Pet Digest

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 interru...