay/neuter their dog.
ReplyDeleteI'm all for delayed spay and neuters if it didn't increase unwanted litters in an already overcrowded system. Here's hoping pet ownership responsibility increases so there's less issues in following the science!
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting. I am totally for spay/neutering pets to help with abandoned pets winding up in shelters or worse. I do know that many dogs are nowadays are getting spayed/neutered later than years ago. My own were done at that 6-month mark. This will be very interesting to follow.
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