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MINI REVIEW article

Front. Vet. Sci.
Sec. Animal Reproduction - Theriogenology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1532039
This article is part of the Research Topic Recent developments in Animal Reproduction: combining research with practice View all 3 articles

Possible Relationship between Long-term Post Neutering Complications in Dogs and Caregiver Burden in the Owners

Provisionally accepted
Idil Bastan Idil Bastan *
  • Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Anakara University, Ankara, Türkiye

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Gonadectomy, commonly known as neutering, is widely used to address dog overpopulation and reduce reproductive disease risks, such as mammary cancer and pyometra. It is also advocated for behavior modification. However, neutering is associated with an increased risk of certain musculoskeletal disorders, obesity, several types of cancer, immune-mediated diseases, and cognitive dysfunction. These conditions may necessitate ongoing care and treatment, that require special care that the caregiver must provide furthermore burdens the caregiver with daily tasks, which encompasses the emotional, physical, social, and financial impact on pet owners caring for chronically ill animals. This burden can result in burnout, health issues, depression, social isolation, and financial stress. The potential benefits and risk of gonadectomy can affect the quality of life of both humans and pets. Relevant research findings should therefore be incorporated into each pet's and owner's particular situation. The purpose of this review is to address the long-term neutering risks and the potential caregiver burden that arises from these risks.

    Keywords: gonadectomy1, neutering2, dog3, neutering risks, caregiver burden

    Received: 21 Nov 2024; Accepted: 02 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Bastan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Idil Bastan, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Anakara University, Ankara, Türkiye

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.